THE WEDDING DANCE

Amador T. Daguio

Submitted by:

Discaya, Ruth

Ocampo, Stephanie Queen P.

Oruga, Raynold G.
1. Background

Author‟s Background

Amador T. Daguio is a poet, novelist and teacher during pre-war Philippines. He

was born on January 8, 1912 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte but grew up in Lubuagan, Mountain

Province, where his father was an officer in the Philippine Constabulary. He was a class

valedictorian at the Lubuagan Elementary School and stayed with his Uncle at Fort

William McKinley to study at Rizal High School in Pasig. He also graduated at University

of the Philippines as one of the top ten honor graduates. He was able obtained his M.A.

in English at Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar and two years after, he obtained

his law degree from Romuladez Law College in Leyte. He worked as a teacher for 26

years at University of the East, University of the Philippines and Philippine Women‟s

University.

Daguio was already writing poems in elementary school and even wrote a

farewell verse on a chalkboard for a departing teacher. During his early years, he

experience to be very lonely, and also thinks that his life is full of poverty and

adolescent pains which lead him to write poems to express his feelings. He was able to

publish some works such as The Flaming Lyre (1959), The Thrilling Poetical Jousts of

Balagtasan (1960), Bataan Harvest (1973), The Woman Who Looked Out the Window

(1973) and The Fall of Bataan and Corregidor (1975). Unfortunately, most of his works

are still unpublished and some, unwritten but tends to appear in Six Filipino Poets and

others in the Pacific Spectator and the Beloit Poetry Journal.

With all the credentials under his belt, he was chosen to serve as a chief editor

for the Philippine House of Representative before he died from liver cancer at the age of
55. In 1973, 6 years after his death, Daguio was conferred the Republic Cultural

Heritage Award.

Background of the Selection

The Wedding Dance is a short-story written by Amador Daguio in 1952. This

story tells about a husband and wife, Awiyao and Lumnay, who had been married for

seven years. In spite of their love for each other, Awiyao feels the need to marry again

in order to have children. At his second marriage celebration, Awiyao goes to check on

Lumnay, knowing she is upset. Awiyao thought the answer to Lumnay's sorrow would

be to have her join the other women during the wedding dance. Lumnay was in fact at

his wedding, but left. She could not stand the idea of her husband marrying another

woman because she could not give him children.

The story gained from the author‟s life among the Igorots of North Luzon which

has a practice of divorce due to a childless marriage. The triumph of culture and

tradition over personal love is emphasized in the story which lets the reader see the way

of life and culture of the tribal people of Northern Luzon.

2. Analysis

2.1. Theme

The value of a tribal tradition that favors the blind perpetuation of its existence

even at the expense of true love and happiness. Furthermore, it talks about

gender roles and fragmented identity in a traditional and indigenous Filipino

society.

2.2. Setting

The story was set a long time ago in a mountain village in the

Philippines, most probably in the Cordilleras where gangsas are associated

with.

The following, accompanied by excerpts from the story, are the values,

traditions, and lifestyles at the time when the story happened:

 There was a strong stigma when married couple couldn‟t have their own

child. The spouses were mocked and were being talked about behind their

backs. “Lumnay, if I did this it is because of my need for a child. You know

that life is not worth living without a child. They have mocked me behind my

back. You know that”

 There was a strong societal force that suppressed women for speaking up.

Women couldn‟t complain back then. “Let her be the first woman to

complain, to denounce the unwritten rule that a man may take another

woman.”

 There was proof of loyalty and true love that time. “I don‟t want any man,‟

she said sharply. „I don‟t want any other man.‟ He felt relieved that at least
 she talked: „You know very well that I don‟t want any other woman, either.

You know that, don‟t you?‟”

 People back then had their own religious belief. They believed in a supreme

being and were strictly adhering to traditions especially when it came to

sacrificial offerings. “You know that I have done my best,‟ she said. „I have

prayed to Kabunyan much. I have sacrificed many chickens in my prayers.‟”

“‟You remember how angry you were…because I butchered one of your

pigs without your permission? I did it to appease Kabunyan…‟”

 As for gender roles, women, more than anything, were considered as

homemakers. “‟…I came to tell you that, Madulimay, although I am marrying

her, can never be as good as you are. She is not as strong in planting

beans, not as fast in cleaning jars, not as good in keeping a house clean.

You are one of the best wives are in the whole village.”

 Even before, men had fragile masculinity and were highly protective of their

image as a man. “‟It‟s only that a man must have a child. Seven harvest is

just too long to wait. Yes, we have waited long.‟” “Why did the unwritten law

demand, anyway, that a man, to be a man, must have a child to come after

him?”
2.3. Characters and Characterization

 Awiyao

The husband stated in the story who needs to have a child for their

tribe and so that there will be someone who will come after him. He has a

hard-strong and kind feature and described as humorous.

 Lumnay

She is the wife of Awiyao. She is the woman who was left by her

husband because she cannot bear a child. She is described as beautiful, a

good dances, strong in planting beans, fast in cleaning jars, good in keeping

a house clean and even called as one of the best wives in the whole village.

 Madulimay

She is Awiyao‟s new wife, who is younger and he hopes to have

children with.

2.4. Plot

Exposition

The story opens when Awiyao (the husband) entering his‟ and

Lumnay‟s house.

Lumnay was leaning against the wall, partly sullen, but not because of

anger or hate of their separation. Awiyao asked Lumnay to go out and to prove

that she doesn‟t hate him on the separation. Awiyao was hoping that one of the

many men will like the way she dances and would like to marry her, then maybe

she would be luckier than she was with him.

