Analysis Of The Memoir Of A Transvestite In The New World

Catalina de Erauso’s memoir, Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World, depicts gender relations in the early 17th century Spain. Erauso, through her detailed narrative of personal encounters with transvestism, reveals significant implications of the roles and expectations of the gender binary during this era. Her memoir evidently portrays gender binaries in dress, emotion, and interaction within society as she describes aspects of her journey from the perspective of both a woman and man. The male gender exhibits idealized masculine qualities, such as being violent and spontaneous, and the female gender exhibits idealized feminine qualities, such as emotional suppression and tranquility. Erauso expresses the distinct

As a proper Spanish man she proposes the argument that other saw her as her chosen identity, and believed her to be what a man so far as to stake their fortunes or even lives on the fact (Lieutenant). Her father, brother, and mother all fail to recognize her further solidifying the idea that she has completely transformed (Lieutenant). Not only is Catalina an honorable man, but she portrays herself as an exceptional man among exception men. She describes herself as the ultimate warrior for the Spanish conquest against the Mapuche (Lieutenant), and frames the Spanish as the unquestioning good in the battle against evil. To an extent she transcends gender and claims Spanish as her only

Sor Juana established herself not only as a feminist voice in Colonial Mexico but also as one of the most influential writers of her time. Her writing continued to be controversial and, while she wasn’t silenced by the convent, the threatened patriarchy eventually took action. While it is believed that her “writing was an act of defiance” (Bergmann), she also “struggled against the ecclesial authorities that tried to silence her voice” (Gonzalez 102). Sor Juana was not only brave in her publication of her work and going outside of Mexican printing to do so (Kirk) but her work was also a direct commentary on the dominant patriarchy of the time. In response to a bishop who wrote under the disguise of “Sor Filotea,” Sor Juana attempted to defend a woman’s rights to education for the last time. However, she ultimately faced

Based on Cisneros’ works of literature, gender roles in a Hispanic culture revolves around patriarchal rule. The repercussions of a patriarchal rule includes the limitations of female liberation and development. Cleofilas’ abusive situation exemplifies the limitations of her independence and development as she can not make her own decisions and has to solely depend on her husband. This situation is illustrated when Cleofilas explains that the towns are “built so that you have to depend on husbands... You can drive only if you’re rich enough to own and drive an own car. There is no place to go” (Cisneros 628). Cleofilas reveals that men are the dominant gender and have more authority, and that women are compelled to depend on them in her society. It is an exceptionally rare case that a woman can afford her own car, for the men usually control the finances in a household. Additionally, Cleofilas has nowhere to seek refuge from her husband. Although she yearns to return to her father’s home, she decides not to due to the social standards imposed on her. In her society, the act of returning home after marriage is socially unacceptable. She understands that her family will be viewed in a negative light if she were to return home, as seen when Cleofilas refers to her town as a “town of gossips” (627). Similar to other men in the society, Juan Pedro’s authority is shown through his abuse. Cleofilas recalls, “He slapped her once, and then again, and again; until the lip split and bled an orchid of blood” (626).

In several cultures, women are seen as archetypes more than men. The proposition of women are instantly idealized and glorified and instantaneously ignore the true complexity of a woman. Countless of these superficial images can be seen across various cultures where the societies within these cultures define what it means to be a female and what type of behavior is and isn’t acceptable within those parameters. The persistent restatement of these stories throughout these generations reinforces the gender system. Women who step out of the norm in these societies are then held punishable for their actions. Alicia Gaspar de Alba pinpoints the three archetypal roles that are given to the women in the Mexican and Chicana cultures. These are,

During the Mexican Revolution, Mexico as a nation torn in many directions, people gave up simple farming lives to take up arms against causes that many of them did not fully understand. Gender roles during the period in Mexico were exceptionally degrading towards women. Having little more rights than slaves and treated as trophies or property more than human beings, women role in society was nothing near that of a man’s. In The Underdogs, Mariano Anzuela highlights the issue of gender roles by continuously illustrating the punitive role of women and their mistreatment. Augmenting Anzuelas work with citations from Oscar Lewis and Stephanie Smith will paint a picture of the degrading gender roles for women during the Mexican Revolution. Highlighted points brought up by Azuela are how men speak with and treat women, women’s place in society, and general disregard for women’s feelings.

