Casilda In The Judge's Wife By Isabel Allende

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 the story, Cleofilas has always thought that if a man ever strikes her, she would strike back. However, as the story progresses, Cleofilas starts to endure her husband’s abuse. The first time Juan Pedro hits her she is too surprised to even shed a tear or try to defend herself (Cisneros, 1991, p.249). Cisneros wants to address domestic violence because many women feel helpless when they are in controlling and abusive circumstances. Moreover, a controlling and abusive relationship causes a great deal of tension and unhappiness, which Cleofilas experiences throughout the story.

After three days, the priest and a group of Catholic women go to Casilda to plead for Juana the Forlorn’s life. They feel that she is just a poor old woman who does not deserve this kind of torture simply to try to capture her son. She hears their request and sets forth for the town, taking her children dressed in their Sunday best, with a basket of food and a bottle of fresh water. The soldiers try to keep her away, but once Judge Hidalgo hears his children’s cries, he realizes the error of his ways. Judge Hidalgo personally comes down and unlocks the cage, freeing Juana the Forlorn. Again, Casilda makes him a softer, but not weaker, man.

Esperanza as a child takes the responsibility to fight for all the women who suffer from men discrimination, because in “Mango Street” mostly women are abandoned and the others dominated by their husband, Esperanza takes the responsibility to invite all the women to organize themselves in order to protect each other from men violence. Esperanza consider herself as the one who can liberate those women such as Minerva, a young woman who have already two children and abandoned by her husband, there is also Rafaela held indoors the house by her husband and she spends all her time in the windowsill to watch what is happen outside and many other women who undergo sufferings caused by their men, that is what characterized her commitment for the liberation of the women of her neighborhood. So as the girl, Esperanza carry the burden to deliver all women in “Mango Street” from all pains and she feels she is the right one who capable to let know her neighbors’

In the story "Woman Hollering Creek" Sandra Cisneros discusses the issues of living life as a married woman through a character named Cleofilas; a character who is married to a man who abuses her physically and mentally .Cisneros reveals the way the culture puts a difference between a male and a female, men above women. Cisneros has been famous about writing stories about the latino culture and how women are treated; she explain what they go through as a child, teen and when they are married; always dominated by men because of how the culture has been adapted. "Woman Hollering Creek" is one of the best examples. A character who grows up without a mother and who has no one to guid and give her advise about life.

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.

Boyer's article shows how a woman even a woman, even of Indian ethnicity, can take a claim to court, how the family comes in to play a role in the case and how the "deflowering" of Catarina could be rectified with a marriage between her and Juan. The courts dealt with many cases relatively the same as this one. It is shown in this case that the courts were very accessible to the population. Even Catarina, of Indian ethnicity, is able to put forth a claim, on her own, to the judicial system. In this case it can be seen also that the family feels the effects the event of Catarina losing her virginity as her brothers become involved to try and ratify the situation and mend their diminished honour. The brother s petitions to have it taken before the General Indian Court and have Juan marry her as it is said he would. The fact that he didn't marry her is what brings

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).

“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

To begin, the protagonist Clemencia is like a chameleon, who can blend into any social event and with any class of wealth when she says ““I’m amphibious. I’m a person who doesn’t belong to any class. The rich like to have me around because they envy my creativity; they know they can’t buy that. The poor don’t mind if I live in their neighborhood because they know I’m poor like they are, even if my education and the way I dress keeps us worlds apart”(Cisneros 71,72). Clemencia is a woman who knows how to talk and have a good time. By nature she is a very creative being who loves to impress by wearing the best clothes, and show off to anyone to make herself seem better than others. (Cisneros 71). Clemencia is poor and does not have much being that she works for the school system as a translator, and other various positions. But acts rich and very wealthy to all of her friends (Cisneros 72). This connects with the myth of La Malinche, of how the character is a bad woman who sleeps with lots of men.

Gender equality can be a very complex subject, throughout the years power has been correlated to gender. In Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, “The Rod of Justice” gender inequities are represented with a great level of complexity and difficult understanding. Throughout the text one can sense Machado’s involvement over authority and control, and how the characters portray this subject. The story is focus on Damiao, who is the main character. Damiao was seeking escape from his seminary obligations, and he requests the aid of his godfather’s mistress, Sinha Rita. He knew that if she could use her sexual powers over his godfather she could help him escape his obligations. She is portrayed in the story as having a power over the people who surrounded her, as her authority was not questioned nor overruled. She had sexual power over Joao Carneiro, and also had to power to manipulate the actions of Damiao, but this power was interesting as in society in those times women had limited power which was not compared to the power men had. Nonetheless, Rita proves to be a well independent women, doing things under her own power. She would have been a women of great power, if she had the chance to live in the 21st century, and how society has altered the gender role of a woman since.

Amontillado is a classically known amber-colored, medium-dry sherry wine, and in the case of Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, it is the taste for Amontillado that results in the unfortunate and rather untimely death of Fortunato at the hands of the maniacal Montresor. Revenge is something that no one should have to experience; however, sadly sometimes, it is an inevitability that cannot be avoided. The Cask of Amontillado exposes Poe’s dark side and cruelty towards society and the world. In this short story, Poe tells about a rich drunk man, Fortunato, picking on a not-so rich friend, Montresor, but things quickly take a turn when Montresor decides to take out his revenge against his “pal.” Poe uses ethos, logos, and pathos deeply throughout his storyline to enhance the story and better the imagination of the characters, the deep meaning behind the setting, and the Amontillado’s secret.

Along with educational issues women also faced domestic violence. Minerva, Dede, Maria Theresa, and Patria ended this suffering along with gaining freedom for everybody. Although Alvarez did not include the domestic violence view in the story she did show how women were not treated the same. When Minerva when to the university to study law, upon graduate Trujillo did not award her the license to practice. (Alvarez,138) Along with her being a women doing a man’s job Trujillo allowed his personal feelings dictate that decision and it added more to her rage against his way of ruling government. “...If they kill me, I shall reach my arms out of the grave and I shall be stronger.” and stronger she was. (Mirabal, 2006)

Is there anything that someone could do to you that would cause you to commit murder? Could you get away with it? Montresor is the murderous narrator who has committed the perfect murder in just such a tale, “The Cask of Amontillado.” Montresor plots and kills an unwary friend/foe during carnival time for motives that are unclear. The author of this tale, Edgar Allan Poe, influenced by his somewhat tragic life and one of the most influential Gothic writers, uses symbolism and irony to show the multitude of complicated motives of the narrator in his famous horror story.

In Isabel Allende’s short story, “The Judge’s Wife”, she uses fate to perpetuate her theme of the irony of rape culture, which justifies a rape by focusing on the flaws of the victim. Allende centers on the childhood of Nicolas Vidal, and leaves out details Casilda, the victim of the rape, in order to make the reader sympathize with Vidal; she gives humanity to him, and makes Casilda subhuman in comparison. Vidal is exempt from his crimes due to the “fatal omens” (186) that have been thrust upon him since his unwanted birth, and these omens are what serve as justification for these actions. Furthermore, Allende describes Vidal’s past with a strikingly negative connotation, noting that the “the street had made him merciless and the solitude