Rising Action

Lumnay says she does not want any other man and Awiyao does not

want another woman either.

But Lumnay answered that she does not want any other man. When

Awiyao heard it, he felt relieved and confessed that he does not want any other

woman either. They exchanged some thoughts that they were both good

husband and wife to each other. But because the seven harvests had passed

and still cannot have a child they are forced to separate their ways, so that a

man can find another woman in hope that she can give him a son to continue

his line. Awiyao and Lumnay had prayed to Kabunyan (local god), sacrificed

chickens and pig but with no success.

Awiyao then sat right next to Lumnay telling her that the reason for his

visit is that he could not find her among the dancers. He also told Lumnay that

Madulimay, the new wife, can never be good as she is when planting beans,

cleaning water jars, and keeping a house clean.

Because of the separation, Awiyao offered Lumnay to stay their house

and the filed he dug out of the mountain during their first year of their marriage.

But Lumnay rejected the offer and said that she prefers to live with her parents

as they are already old. Awiyao was trying to comfort Lumnay that he only did

marry another woman because of the need to have a child. Because life is not

worth living without a child.

Climax

When Awiyao finally leaves to re-join the wedding and Lumnay found

courage to go after Awiyao, to talk to the chief and the elders that it was not

right to separate them just because they cannot conceive a child.

Then the gongs thundered through the walls of their house, visitors

came to pick up Awiyao. Lumnay tells to Awiyao that she wants to keep the

beads as it stands for his love he has for her. Awiyao agreed and told Lumnay

that the beads worth 20 fields. Just before Awiyao left, he told Lumnay that he is

doing this for the sake of the tribe. Lumay then suddenly clung to him, clung to

his neck as if she would never let him go as it is hard for her but the people

outside their house were calling Awiyao to go, and she slowly let him go and he

buried out into the light.

Lumnay sat for some time in the darkness, while she had some self-

thoughts. She couldn‟t accept the tribe traditions. After sometimes, she found

courage to go to the wedding dance, and tell the chief and elders that it was not

right. Awiyao was hers and nobody could take him away from her.

Falling action

Lumnay walked away to the mountains as they both need to follow

their tribe‟s tradition.

But she couldn‟t take courage to break in the wedding feast. She

walked away from the village and went to the mountain and crossed the stream

carefully. When Lumnay reached the top, she could see the blazing bonfire.
 She thought of Awiyao as she knew him for a long time, he was a strong,

muscular boy carrying his heavy loads of fuel logs down the mountains to his

home. The two met before at the spring. She made him drink the cool mountain

water from her coconut shell. After that it did not take him long to decide to

throw his spear on the stairs of her father‟s house in token on his desire to

marry her.

Resolution

Lumnay had thoughts and accepted defeat against the unwritten

tradition of the tribe.

When Lumnay was reminiscing the past, she realized that she loved

Awiyao very much that she would rather lose him and see him happy than to

keep him and see him miserable for not being able to have a baby.

2.5. Conflict

Man vs. Oneself

Awiyao vs. Himself

Awiyao asked himself why there is an unwritten law

demanding a man to have a child to be called a man.

Lumnay vs. Herself

Lumnay was asking herself that was not she the best dancer

of the village? Did she not have the most lightness and grace? Did not

the men praise her body and how women envy the way she stretched

her hands like the winds of the mountain eagle? And yet she cannot

give a child.
Man vs. Man

Awiyao vs. Lumnay

Awiyao asked Lumnay to join the wedding dance, but

Lumnay refused the invitation as she is not interested to be liked by

any man.

When Awiyao asked Lumnay to take the house he built for

them in the first year of marriage as wells as the field he dug out,

Lumnay refused to take it.

Man vs. Nature

Awiyao and Lumnay vs. Roaring River and Steep Canyon

When Awiyao took Lumnay for the very first time from her

parents, they passed the roaring river and steep canyon together.

Man vs. Society

Awiyao and Lumnay vs. Tribe Tradition

A tradition that a husband and wife need to have a child

before the seven harvests ends after their marriage. But after seven

harvests if the couple could not conceive a child, then the man needs

to find another woman to marry in hope that she can give him his son.

Man vs. Fate

Awiyao and Lumnay vs. Kabunyan

The couple prayed to Kabunyan and even sacrificed some

chicken and a pig but end up with no success.

2.6. Values/Lessons

They say everything happens for a reason and that we are where we

should be. But these reasons are either right or wrong. In the story, Lumnay was

left with a broken heart because of all the wrong reasons. These traditions that

forced them to go on separate ways were definitely human constructs, made and

dictated by the society. The situation could have been different if Lumnay kept

her conviction to complain and to speak her mind. It really could have been

different.

Perhaps, these are the things that we must fight for instead. Perhaps, we

have to go against the current some times. Perhaps, we should do what we could

do for our own destiny. And we must assess the reasons why certain things

happen to us --- are they the right ones or not?

Given the choices of the characters in the story, it was beautiful that

Lumnay started to move forward just like “the stretching of the bean pods full

length from the hearts of the wilting petals.” She would go on too. Maybe they

have realized how their letting go of each other was already bigger than love.

Just like Lumnay, even though her high hopes with her new life together

with Awiyao vanished after the separation, she still decided to move on and look

forward for the future. The same as ours, when things do not turn out as we‟ve

wished, we should just let go, forgive ourselves and the situation, because if we

don‟t, we cannot move forward.

2.7. Relationship of the Selection to the Present Time

There are still people who do not have any courage to speak up what is in

their mind whether it is related to a tradition or culture or simply asking question

why.