In analyzing portrayals of women, it is appropriate to begin with the character of Margarita. For, within the text, she embodies the traditionally masculine traits of bravery, resilience, and violence as a means of liberating herself from an existence of abuse and victimhood. Even more, the woman plays upon stereotypes of femininity in order to mask her true nature. The reader witnesses this clever deception in a scene where the character endures a “wholesome thrashing” from her huge, violent, and grizzly bear-like husband, Guerra (81). Although Margarita “[submits] to the infliction with great apparent humility,” her husband is found “stone-dead” the next morning (81). Here, diction such as “submits” and “humility” relate to the traits of weakness, subservience and inferiority that are so commonly expected of women, especially in their relationships with men. Yet, when one

In Spain and the Spanish colonies in South America in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, gender roles were distinct and the opportunity gap was enormous. Catalina de Erauso compares the two roles through her memoir, “Lieutenant Nun,” where she recounts her life as a transvestite in both the new and old world. Through having experienced the structured life of a woman as well as the freedom involved in being a man, de Erauso formed an identity for herself that crossed the boundaries of both genders. Catalina de Erauso’s life demonstrates the gap in freedom and opportunity for women, as compared to men, in the areas of culture, politics and economy, and religion.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, an instant cult classic from the 70's. Documenting a "Sweet Transvestite's" longing for the perfect lover, with no strings attached. Genetic Engineering along with lighting, a dark castle, and a few unorthodox love scenes made a few laugh, a few cry, and left many disgusted. Yet just how many sweet transvestites could there be in the world; certainly Aldous Huxley's Brave New World's idealized social and sexual interaction could have influenced this Transelvanian utopia, however odd it may seem. Also, the more we document the differences between Huxley's creation and our world, be it in entertainment or real life the more similarities stand out. In regards to social

In this essay, female oppression in La Casa de Bernarda Alba will be discussed and analyzed. However, in order to be able to understand the importance of this theme and the impact it has had on the play, one must first understand the role of female oppression in the Spanish society in the 1930s.

In the style of the largely abstract and elusive world of Mexican literature, Alvaro Enrique’s Escape from Suicide City and Dumbo’s Feather demonstrate their elements of gender and sexuality in a similarly subtle and implicative manner. They don’t offer any direct argument or criticism with regard to this topic, but instead offer readers the ability to observe gender and sexuality under the first-person point of view of their main characters. In Suicide City, readers peek at the world through the eyes of a Mexican chef whose perception of gender is colored by a heightened awareness of cultural differences and the betrayal of his ex-wife. On the other hand, in the few pages of Dumbo’s Feather, the main character’s perception of gender is more limited by his interaction with his supportive family members. Despite these differences, the two share the uniting factor of being Mexican men, which make them highly susceptible to the machismo culture.

In this essay, I will argue Catalina de Erauso’s experiences in Peru both confirm and challenge the expectations placed on masculine and feminine honor in early colonial Spanish America. For women to be considered honorable in colonial Spanish America, they either became nuns or they married and became women of families. (Milstead Lecture, 10/26/17) This meant they either devoted themselves and their virginities to the church and God or they devoted themselves to their husbands and children. An example of dishonorable women in colonial times were prostitutes. In the book Lieutenant Nun, de Erauso finishes her story with a threat to the harlots she encounters on the streets of Naples. “… and a hundred gashes with this blade to the fool who

“Beautiful and Cruel” marks the beginning of Esperanza’s “own quiet war” against machismo (Hispanic culture powered by men). She refuses to neither tame herself nor wait for a husband, and this rebellion is reflected in her leaving the “table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate (Cisneros 89).” Cisneros gives Esperanza a self-empowered voice and a desire for personal possessions, thing that she can call her own: Esperanza’s “power is her own (Cisneros 89).” Cisneros discusses two important themes: maintaining one’s own power and challenging the cultural and social expectations one is supposed to fulfill. Esperanza’s mission to create her own identity is manifest by her decision to not “lay (her) neck on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain (Cisneros 88).” Cisneros’ rough language and violent images of self-bondage reveal the contempt with which Esperanza views many of her peers whose only goal is to become a wife. To learn how to guard her power

Thesis statement: Esperanza has a variety of female role models in her life. Many are trapped in abusive relationships, waiting for others to change their lives. Some are actively trying to change things on their own. Through these women and Esperanza’s reactions to them, Cisneros’ shows not only the hardships women face, but also explores their power to overcome them.

“I am a full partner”, implies Dona Catalina feminist viewpoint of equality in marriage (p42). However, it was evident that Dona Catalina marriage was a form of capitalism and she cared less about being a submissive wife to Don Pablo. In Moody-Freeman’s article, Zee Edgell: Novelist as Historian/Activist (Re)Imagining Nation, she argues that money equals power and Dona Catalina’s association by marriage to him also grants her power and a status in the community much higher than Luz’s father, milpa farmer. Interestingly, in the Mestizo culture, the older son is automatically in command in the absence of the father however, Dona Catalina “consistently refuse to allow him to control her financial affairs”, infers that Dona Catalina distrust Salvador with her finance (p59). To prevent Luz from gaining custody of her children Dona Catalina uses her economic dominance and reputation in San Joaquın. She also discreetly made business transactions to sell Belizean land to foreign investors. All the economic successes Dona Catalina reaped from her marriage and land transactions made her an agency in San