What does the story, "The Wedding Dance" by Amador Daguio reveal about the Filipino psyche and values systems?
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What does the story, "The Wedding Dance" by Amador Daguio reveal about the Filipino psyche and values systems?
In summary, both Lumnay and Awiyao are dependent on each other. Awiyao is dependent on the act of Lumnay giving birth, while Lumnay is dependent on Awiyao’s reciprocation of love and affection. This is where their co-dependency happens, but as we go further into the story, Lumnay realized that she could live life by herself with pain still included while Awiyao depends on Madulimay again, to the remarriage that happened at the beginning.
The Filipino psyche was concerned with what builds their society in numbers far from the
independence that the member of the tribe holds. Their values were pressured under the sight of the elders where traditions survive the test of time.
Traditions that were set contributed to the…
I agree with all that are mentioned above. Indeed, The Wedding Dance is hurtful but we can still mirror some Filipino value system. We saw how Awiyao valued the tribe's tradition that he was willing to let go Lumnay because she couldn't give him a child. With this, we could tell that The Wedding Dance showed a theme of love and sacrifice, marriage, letting go of someone we love, and how tradition affects our decision in life like in the story (having a child is being a man). Although tradition affects some of our decisions in life, it still doesn't define who we are.
Awiyao could have fought for his love for Lumnay since what he was feeling for her was genuine but knowing Awiyao, he really is someone who is after the tradition. Like what their tribe believes in, a man is a man only if he can bear a child. Since Lumnay couldn't give Awiyao a child, he had to find another wife. For Awiyao to be in accord with the tribe's beliefs, yes, I think it was the best possible action he could do.
Renelle, I agree to how Filipinos value tradition, but do you think that Awiyao's decision is the best possible action they could have taken?
It's true. It exhibits how the Filipinos value and give importance to their tradition, that even if conforming to their unwritten laws has something to do with letting go of their loved ones, they are willing to do it— just like what Awiyao did. He let go of Lumnay so he could continue the legacy his tribe had established.