A Comparative Analysis Essay of the Poems Pinagrok by Estelito B. Jacob and The Applicant by Sylvia Plath
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| Alagad ng Sining, March 20, 2020 |
A Comparative Analysis Essay of the Poems Pinagrok by Estelito B. Jacob and The Applicant by Sylvia Plath
Oftentimes, people are limited by their gender roles which are imposed by society. Men and women must do this and that based on what other people are expecting them to be. This is the sad reality that most people fail to have a full grasp on because they are blinded by the goal of fulfilling and achieving what they are supposed to do as either a man or a woman. In today’s fast-paced world, the sluggish progress in attaining gender equality is evident because patriarchy is dominating in many aspects. With that, misogyny arises due to the fact that most men, if not all, think too highly of themselves―it is as if they are higher beings who are in full control of the world. Estelito B. Jacob’s Pinagrok and Sylvia Plath’s The Applicant are just two of the many literary pieces who have shown and addressed the oppression women are continuously experiencing because of how society is definitely patriarchal in nature.
Firstly, Jacob’s poem is an excerpt of his book Pinagrok: Mga Piling Rawitdawit published by the Ateneo de Naga University Press in 2014. He is a Bikolano writer who has been recognized for his literary works. Plath’s The Applicant was written in 1962 and was first published in the London Magazine in 1963 (Spacey, 2018). In the same year, Sylvia Plath took her own life at the age of 30 due to depression. Two years after her death, this poem was published by her husband in her book entitled “Ariel”. Her wrath and repugnance towards the underlying defined gender stereotypes was expressed through this poem. The two poets belong in different generations and their poems were written in different times, but it is evident that the main theme of both poems, which is oppression of women, are present and existing for decades. There is a 52-year gap between the two literary pieces, but readers can deduce that this controversial and seemingly unending issue of patriarchy has been with society all throughout years.
Both The Applicant and Pinagrok written by Sylvia Plath and Estelito Jacob, respectively, are masterpieces which are trying to address the issues of misogyny despite the differences with their approach. In Pinagrok, a child is narrating the story of how his invective father was physically and emotionally abusing his submissive and martyr-like mother constantly. The persona related the beating his battered mother was receiving to a dish called Pinagrok which is a Bikolano cuisine similar to inon-on. On the other hand, the persona in The Applicant is an executive-like interviewer who is working as a part of the “Human Resource'' in a company. The persona in the poem is interviewing a male applicant who is being critically examined in order for the interviewer to decipher whether he is a rightful person to receive the commodity he is trying to offer him―a woman who will eventually become his wife. The two persona portray how women are being oppressed by society itself. Moreover, it clearly shows that women are being objectified by people, especially men. Pinagrok presents the unwanted and uncalled-for pain that several women around the world are continually repressing to themselves because of misogynists who are irrationally hating on women because, in some sexist way, it boosts and feeds their ego. The persona in that poem represents every child who is unfortunate to witness all those violent things and who can do nothing but be sorry for his mother because he, too, cannot fight his own abusive father. The Applicant exhibits the roles women are faced and limited with because people look down on their capabilities to also stand on their own feet. The persona in Plath’s poem symbolizes the society who half-heartedly cries for equality and, at the same time, increases the cases of sexism.
Both poems have three characters including the persona. Plath utilized an interview as setting wherein the persona is the interviewer, the applicant is the man, and the it refers to the commodity being commercializedㅡthe woman. In regards to Jacob’s poem, a monologue of the persona which is the son was used as a setting as we cannot deduce it to a conversation, hence, there is no response from the mother. The persona mentioned his father to represent oppression and violence. Looking further, the characters used in each poem create a unique and vivid approach to the readers. For instance, The Applicant, with its characters, creates an image of a market and commercialism. Additionally, the language used in the said poem is related to corporate structures, for instance, guaranteed, stock, ticket, and resort. On the other hand, Pinagrok draws a structure of a family composed of a mother, a father and a son. From here, the culture of Filipinos about the value of a family is evident. Among the characters in both poems, none was given a chance to talk or to utter words except for the persona. It clearly shows the monopoly of the persona in the poems.
