Who is Dona Victorina?

Who is Doña Victorina?

Role in the Novel

Personal Information

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Full Name: Victorina de los Reyes de Espedaña

Name frequently used in the story: Donya Victorina

Husband: Tiburcio de Espedana

Doña Victorina provided comic relief in the novel. Rizal had her criticize the natives inherent culture and that she had been rubbing elbows with the powers that be in a humorous way. The way she hen-pecked Tiburcio for slight mistakes was meant to elicit smiles from the reader. She dislikes the cruel Doña Consolacion for the latter's rudeness. Chapter 47 had the two women face-off only to be separated by Padre Salvi. In the end, she drove the carriage herself and had numerous accidents because of her poor eyesight, which she managed to repair by wearing eyeglasses.

Description

- A Filipina that would like to be Spanish

-Despises her origin

-Possesses crab mentality

-Arrogant

-Spiteful

Symbolism

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Other Facts

-She smokes tobacco.

-She used to be a maid.

As one of the lesser evils in the novel, Doña Victorina symbolizes those who have a distorted view of their identity. Everything that is indigenous is inferior and everything foreign as superior. It is the comedic form of ‘’colonial mentality’’. The novel warns that this delusion will end in one being avoided by the foreigners they admire and a caricature of sort to their countrymen.

Photos

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Doña Victorina is given life by the veteran stage actress Ces Quesada.

Character Description

Doña Victorina stands out in the novel as a native who is so obsessed in being Spanish that she dresses up like them. She is said to have many suitors in her younger days. In fact, even Capitan Tiago had made love to her in vain. Her cockiness had her married an old, lame, and stuttering Spaniard instead. She forces her husband to pretend as a doctor. Being the doctor's wife elevated her position in the society.

Doña Victorina is just as ignorant as her quack husband but pretends to act intelligent. She also lies about her real age, which is 45, but for her it's just 32. Don Tiburcio doesn't mind as his wife was rich and provided for his basic needs.