Maria Conception By Kathrine Anne Potter 443m56

INTRODUCTION Summary of Maria Concepcion by Katherine Anne Potter Maria concepcion is the story about the power of a woman. The woman who got a betrayal forms her husband, Juan Villegas. The story begins when Maria concepcion turn home. She walks in the white dusty road and felt enjoy. She carried about a dozen living flows slung over her right shoulder. Maria concepcion is a religious woman who lived in small house with her husband, Juan Villegas. She had a neighbour named Maria Rosa who is the beekeeper. Maria Rosa lived with her godmother. Lupe is the medicine woman. The story continues. When Maria Concepcion was near home, she heard a laughed man sounds in Maria Rosa’s house. Maria Concepcion thought that Maria Rosa must have a boyfriend. Maria Concepcion stopped and looked at Maria Rosa’s house from the space of the hedge. Maria Concepcion was shocked. She saw her husband and Maria Rosa were laughing together and looks happy. Maria Concepcion did not stir breathe for some seconds. Her forehead was cold. But Maria Concepcion was worried if her husband and Maria Rosa would find her. So that she came out and went home. Maria Concepcion still thought about what did she looked. She was very angry and said that Maria Rosa was her enemy now. At this moment, the Gray untidy head of Givens appeared never over edges of the newest trench he had caused to be dug in his field of excavations. Given is a chief in Maria Concepcion’s house. Maria Concepcion now was home and meets Givens. She did not tell about Juan to Givens. Moreover, Maria Concepcion went out again. She went to the market for buy tortillas. Maria Concepcion did not tell Juan that she had found him out. She only kept saying to herself, “when I was a young girl like Maria Rosa, if a man had caught hold me of so, I would have broken my jar over his head. Until one day, Juan did not come and Maria Rosa went with him. Juan had a rifle at his shoulder and two pistols at his belt. Maria Rose wore a rifle also, slung on her back along with the blankets and the cooking post. They ed the nearest detachment of troops in the field, and Maria Rosa marched ahead with the battalion of experienced woman of war, which went over the crops like locusts, gathering provisions for the army. In the other side, Maria Concepcion did not weep that Juan left her. Moreover, until the baby born and died within four days, she still did not weep. During the year that Juan and Maria Rosa -1-

gone, Maria Concepcion were doing her activity as a usual. Lupe started to blame Maria Rosa, because she went out with Juan. Lupe was proud with Maria Concepcion behaviour. Lupe used to saw Maria Concepcion at the church and market. Lupe went to the church with Maria Concepcion. She thought that Maria Concepcion never had revenge to Juan and Maria Rosa betrayal. She always said that she will ask God for what she wants in this world. She lived alone and she would not speak a word if she could help it. Maria Concepcion went oftener to the church, sometimes went to village at the end of market-day. She worked harder than ever. One day, Juan and Maria Rosa went home without asking permission of anyone. They arrived one morning about daybreak. Juan was picked up on sight by a group of military police from the small barracks. The captain recognized him as head digger for his good friend, Givens. When Givens meet him, Givens ask why he left Maria Concepcion and choose Maria Rosa. In fact, Juan and Maria Concepcion were married at church. Juan said that he never thought to leave Maria Concepcion. He loves her. In addition, they married at church. But Maria Concepcion is a silent woman. Maria Concepcion always does what Juan Said. Their life seems boring even they life at peace. In the other said, Maria Rosa is not silent, she always talks and active woman. Juan won’t leave Maria Concepcion because he married her at church and she also won’t leave Maria Rosa because she is different than another woman. Givens give advice to Juan. Maria Concepcion also a human being. Someday she can be very angry and she will determined to hurt. Juan still thinks and he went to Maria Rosa’s home. He was attempting to beat Maria Concepcion by the way of restabilising himself in his legal household. He found Maria Rosa was dead and he looks at Maria Concepcion which comes latter. Maria Concepcion took the knife from her belt and then cleans it. By now, Juan realizes that what actually happened. He try to calm Maria Concepcion and take the knife away. He wants to protect Maria Concepcion and they went home. They took a dinner and Juan tries to convince Maria Concepcion to be calmer. He said that everything will be fine. Suddenly, someone come to Maria Concepcion’s house and told them that Maria Rosa was died.

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DISCUSSION Analysis Criticism of Maria Concepcion Criticism can define as the rules and principles which regulate the practice of the critic; the art of judging with knowledge and propriety of the beauties and faults of a literary performance, or of a production in the fine arts; as, dramatic criticism. Other definitions state that criticism is the overall term of studies concerned with defining, classifying, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating works of literature. In Maria Concepcion short story, I can analyze several criticisms which is include on it. 1. Psychological Criticism Psychological criticism is biographical rather than literary criticism. But psychological criticism also looks on characters as having motivations, conflicts, desires, and inclinations similar to those real people. The criticism in Maria Concepcion is seen in every singe paragraph. The paragraphs is shown Maria Concepcion’s life with Juan Villegas, her conflict because of her husband betrayal with Maria Rosa, her motivation and desires to be a strong woman to face her problem. The conflict in this story is not only between Maria Concepcion and Juan Villegas, but also conflict in her self. She tries accepting and kept the problem even she felt annoyed. It can found in paragraph 14. “Maria Concepcion did not stir nor breathe for some seconds. Her forehead was cold and yet boiling water seemed to be pouring slowly along her spine. An unable pain was in her knees, as if they were broken. She was afraid Juan and Maria Rosa would feel her eyes fixed upon them ….. “ The Conflict between her self still felt in paragraph 16, when Maria Concepcion can believed that Juan and Maria Rosa were dishonest. “Juan and Maria Rosa! She burned all over now, as if a layer of tiny fig cactus bristles, as cruel as spun glass, had crawled under her skin. She wished to sit down quietly and wait for her death ….. “Yes, she is a whore! She has no right to live” In the last sentence, “she has no right to live” that is a desire of Maria Concepcion to kill Maria Rosa.

