Sociological Approach- The Chieftest Mourner

Sociological Approach This approach in literary criticism is directed to understanding literature in its larger sociological context. The characters of a particular text/story act the way they do because of what the society expects from them. This approach goes to show various status quos and the consequences of defying them. Guide Questions !hat sort of society does the author describe" #$ow is it set up" !hat rules are there" !hat happens to people who brea% them" !ho enforces the rules"& !hat does the writer seem to li%e or disli%e about this society" !hat changes do you thin% the writer would li%e to ma%e in the society" And how can you tell" !hat sorts of pressures does the society put on its members" $ow do the members respond to this pressure" The 'hieftest (ourner  This is a short story written by Aida )ivera *ord. The persona of the story is the niece of the poet  by marriage. The story starts with with the persona introducing her uncle by saying that +he was my uncle because he married my aunt,. She goes on to say that when the papers brought the news of his death to her while she was in school- she had felt that a part of her had died too. The girl narrates the story of how her aunt and uncle had separated. $er uncle was a recognied poetin fact0 he made many important friends who w ere from (alaca1ang. The only problem was that he was a man who loved to drin%. 2ne day- he came home drun%. $is wife had had enough and tied him to a chair with a strong rope in order to +teach him a lesson,. !ell- the man definitely learned a lesson. !hen he was released from the chair- he wal%ed out on his wifenever to return again. The niece grew up hearing her mom and her aunt gossiping about her uncle. $er aunt seemed to find comfort and pleasure in hearing that since their separation- her now estranged husband seems to be getting shabbier and s%innier- ta%ing this as a sign of being unhappy since leaving her. After endless tal%s revolving on the estranged man- the niece is curious when she realies that her aunt and mom now have someone else to tal% about. The two women would also start spea%ing in Spanish as soon as she wal%s in a room and catches them tal%ing. The new topic of their endless conversation was now a woman by the name of 3sa. $er classmates did their best to console her upon hearing the news of her uncle4s death. 2f course- they had no idea ide a that he had left her aunt for another woman. (aybe if they %new- they wouldn4t have exerted so much effort in trying to ma%e her feel better. The niece was tas%ed to %eep her aunt company at the chapel where her uncle4s remains were to  be placed for public viewing. She accompanied her aunt loyally but she also couldn4t help but compare her aunt to the woman her uncle had replaced her aunt with. She mentions how her aunt4s bag loo%ed +paunchy and worn at the corners, compared to the other woman4s wo man4s.. The niece pointed out how very aw%ward the situation was55her aunt on one side of the chapel while the other woman occupied the other half. 6either ac%nowledged the other but both were very much aware of each other4s presence. 7t actually seemed li%e a conteston who wa s the chieftest mourner. •

•

• •

•

As the story goes- the poet4s family arrives at the chapel. At first they gave no attention to the other woman- only recogniing the girl4s aunt as the real wife. 3ventually- a heated argument  brea%s out between the poet4s female relatives and 3sa. They want her to leave. 3sa raises her voice and tells them that she had a right to be there because when the poet was in desperate needshe was the only one there for him. The other women insult her by telling her how very shameful she is and calling her a bitch. 3sa goes to the cas%et and after a long loo% at the dear poet- she gives up and leaves. The niece seems to have softened. 8ecause upon seeing that 3sa4s mascara indeed had smeared #as a sign of her tears& she realies that there is nothing funny about the situation.