A CHECKLIST OF FEMINIST CRITICAL QUESTIONS
1. To what extent does the representation of women and men in the work reflect the
place and time in which the work was written?
Magnificence was written by a Filipino writer in the Philippines in 1960. During this time, the
first women’s rights movement in the Philippines was established, the National Commission on
the Role of Filipino Women and the Women's Rights Movement of the Philippines was founded,
and the Philippines ranked 16th in the world for political empowerment because many women
became officials. The story reflects the changing roles of women in the 1960s. The mother’s
character is strong and protective, fleeing from the traditional image of being a passive woman.
She takes action against the male tutor, Vicente who behaved disgustingly, showing a level of
assertiveness that was becoming more common during that time. This aligns with the growing
women's rights movement in the Philippines, where women were demanding more respect,
equality, and the right to protect themselves and their families.
2. How are the relations between men and women or those between members of the
same sex, presented in the work? What roles do men and women assume and
perform and with what consequences?
In the story "Magnificence," the relationship between men and women is presented in a very
different manner. The mother is portrayed as a strong and protective figure who takes decisive
action against the inappropriate behavior of the male tutor, Vicente. This challenges the
traditional societal norms of women as unassertive, docile, and compliant. Vicente, on the other
hand, is depicted as a manipulative and dangerous figure who abuses the trust given by the
parents. His actions show the potential for abuse of power and the importance of being attentive
especially when a situation involves children.
The consequences of the roles performed can be different for the mother and Vicente. The
mother might face social ostracism because during that time, although they are given rights, it is
still considered a conservative society, So she might become excluded in the society for doing
such actions. She might also suffer an emotional toll as she has witnessed the horrible thing
that was performed on her daughter. As for Vicente, he might tarnish his name, losing his
reputation, leading to him not being able to find a job. He could also face rejection from the
society because of his actions. Additionally, he might face legal consequences if the parents will
file a lawsuit against him.
3. Does the author present the work from within a predominantly male or female
sensibility? Why might this have been done, and with what effects?
4. How do the facts of the author’s life relate to the presentation of men and women in
the work? To their relative degrees of power?
5. How do other works by the author correspond to this one in their depiction of the
power relationships between men and women?
The story "Magnificence" by Estrella D. Alfon goes further with the aspect of power
relationships in interactions, especially in the gender world, where a woman is at a lower end of
society, and is considered inferior. This is along the trend of other pieces by Alfon, in which the
female characters whom she commonly describes as the ones whom society forces into their
shell while striving to get out to gain independence in a male-dominated world. Alfon goes
further into illustrating this idea by the characterization and interaction between characters. She
despises the tradition-based gender positions and brings up the element of women's strength as
she shows how the situation can change to level it.
