NAME: PENIONES, MARIANE N.

SUBJECT: ENG 129 – Language and Power

TO BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED IS TO BELIEVE: A Critical Analysis on Chaz Oyao’s

“My Tita Cecilia”

Teun Van Dijk (1993) defines how language has a role in social power in various
ways: language embodies power, expresses power, and participates in power struggles.
Ruth Wodak (2002) also describes how power is about relations of difference and
particularly about the effects of differences in social structures. My Tita Cecilia, a short
story published under the literary folio of Banaag Diwa written by Chaz Oyao is a sum of
an experience, a common power struggle within Filipino households during the COVID-
19 pandemic between clashing political beliefs. Widely popular on internet debates and
a topic to tread upon tricky waters when brought up in discourse among peers and
family, proclaiming alliance to support a political stand either from the DDS (Duterte Die-
Hard Supporters) vs. the Dilawans (supporters of the opposition-Liberal Party) or to put
it simply, the leftists and the pro-administration is always a cause of friction and faction.

According to Van Dijk Structures of Power, we can determine the microstructures

and macrostructures by identifying context models and action, actors, societal
structures and social cognition on a certain text. Within context model, upon the
declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO), The CoVid -19 pandemic had a
significant impact on the lives of people all around the world. The outbreak has raised
public concerns in a number of sectors. Many aspects of civilisation have been affected
as a result of it. Lives have been put to halt for month long quarantine periods. The fast
global spread of this virus triggered a slew of societal upheavals, including economic
issues, national public health responses, socio-economic, security dilemmas and so on.
In the story, the pandemic directly affected Tita Cecilia as she lost her managerial job
for a while, resorting to selling her plants in order to get by.

“She sold her beloved plants to wealthy families who could spend thousands of
pesos for dirt and a little green in pots in this time of suffering.”

The direct quotation exemplifies how different social classes responded to the global
struggle. Whilst the lower and middle class had to grapple around marketing hobbies
they do not even want to consider selling to survive, others from higher social classes
took this an opportunity enrich their leisure time throwing around bills purchase after
purchase. There is a clear display of power that money aides the privilege.

On Action, Actors and Societal Structures, the narrative of the story centered
around the conversations between Chris and Tita Cecilia that took place during meals
where it is a common practice of Filipinos to always eat together as a family and
exchange words and stories amongst each other. Aside from that, there is an obvious
age gap between them and a familial relationship which ensues on a highly family
oriented societal belief that elders must be respected to a degree that talking back is not
permitted. The pauses, the hesitation to talk and seeing silence as winning the
argument reveals how there is a barrier and standard to follow between the
communication pragmatics of Tita Cecilia and Chris. The burden of age, familial
relations and power difference when the other is the provider and the other only reaps
the benefit, prevents a proper rapport and sharing of ideas without being labeled a
know-it-all or disrespectful.

“At this point, I resigned into the exhausted silence, which she usually mistakes for a
win.”

The raising of the voice, repeated mention of age and knowing better, the tension when
Chris tries to voice his opinions as well as losing his temper easily that comes from the
impulsive nature of people of his age compared to the composure and stance of power
from her Tita Cecilia; not to disregard the harboring of guilt and bearing of pride of the
parties—a portrayal of power between societal structures within the context of family.
Social cognition as a macrostructure of power stated by Van Dijk is discussed in
Knowledge, Attitude and Ideologies. The knowledge of respect must be kept and strictly
followed among the elders and youngsters was a significant factor of the story’s
direction. Attitude tackles on socially shared opinions, in the story it was conveyed with
the lack of awareness of Tita Cecilia as she forcefully insists COVID-19 is a myth based
on some video she watched and on the other hand, Chris’ turbulent passion on insisting
it exists blurs their line on understanding and taking side of their own opinions.
Ideologies speak on basic social representations of social groups explains how Tita
Cecilia was the provider holding the unequal power relations bound by her and Chris.
The boomer generation and their beliefs on traditional ways of approaching life in
contrast to the generation Z’s accepting nature on breaking norms manifested the
relationship shared amidst the two protagonists.
Fairclough (2003) highlighted that power is exercised and enacted in discourse;
hence, there are relations of power behind a discourse. Fairclough also addresses the
issue of ideological diversity. According to him, the level of diversity is determined by
the status of social interactions and social strife. The story demonstrates how there is
power play involved in language, in communicating that greatly depends on societal
roles of speakers and audiences. Even so in families or in an event of a pandemic, the
importance matters in how information is disseminated and digested by the masses. In
situations where knowledge is debated by someone whose societal standing did not
earn a place and respect yet to be heard on traditional societal standards, truth and
facts are deemed mere whines and complains unless one feels the effects of the grave
situation firsthand. Language and Power is in interconnected, a practice that takes place
daily in our lives regardless of how aware we are to use it in or advantage. Now more
than ever, in these times of strife, people who access a power standing should be more
assertive in fact checking their knowledge before it becomes too late for any other
reversal of fortune.

References

Fairclough, N. (1995). Media discourse. Retrieved from:

https://osf.io/2p36g/download/?format=pdf

Fairclough, N. (2003). Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social

Research. Routledge Press. Retrieved from:
https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/270695/mod_folder/content/0/ii.
%20Norman_Fairclough_Analysing_discourse.pdf

Van Dijk, T. A. (1993). Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis. Discourse &

Society. Retrieved from: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Principles-of-
Critical-Discourse-Analysis-Dijk/0d73e64bc29f17c0986661fd6e8dcd3316acad76

Wodak, R. (2002). Discourse and Politics: The Rhetoric of Exclusion. Retrieved

from:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
263561029_Ruth_Wodak_The_Discourse_of_Politics_in_Action_Politics_as_Us
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