Imelda, the embodiment of materialism or...? ~ A Reaction Paper on "The Iron Butterfly"

Imeldific, the word coined after Imelda Marcos which, “ostentatiously extravagant, sometimes to the point of vulgarity (Wiktionary). It is also common knowledge to the Filipinos that she is an “excessive” collector of things – clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. But really, what caused her to behave in this manner? Is she really obsessive when it comes to owning things which have a high perceived value, a lavish host, a heavy spender?  Or, is it due to her ideology of “adoring” and revering beautiful objects, and living her life”, as she claims to be?

As the film and history showed us, Imelda did not come from a well-off family. The wealth and status she now has is due to her “charisma”, self-cultivation, and connections. But then again, it is also important to note that most of her wealth or rather the “peak” of her prosperity was during the time when she was the First Lady of the country. And it is during this period when she obtained those numerous pair of shoes, jewelleries, real estate in New York. This is also when she initiated the series of construction projects like the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Centre, and the tragic Film Centre, which main purpose is to rival the Canes Film Fest.

Towards the end, she believes that she’s not doing anything wrong. She’s just living her life, enjoying what “God gave her”, and just being true to herself, which again arose due to her “unique” ideologies regarding material things, beauty, and fulfilment. Even while and after she is being tried for the crimes they, she and Ferdinand, have committed, she firmly held on her belief and was even confident that she won’t be acquitted. But, then again she might have turned out to be a more outstanding person like Cory had the people around her pointed out her mistakes.

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