Although the poems have different settings and environment, the oppression of women is apparent. Hence, it may be concluded that violence to women does not choose any place nor time, such neglect may happen anytime and anywhere. Both poems agreed implicitly that such abuse to women escalates.
Both poets aimed to convey a vivid image of oppression to women particularly on how they portray the two persona to unveil the issue on their own way. Pinagrok’s persona was successful in illustrating the violence and battering his mother had undergone using a metaphor of Pinagrok. The process of cooking such Bicolano’s renowned dish clearly presents the suffering of his mother. From a fish being battered by sticks to immersing it to a boiling water with various spices such as salt, pepper, and onions asserted the pain and burnt his mother endured from his father. This scenario creates an image of violence that somehow leads the readers to its tone. Looking to the opening of Pinagrok, the persona may sound angry towards his father’s action, but, at the same time, he may sound sorry for his mother. As a result, there is a dualism on the tone of the poem: a son who seeks for forgiveness that he cannot do anything to save his mother from the boiling waterㅡhis fatherㅡand a son who knows how bad his father is and hates him. However, in the latter part, the tone of the persona towards his mother has slightly changed. A bit of blaming and resentment was mixed to the tone. The first three lines of the last stanza prove it as the persona is seemingly asking for his mother to do something not to be fooled again. Nonetheless, his mother keeps his father to kick her and to make her forget that by kissing. This asserts that his mother is to blame somehow as she keeps being a martyr.
On the other side of the coin, Plath’s The Applicant smoothly presents the imagery of the poem. An interview is expected to be formal, thus, the opening of the poem immediately evokes a serious atmosphere with set of questions. Plath also described marriage as a black suit and a stiff institution. In her poem, she substituted the priest to an interviewer that may cease the sacredness but maintain its formality. It may be because the poem is trying to point out that sanctity ceases in marriage once the two parties have been forced by the society to bound and to serve as a poultice for their lacks and empty hands and heads. This imagery creates a tone of disgust and anger towards the clearly defined gender roles in the society. Reducing the women to it is limiting their essence and capabilities. The rest stanzas focus on the commodity being sold to the applicant. A scene of the persona persuading the applicant to purchase the it has been created. Thus, the tone of the poem is also strictly formal and tenacious.
Figurative language also added taste to the poems. Both poems successfully utilized powerful language devices. Plath’s The Applicant dominated its opening with metonymy that is basically representing the needs of an applicant and his deficient physicality. Rhetorical questions can also be considered as a device the poem had abused. From the start until the end, the question “Will you marry it?” has never been answered. The poet was also successful in using metaphor to convey her message by comparing it to a doll, a suit, and an applicant. Additionally, though the poem is a free verse, there are internal and end rhymes that can be found that were useful in emphasizing the tone and flow of the poem. The persona is noticeably fond of spitting out \`s\`, \`ch\` and \`th\` sounds that may imply his anger and irritable nature. The style of the poem also contributed to its overall approach like a style of quintain and some enjambments.
Jacob’s poem mainly focused on a metaphor of Pinagrok. It is a brilliant idea to instill an element of relatability, hence, the literary piece was written in local dialect which means its main readers are also local and know what Pinagrok is. The poem can also be considered rich in extreme and strong emotion due to emphasis and powerful words.
