Description
This thesis is an examination of women re-conceptualizing and re-appropriatingmotherhood in times of war and conflict to develop new ways of thinking regarding their traditional roles as wives, mothers, women, and national citizens. Through an intensive analysis of the Filipino film, Dekada '70, I situate my discussion on women's complex relationship to militarism and motherhood with Philippine martial law (1972-1981). Under the regime of former president, Ferdinand E. Marcos, the Philippines experienced one of the darkest moments of its history. With state sanctioned militarized violence, political corruption, and numerous human rights violations, civil society and public/private institutions became unstable and chaotic. To analyze the instability and fluctuating societal institutions, most notably gender and motherhood, I use the film's main protagonist as a case study for the progression of identities for women. Amanda Bartolome, the main female character, reaches her feminist and nationalist consciousness living through the personal hardships of Philippine martial law. Instead of silently succumbing to the various oppressions in her life, such as martial law and being a dependent housewife and mother, she takes control of her traditional identities and turns them into transgressive ones to help bring down the Marcos regime. As a case study, Amanda Bartolome represents women and mothers who have openly questioned their nationalism to oppressive states, and have used their identities as mothers to fight for social justice and peace.