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Conflict still running when Juan Villegas went away with Maria Rosa while Maria Concepcion’s baby was born even the baby was dead. It found in paragraph 35, “Maria Concepcion did not weep when Juan left her; and when the baby was born, and dead within four days, she did not weep ….” Psychological criticism also found in the next paragraph, when the story shown Maria Concepction behaviour as a kind woman which always went to the church and she did her activity as a usual. She never thought about her husband betrayal. “…she used to see Maria Concepcion at the market or at the church, and she always said that no one could tell by looking at her now that she was a woman who had such a heavy grief” The story also had shown for Maria Concepcion by Lupe. “I pray God everything goes well with Maria Concepcion from this out,” she would say, “for she has had her share of trouble” Back again in conflict side, in paragraph 55, Juan Villegas told to Givens his inclinations for choose between Maria Concepcion and Maria Rosa. “Oh Maria Concepcion! That’s nothing. Look, my chief, to be married in the church is a great misfortune for a ma. After that he is not himself any more. ……….I would not harm Maria Concepcion because I am married to her in the church: but also my chief, I will not leave Maria Rosa, because she pleases me more than any other woman” Psychological aspect was found in several end of paragraph, when Maria Concepcion killed Maria Rosa and Juan Villegas safe Maria Concepcion from those cases. “Oh, thou poor creature! Oh, madwoman! Oh Maria Concepcion, unfortunate! Listen …Don’t be afraid. Listen to me! I will hide thee away. I thy own woman will protect thee! Quiet! Not a sound!” And the from the village people to Maria Concepcion when the officer ask her about those cases. “Other voices broke in. A toothless old man said: “she is a woman of good reputation among us, and Maria Rosa was not. “ A smiling young mother, Anita, baby at breast, said: if no one thinks so, how can you accuse her? It was the loss of her child and not of her husband that changed her so ……” -4-

2. Feminist Criticism The criticism is a part of Gender Criticism which examines how literature reflects sexual identity or orientation. Feminist criticism itself are literary depictions of women, assumptions about woman generated by male writers, the recurring pattern in literature of male dominance, female ivity, and sexism in literature as it reflects the societies that fostered it. In Maria Concepcion’s story, the feminist criticism can analyze by the reflection of Maria Concepcion’s life in woman society and her struggle to face problem. The reflection of woman life is shown in the first and second paragraph, which tells the woman activity as a usual. “Maria Concepcion walked carefully, keeping to the middle of the white dusty road, where the maguey thorns and ……” And the second paragraph, “She carried about a dozen living fowls slung over her right shoulder, their feet fastened together ……” The feminist criticism in this story explains the woman position when she is a religious woman and married her husband at the church. “…how can that woman complain when I do not think even at fiestas enough to be really drunk? ……we were always at peace. I say to here, Come here, and she comes straight. I say, Go there, and she goes quickly. We can see that the position of woman who had married at the church. Woman should follow her husband and always be the good wife. 3. Social Criticism Social criticism is similar to historical criticism in recognizing literature as a reflection of its environment. In this story, I can analyze the relation between an attitude of a woman and the society views. Maria Concepcion is a good and religious woman. As I said before, Maria Concepcion tries to hide her suffering. She went to the church and prays for God. The society thought that Maria Concepcion is very kind woman. It shown on paragraph 36, when Lupe said to herself

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“During the year that Juan and Maria Rosa were gone Maria Concepcion sold her fowls and looked after her garden and her sacks ……” Even Maria Concepcion tries to be strong to face it; the betrayal absolutely can influence her life. Maria Concepcion becomes a covert woman; she only went to church even sometimes she went to the villagers at the market day. It found in paragraph 41. “Afterward everyone noticed that Maria Concepcion went oftener to church, and even seldomer to the village to talk the other women ……” in the paragraph 44, “But Maria Concepcion lived alone, she was gaunt, as if something were gnawing her away inside, her eyes were sunken, and she would not speak a word if she could help it ……” And the last, the social criticism found in the relationship between Maria Concepcion and her society. The villagers care for Maria Concepcion when the officer asks her about killing Maria Rosa. “Other voices broke in. A toothless old man said: “she is a woman of good reputation among us, and Maria Rosa was not. “ A smiling young mother, Anita, baby at breast, said: if no one thinks so, how can you accuse her? It was the loss of her child and not of her husband that changed her so ……” No one believe that Maria Concepcion can kill Maria Rosa, because she is a good woman even the truth is Maria Rosa was killed by Maria Concepcion.

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CLOSING Conclusion of Analysis criticism in Maria Concepcion The story of Maria Concepcion can analyze by using Psychological, feminist and social criticism. Those kinds of criticism in most appropriate criticism for this story. It caused the story of Maria Concepcion is a story which most involve a psychological aspect of a woman who got betrayal from her husband. The feminist criticism refers to the position of Maria Concepcion as woman who had married with Juan Villegas at the church. The character of Maria Concepcion describe as a kind woman who always adhere to her husband. And the last criticism is social criticism which is referring to the point of view from the society toward Maria Concepcion’s life and their to her. Even there are several criticism that can be used to analyze such as mimetic criticism, structural criticism, etc, the most element of criticism that can be found in the story is about psychology, feminist and social aspect. Therefore, I can conclude that the Maria Concepcion story analyze by Psychological, Feminist, and Social Criticism.

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