Applying the Feminist Theory in critiquing the two literary pieces of Jacob and Plath, the overpowering and prevailing theme unveiled, as mentioned earlier, is oppression of women. Both poems flaunt dominance of men over women who they consider as frail people wherein they have complete control of. Additionally, patriarchy and misogyny are certainly highlighted as both poems talk about the struggles women encounter solely because they are born to the less significant and less puissant group between the dichotomy of genders. In profoundly analyzing the literary pieces, it can be extrapolated that the two poems may be related to each other in terms of its context; it seems that putting together these poems show a cause-and-effect situation. In Plath’s The Applicant, it mainly discusses marriage and it is obviously taken in a wrong concept because it practices the “I-It” relationship instead of “I-Thou” with respect to Martin Buber’s philosophy. Women are regarded as things that function only for the sake of satisfying men’s needs, desires, and libido. Moreover, degradation of women intensifies as the woman being talked about by the two men in the poem can do nothing because, firstly, she is considered as a thing―a living doll―who follows whatever her man wants her to do due to the labels and roles the society has been pinning on her and, secondly, her presence as a person is not acknowledge making her completely out the picture wherein she has no right to oppose on whatever the two men are conversing and dealing about. In Jacob’s Pinagrok, the child’s perspective has compared the preparation of the dish Pinagrok to the violent, abusive, and toxic relationship of his parents. Similarly, outright misogyny is non-ambiguous in this poem unlike the former in which this kind of theme was implicitly expressed. With all these, the situation in The Applicant likely leads to the malignant marital accord that the couple has in Pinagrok. Generally, women are being dehumanized and there is an utter lack of respect to these people
Another theme being presented in both poems is women’s submission to men. Using the sociocultural approach as a literary criticism, these women are submissive because society wants them to be so and they are already labelled and viewed by most people that way. Gender roles once again enter the picture. First and foremost, the man is considered as the “applicant” in the first poem and it speaks so much about the society. Men are the only persons who are considered to have the freedom to choose the path or the direction they want to take. Men are the only persons who can have a job as they are expected to be the foundations of their families. Meanwhile, the women’s lives are already written and predicted. They are limited to raising children, doing household chores, and appeasing their man in bed. They have no choice because they are only given one role by society. Why can’t women be applicants as well? Why is it that people tend to degrade others just to bring themselves up?
Unlike men who are in full control of their lives, women are dependent on men as they are the patriarchal figures to obey. The battered wife in Pinagrok is the epitome of a submissive woman. Despite the physical pain brought to her by her husband, at the end of the day, she still gives him her sweetest kisses. That is why Jacob’s poem has a hint of women empowerment because, on the last stanza, the persona advised and encouraged his mother to fight back and to not settle for less. The poet, through the persona, wanted the woman to reciprocate the pain her husband has been giving her in her own ways. However, the blame can never and should never be on these women because, in the first place, if those men have given, at the very least, the respect women deserve, such injustices, inequality, and humiliation will cease to exist. It can be observed that from the very start of marriage, during the exchanging of marital vows, women are expected to submit themselves to men as they tie the knot. This is acceptable if, and only if, the couples are involved in a healthy relationship wherein both parties gain self-growth, but the reality is, men abuse their so-called power. The society is playing an integral role in how the populace acts. Maybe it is already human nature to possess the habit of meeting whatever it is expected from people. Society, since the very beginning, can be associated with toxicity because indifferent and unjust concepts influence others to have the same thinking. Up to date, there is still something wrong with the society’s view because some use their power and authority to influence others to romanticize and normalize misogyny and sexism. Indeed, it is very saddening that ending inequality currently seems to be out of reach because of how shallow, immature, irrational, ignorant, and apathetic some people are.
In the series of unfortunate events, we ourselves, in today’s administration, have a misogynist president named Rodrigo Roa Duterte. From the start of his presidential term, he has been dropping remarks that show outright disrespect and hatred towards women―from rape jokes down and catcalling to sexist tirades and sexual harassments (David, 2018). This person who has the highest position in the Philippine government even had the audacity to sexually harass Vice President Leni Robredo by ogling her legs and making remarks on how she dressed, which, by the way, is not at all teasing and inappropriate. This kind of behavior is being adapted by people who are finding excuses just to harass every woman they see. Today, social media contains out roar wherein women are standing up and speaking out against catcalling they receive from men. This act of harassment chooses no age, gender, and physical attribute. Moreover, cases wherein young men make group chats for them to talk about young women and harass them by sending pictures of girls and making sexual remarks increase. Aside from this, several wives are victims of physical abuse and it comes to the point that they have no power to do anything but weep. Domestic abuse is common to Filipinos. That is why the #BabaeAko Movement and Gabriela are taking actions through empowering women in many aspects (Dado, 2018). These groups have been implementing campaigns that will address and critique Duterte’s sexist insults in order for him to know that women will not tolerate these actions. With the president continuing his horrible behavior of giving demeaning statements against women considering that Filipino men are listening to him, the issue of gender inequality will not be resolved. Also, in connection to Plath’s The Applicant, Filipino marital relationships built on weak foundations are usually composed of men who see their wives as trophies of their masculinity. There are cases in which objectification of women is dominating in relationships. The traditional nurturing role of women has oppressed the opportunities they are given. However, as the poem suggests, women are not the only victims of gender roles because men, too, are involved. In the last stanza of The Applicant, the interviewer said that it was the man’s last resort and this implies that women will be the missing piece that will complete their manhood. Plath’s poem displays the reality of marriage that it has become a practical bond over time wherein the sanctity of marriage is jeopardized because of men being the dominant social group. Nowadays, despite the improvement in gender equality, patriarchy is still prevailing and apparent in cases such as politics, family discourse, and intimate relationships.
