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              Written by Marcelino Agana Jr., The New Yorker in Tondo is a satirical play that vividly illustrates how the experience of colonization has deeply influenced Filipino values, identity, and way of living. Post-colonial literary criticism explores how foreign domination shapes a nation’s culture, language, and self-view, and how ideas introduced by colonizers continue to persist and affect people long after independence. Through the character of Kikay and her interactions with her family and friends, the story reveals that colonialism did not only change laws or boundaries but also created a mindset where Western culture, habits, and ways of life are regarded as superior, sophisticated, and worthy of imitation, while local traditions are often seen as ordinary, backward, or less valuable.       Kikay clearly embodies what is known as colonial mentality—an internalized belief that anything foreign is better than what belo...

    New Historicism teaches us that no piece of writing stands alone. Every text is shaped by the culture, politics, and power dynamics of its time, and in its own way, it helps shape how we understand history and reality. In this analysis, I look at two very different statements: one from a literary source that says, “The old laws protected only those who already possessed power,” and another from a political speech that claims, “The law exists equally for all citizens.” Reading them side by side, I realized they are not just different opinions—they reveal a deep conflict between the story those in charge want us to believe, and the reality that people actually lived through. This contrast shows that history isn’t just a list of facts; it’s a mix of competing views, where power often decides which version of “truth” gets accepted.   The political speech represents what we could call the “official story.” When it says the law serves everyone equally, it paints a picture o...

  Katherine Mansfield’s Miss Brill (1920) follows an elderly, solitary woman who spends her Sundays in the public gardens, weaving the people she watches into a grand narrative where she herself plays a meaningful part. Through the lens of hermeneutic phenomenology, I interpret Miss Brill not merely as a lonely old woman, but as a soul who constructs an entire reality through imagination to escape her invisibility—only to have that beautiful world cruelly destroyed in an instant. My core understanding is that this story exposes the fragile boundary between the reality we live and the reality we create, revealing how deeply our own experiences shape the meaning we find, or lose, in life.   I see Miss Brill as a woman who turns observation into connection and solitude into performance. She cherishes her worn fur stole as if it were a living companion, whispering, “Dear little thing! … Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear”, breathing life into an old object because t...

  Still I Rise is a powerful poem written by Maya Angelou, an African-American author, poet, and civil rights activist. Throughout her life, Angelou faced immense challenges, including racial discrimination, poverty, and personal trauma. However, she was known for her resilience and her fight for equality. Based on her life story, this poem is not just a work of fiction, but a reflection of her personal journey to overcome oppression and discover her own self-worth.   Angelou grew up in a society where racism and segregation were widespread, and she experienced discrimination because of her race and gender. This struggle is clearly reflected in the poem when she asks, "Does my sassiness upset you? / Why are you beset with gloom?" These lines show that she is aware that her confidence and success make others uncomfortable. By connecting her life to these words, we understand that the poem is her response to the people and systems that tried to put her down, proving that she re...