Not only will the setting reveal the difference between the standard Filipino literature and the contemporary. For me, one interesting element to look at when comparing the standard from the modern is the story’s conflict and how values and/or issues of the present compare to that of the past. How does the character look at the self? What is their state of mind when placed in a certain situation?
Looking back at Rivera-Ford and Tiempo’s stories, the protagonists look at themselves as if they can only find self-worth if they are loved/admired by somebody (even if they have no feelings for that somebody whatsoever). Tinang of “Love in the Cornhusks” married a man she doesn’t love, probably to assure herself and others that there’s nothing wrong with her that made Amado leave – she is worthy of being loved, that someone is willing to marry her. Pilar of “The Corral” out of fear of being labeled an old maid decided to marry Mr. Perfecto even if she cannot stand being around him. On the other hand, in Noelle De Jesus’ “Games” the protagonist looks at herself as not a “real woman”, that she can only be loved and accepted if she was “Chiqui or Aleli or Teeny or Cookie or Sarina or Kay as she dreamed up… with sleek hair, curving bodies, linen suits and high heels, with green eye shadow and mauve lipstick, with dimples or freckles or a tiny beauty mark on the corner of her mouth…”
Another interesting factor to look at is who/what dictates the mentality that somebody can only find self-worth if one is admired/loved by somebody or one is a “real woman”. Where did Tinang for example got the idea that she can be more happy if she marries a man she does not even love? Who/ what made Pilar settle for Mr. Perfecto instead? Where did the protagonist in “Games” got the idea that she can only be interesting if she pretends to be somebody she’s not?
Blame it on culture and the media. Before, getting married was the end all and be all for a woman. In our collectivist culture, nobody certainly wants to be alone. Also, Filipinos tend to always think about who will take care of them when they get old. Nowadays, the end all and be all for a woman is having a sense of achievement and looking like Carrie Bradshaw of “Sex and the City”. Pinays are bombarded with local and foreign Billboard ads, commercials and magazines with flawless, ageless, figure-perfect women who get what she wants (the man, the career), that there is now constant pressure for the Pinay (and women of other countries as well) to be like them.
With culture and the media setting the standards, women get tangled up with who they should be. Although there are countless women who are now making names for themselves, there is still pressure for women to get married, the only difference now is that there is no time pressure. I know of a lot of women who want to fulfill their own dreams first before settling down with a partner as they now recognize (thanks to women writers ) that defining and discovering who they are first is essential before spending a lifetime with a partner. It does not matter how long discovering oneself would take.
Although there are campaigns that advocate for ageless beauty, the media still sets standards for beauty. Although a woman’s weight does not seem to be a factor nowadays, women are still pressured to look “healthy” - pearly white teeth for that picture perfect smile, cellulite-free thighs, shiny locks, wrinkle-free eyes and detoxified, even-toned skin complexion.
A Pinay’s conflict with herself and society may have changed over the years (as exemplified by the difference of conflict between the stories mentioned) but there is still that pressure to conform.