PIÑA COLADA
by H.O. Santos
STEEPLE analysis offers an overview of various external factors which affects the story. It is an acronym for Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, and Ethical.
Note: Additional details for each element, such as textual evidences, may appear after each infographic.
Social Analysis
Jenny Mae Estioco
Parts of the story which have social influences are:
First, the way how Carol approaches Ben.
"She had called me Kuya, the Filipino term for an older brother or some other older relative one shows respect for."
Second, Filipino's attitude whenever they go to other country.
"Filipinos always give presents when they travel–once when they reach their destination and again when they return home."
Third, Carol's behavior in America.
"She didn’t offer to help but I remembered that women didn’t do those things in the Philippines. Men carried the heavy stuff."
"As we were leaving, I asked if there was anything wrong. She said she found it hard to eat at a Thai restaurant. A friend in Manila had told her that the Thais ate cats and dogs."
“I was looking for something like the good wine I tasted before in a restaurant in Manila. They called it ‘lady’s drink,'” she said. “Don’t worry, I just tasted them and all the bottles are still almost full. They’re too sour for me.”
“You have to. A Filipina has to be chaperoned on her first date. You know that–Bill does, too. I’ve explained the custom to him. I’ll look cheap if you don’t come with me. Please, just this first time.”
Fourth, When Carol invite Ben to go to church.
"We went to St. Basil’s on Wilshire Boulevard for the noon Mass. I was immediately lost as soon as I got in. I tried to copy exactly what Carol was doing. I knelt when she knelt, stood when she stood, and sat when she sat. The last time I heard Mass, the priest said it in Latin. Now, it was in English just like those Protestant services. And people were holding hands, raising them up in the air, and even greeting each other just like Protestants. It probably had something to do with Vatican II but I couldn’t be sure. I thought if they’d only get rid of the kneeling part just like the Protestants had done, it would be perfect."
Fifth, when Ben feels empathy towards Carol.
"I remembered how it was for me when I first arrived. It was scary, I didn’t know which bus to take to get anywhere. I was afraid to use home appliances I hadn’t seen before. Everything was unfamiliar and I was miserable. Now, she was going through the very same things and all I could think about was making it with her."
"He must have gone through the same frustration I was now going through. When I tried to pay him back after I got my first paycheck, he told me to save it. He said it was now my turn to help our next kababayan who had nobody to turn to. I promised I would do just that. And now I was complaining."
“I’m not mad–I just want you to think what you would do if this were your own home. I know you wouldn’t waste money and you would want to keep the place neat and clean. That’s all I want.”
Sixth, when carol feel so thankful to Ben and wanted to return the favor.
“Someday, I’ll be in a position to thank you properly,”
Technological Analysis
Anna Bianca Estrada
" "I flooded the laundry room.”
She had at last tried to use the washer at the end of the hallway. She put two large cups of detergent into the wash and it bubbled over filling the whole laundry room with beautiful bubbles.
I got a mop and a bucket and cleaned up. I then showed her how much detergent to put in. I stayed there until she put her clothes in the dryer. I made sure she did it right. I felt guilty that I had expected her to know these things. Wasn’t it not too long ago when I was making the same stupid mistakes? "
Ben started to burst in anger when Carol misused his appliances at home, but on the latter part of the story where Carol cried because she didn't how know to use the washing machine and she messed up everything, Ben suddenly felt guilty towards her, because he was also like that when he first came on Los Angeles - clueless and scared. If Carol could have known how to operate and properly used the appliances, the conflict wouldn't arise between them nor they wouldn't have the chance to know and understand each other more. Therefore, technology has created a big impact on their relationship, and even they have their own life now and they're living with different boundaries, through the use of it, who wouldn't know? It might also be the way for them to finally speak what's inside of them.
Economic Analysis
April Mae Gallarte
Additional textual evidences:
"She made her living in Manila as a real estate agent. She said she had been top agent for several months in a row but now the market had gone soft. She decided it was time to visit America and enjoy the bit of money she had saved up over the years."
