The mistress, the mother, and the maid: unearthing the compulsory heterosexuality of women in Merlinda Bobis' Banana Heart Summer

Issue Date

1-2020

Abstract

Bobis' Banana Heart Summer is a novel that follows the story of Nenita as she comes of age in the neighborhood of Remedios Street, a fictional setting situated in the province of Bicol. The novel is a successful sketch of how families, neighbors, recipes, and even rumors keep a town thriving.

This paper deals primarily with the textual analysis of the poignant female characters of the novel: Violeta, Marina, and Nenita. the paper focuses on how these characters formed the weighted societal notions of family and gender roles. This paper arrives at the conclusion that compulsory heterosexuality is present in the novel and that patriarchal power is exercised by both male characters and the state/community itself by structuring and relegating the roles specific to women such as mistresses, mothers, and maids. This paper aims to shed light on the different roles that women play within the household and how enforcing heternormativity upon these roles shape their reality as women.

Source or Periodical Title

U.P. LOS BAŇOS JOURNAL

ISSN

0117 1461

Volume

XVIII

Issue

1

Page

15-24

Document Type

Article

Frequency

annually

Language

English

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