Utilizing a psychoanalytical approach, Pinagrok shows how the mother, as a Filipino, values close family ties. It can be traced that the woman perceived by the persona in the poem keeps tolerating her abusive husband because doing otherwise will mean having a completely broken home. Due to societal expectations and cultural paradigms, she would rather suffer the physical pain she constantly receives rather than to be considered as a failed marriage and a broken family. With this, the stigma against broken families are brought up because negativity is always associated with this concept. It may conclude that the fear of having her family part is the unconscious mind of the mother. Perhaps, the mother can think only about the physical abuse, but deep inside, unknowingly, she was just afraid of ending up alone and incomplete that others will regard as wasted. On the other hand, the father may be aggressive and violent in nature because of his historicity. As Jacob presented the abuse and oppression in the eyes of a child, there may be a clue that the father had experienced abuse also in his childhood. Talking about the cycle of abuse particularly from a family, the father may still have anger towards his oppressors but, unconsciously, he is to avenge to his wife instead. Likewise, the son, who is a witness of battering and violence, has a tendency to develop anger and hatred towards his father, but it may become unconscious because he was scared. Until he grows and that hatred will be consumed by his future wife as a volcano that needs to burst out its heat otherwise it dies. Jacob may pinpoint this unending violence throughout his poem. The Applicant, on the other hand, is mainly focused on the Id of the applicant. The persona keeps interrogating the applicant about his needs and the answer to those lacks and needs of the applicant is the it. This it will fill that hole and emptiness and will give pleasure and service. Implicitly, marriage is all about needs and poultice to each other. The problem is if the psychology of the applicant and it stucks in the Id level, such covenant and partnership may end up in the depth of ocean, in the fire, and shattered through the bombs; it is not waterproof nor shatterproof, there is nothing proofness in it.
The two poems are genius in terms of conveying the message and being an agent of change. Plath’s The Applicant revealed us the escalating limited gender roles of women in the society. It is also genuine to portray the women as an object in the poem to give emphasis to sexism. Jacob’s Pinagrok also did a great job in presenting the violence by comparing it to a certain dish that most of his readers can relate to. The strong and painful words effectively created strings attached to the heart of the reader to let it open and let the emotion flow. However, technically speaking, The Applicant overpowers the Pinagrok. Plath’s poem had drawn us to go beyond our primary reflection. From what we see and what we feel, we diverged to its essence. The interhuman relationship of The Applicant and It also piqued our interest as readers.
We highly recommend these poems to everyone who has the willingness to open their hearts and ears to the voiceless whine of the women in the society. Together, we must stand against gender inequality and fight for feminism. Through literature, we can advocate for equality, but let us not allow this to remain as words. Let us take action and, in our own little ways, help in putting an end to oppression of women.
REFERENCES
Dado, N. (2018, May 30). 30 examples of Duterte’s sexist remarks #BabaeAko. Blog Watch. Retrieved from https://blogwatch.tv/2018/05/duterte-sexist-remarks/
David, R. (2018, May 8). Talking misogyny. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from https://opinion.inquirer.net/113022/talking-misogyny
Eagleton, T. (2003). Literary theory: an introduction (2nd ed.). Minneapolis, MN : The University of Minnesota Press.
Jacob E. (2014). Pinagrok: Mga piling rawit-dawit. Naga City, Philippines : Ateneo de Naga University Press.
Plath S. (2004). The collected poems. (Ed. T. Hughes). New York, NY: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc.
Spacey, A. (2018, March 12). Analysis of poem The Applicant by Sylvia Plath. Owlcation. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of-Poem-The-Applicant-by-Sylvia-Plath
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