"I almost shouted, Putang ina! Here’s another Filipino who’s going TNT–tago nang tago or “someone who keeps hiding.” Filipinos are great for acronyms and abbreviations that sometimes I think the Pentagon is staffed by Filipinos who spend most of their time thinking of acronyms for the military."
"Somebody once told me of a Filipino tour group that consisted of forty people who were going to visit six cities. After each stop, the number of people in the group shrank. Only twelve went back to the Philippines."
Environmental Analysis
Mirra Glaiza Tiaña
In the part of the story where Ben and Carol met each other and Ben takes Carol in his place. "When we got to my apartment, I had to carry all her stuff upstairs. She didn’t offer to help but I remembered that women didn’t do those things in the Philippines. Men carried the heavy stuff. It took me three trips to take everything up to the spare room I had prepared for her. It had been my study and computer room until I moved my computer and desk to a little corner in the living room." We all knew that in our country there is an special treatment for women and it is an advantages against men just like to not carry or do heavy task or activity because women should do light works only.
Also, on this part of the story where Carol keeps doing terrible things, "Carol broke down and cried. “I’m sorry I keep doing dumb things that make you mad. I don’t know anything about life here. It’s miserable–I’ll never get used to it. It’s a very lonely life, very different from what I expected.” She made me feel mean and selfish. I remembered how it was for me when I first arrived. It was scary, I didn’t know which bus to take to get anywhere. I was afraid to use home appliances I hadn’t seen before. Everything was unfamiliar and I was miserable. Now, she was going through the very same things and all I could think about was making it with her." It shows how Carol suffer on how to live on other country without having a knowledge on what should be the life there awaiting for her because not all our kababayan who work overseas are having a good life when they got a job abroad they must do their job properly to earn for living.
Political Analysis
Nicole Reyes
"It was on a Saturday a week later that Carol told me she was going to Fresno to accept a job offer from Bill." — Carol to Ben.
Offering job to Carol is one of the political issue wherein there is an employer and employee relationship connected to the labour law.
In the line "Bill must have been in his late fifties. He was fit and trim–had been married once and had a good business in farm equipment repair" stated that Bill had a good business in farm equipment repair.
Legal Analysis
Aaron Benedict Frilles
In this line I almost shouted "Putang ina! Here’s another Filipino who’s going TNT– tago nang tago or “someone who keeps hiding.” Filipinos are great for acronyms and abbreviations that sometimes I think the Pentagon is staffed by Filipinos who spend most of their time thinking of acronyms for the military. Great! If she doesn’t leave in six months the first place Immigration will check would be my apartment. I saw myself going to Federal prison for harboring an undocumented alien and obstructing justice." is where Ben is very careful because it is law in their country in which Ben is very careful.
Ethical Analysis
Maria Fernanda Esquibel
One of the main ethical issues present in the story is illegal immigration. Many Filipinos go abroad equipped only with a tourist VISA with no intent of going back. In an exchange between the main characters, Ben asked, “Doesn’t your tourist visa expire in six months?”, to which Carol answered, “Yes, but I hope to fix my status before my visa expires.”. Illegal immigrants "fix" their status by marrying a citizen of that country to get a green card (in the USA) or the Permanent Resident Card, otherwise they will become undocumented immigrants or TnT (Tago nang Tago) with a risk of being deported back to their home country.
Other ethical issues portrayed in the story:
• 'Dating' or being romantically linked with multiple men at once
"I’ve been corresponding with four men, all of them Americans. They have all proposed to me. I’ll let them know I’m here and I’ll marry one of them.” - Carol, Piña Colada
• Living with a stranger rent-and-bill-free
"I showed the bill to her and told her it would take at least a whole week’s salary for me to pay for it." - Ben
• Cheating
"She was completely undressed by the time we got to her bed, her clothes trailing on the floor all the way from the door. She was still woozy and wanted to be kissed and touched everywhere and wasn’t satisfied until I finally got inside her. " - Ben pertaining to Carol
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