Her story : women's narratives in modern Southeast Asian writing / by Thelma B. Kintanar.

The essays in this collection explore the shaping traditions in various Southeast Asian cultures and look closely at the complex interaction between these traditions and influential modern ideas as women work out their personal and cultural identities. They examine the relationship between discourse and power in women's attempts to break the silence. They look at the dynamics between power and empowerment particularly in situations of war or in the fight for independence and social justice where, along with the men, women see themselves as agents of social transformation. They make us see more clearly the all-important distinction between victimization and the perception of oneself as a victim. There are many examples in these stories of women being victimized in situations of female poverty or male dominance but who refuse to see themselves as victims. Repeatedly subject to frustration and failure, they nonetheless retain their independence of mind, their reliance on self and their reliance on self and their human dignity. (Provided by the Publisher)