The story "Why Women Wash Dishes" was written by Filomena Navarro Colendrino. She was a prolific short story writer and has a collection of these stories in a book entitled "Home to the Rice Fields." Interestingly, there are many legends that can be told about her words and the way she wrote them. One of the most famous is "Aiai A" (but her real name) her words are significant. They inspire, motivate, and challenge the reader to think deeply. Interestingly, when she first began writing in her daughter's bedroom, she used to be a very different style of writing than she ended up being.
Characters
Ka Ugong (Hugo): A thin, henpecked husband who is 33 years old.
Ka Maldang (Imelda): A stout housewife around 30 years old.
Neighbor: The couple’s compadre.
Herb-man: An herbalist.
Neighbors: Seven men and women who are nosy neighbors of Ka Ugong and Ka Maldang
Summary
In a small town in Santa Rosa, there lived a couple named Hugo and Imelda. They constantly argued about who should wash the dishes after meals. Imelda would scold Hugo if he refused to do the chore. Sometimes, she’d even chase him with a coconut midrib broom. One day, they made a wager: whoever spoke first would have to wash the dishes forever. The silence between them lasted so long that neighbors thought they had died. Imelda, terrified at the thought of being placed in a coffin, finally spoke up, shouting, “Don’t touch us!” Hugo rejoiced, knowing that Imelda would now be responsible for the dishes indefinitely
Notes and Analysis / Study Guide for Students
In essence, “Why Women Wash the Dishes” serves as a commentary on societal expectations and the unequal distribution of household labor. The story highlights the traditional gender roles that place the burden of domestic chores, such as dishwashing, primarily on women. Through the narrative, the author likely critiques the societal norms that perpetuate these roles, questioning why such tasks are automatically assigned to women rather than being shared equally among all members of the household. This unequal distribution of labor reflects broader issues of gender inequality and the undervaluing of women's work, both inside and outside the home. The story may also suggest that these gendered expectations limit women's opportunities for personal and professional fulfillment, reinforcing the need for societal change to achieve true gender equality.
