Prismatic View of Gender Power Relations at the Intersection in Linda Ty-Casper’s Ten Thousand Seeds

Abstract

The never-ending waves of domestic conflict portrayed in Linda Ty-Casper’s Ten Thousand Seeds usher the readers to serious disempowering scenarios of the dominated gender which are viewed as “natural” social occurrence in the society. This article critically analyzes gender relations revolving the communication repertoire of the newlywed American couple, the Rowbothams, the only American couple during the American occupation in the Philippines in the 1900s featured in Ty-Casper’s novel. American Occupation refers to the period when Philippines was colonized by the Americans. Employing the qualitative research, the article applies cultural studies approach in more specific terms to reveal a microcosmic power struggle between the husband and wife in confined setting as well as their reaction to American rule. The aim is to reveal powerlessness caused by social factors and historical forces caused by colonization. In conclusion, it demonstrates to the readers why husbands and wives in gender relations behave in different ways and explains some of the noticeable differences in the levels of enjoyment, sphere of authority, privileges, and influence in various landscapes of human relations.