A Kristevan analysis of three selected short stories from Sitoy's Mens rea and other stories

• Main Author: Honrada, Dina P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2002
• Subjects: Sitoy; Lakambini A Mens rea and other stories; Authors; Filipino; Short stories; Philippine; Characters and characteristics in literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_honors/243
• Institution: De La Salle University

This paper will basically study how the male protagonists are constructed in the three selected stories by Sitoy - namely Mens Rea , Armani and Painted One -- using Kristeva's theory of significance. It will try to locate the male protagonist's position - as central or marginal in each story as it progresses. This will be done through an analysis of the male main character, of conflict, and of point of view in each of the stories. In the analysis of the male main character, this paper will look at how the male protagonist is constructed as masculine or feminine by looking at how others perceive him and also at how he perceives himself. In the analysis of conflict in each of the selected stories, this paper will identify the antagonist/s and how he/she/they represent/s a threat or a force of subversion to the position of the male protagonist. Once the main character's position within the story is identified, this paper will then try to see, through an analysis of the dynamics of conflict between the protagonists and other characters, if the said position is subverted, threatened, or basically stays the same as the story progresses. Then when the conflict itself is identified, this paper will see how this conflict is resolved in the story by examining the levels of displacement in the position of the protagonist, basically looking into how the protagonist's position changes (if indeed it does) at the end of the story. Thus this paper will attempt to show how masculinity can be viewed as a position rather than as an essence exclusive to men, and argue that men could also be constructed as feminine. Lakambini Sitoy is chosen for this study as an acknowledgement of her talent and possible contributions to Philippine literature and feminist studies as a young and emerging feminist writer.