The Ritual Core Of Fascist Theatre

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 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 El Laberinto del Fauno, Guillermo del Toro uses the theme of obedience to illustrate and condemn two repressive components of fascism: patriarchy and the coercion of free will. This essay will look at two examples of obedience in the film which reveal the abhorrent nature of these aspects of fascism and the importance of resisting them. These are, respectively, the relationship between Captain Vidal and Mercedes and Ofelia’s refusal to compromise her own integrity.

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).

Martirio once had a man interested in her but that opportunity was snatched away from her by Bernarda. On page 191 Poncia says, “Martirio is lovesick, I don't care what you say. Why didn't you let her marry enrique Humanas? Why, on the very day he was coming to her window did you send him a message not to come? And Bernarda responded, “... My blood won’t mingle with the Humanas’ while I live!” This is an example of how different Martirio’s circumstances were from Adela and Angustias. Martirio was repressed from her desire for freedom from her mother and became jealous when her sister’s were not denied in the same way. These two themes lead the characters to believe that escaping one prison will make them free, only to be confined to another. This is the situation the women in the play recognize as a inner conflict. An example of this is on page 169 when Amelia says, “These days a girl doesn't know whether to have a beau or not.” Additionally, On page 208 Adela says, “ I can't stand this horrible house after the taste of his mouth. I’ll be what he wants me to be.” This quote shows how the girls view men as an escape from their sheltered home. Men represent freedom as well as repression. For Example, On page 169 it says “... Her sweetheart doesn't let her go out even to the front doorstep.” This shows us that Bernarda’s daughters realize if they stay at home forever, they will be controlled by their mother,

In “Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Transvestite in the New World” by Catalina de Erauso, a female-born transvestite conquers the Spanish World on her journey to disguise herself as a man and inflicts violence both on and off the battlefield. Catalina discovers her hidden role in society as she compares herself to her brothers advantage in life, as they are granted money and freedom in living their own lives. Erauso decides to take action of this act of inequality by forming a rebellion, as she pledges to threaten the social order.The gender roles allotted to both men and women in the Spanish world represent the significance of societal expectations in order to identify the importance of gender in determining one’s position in the social order in the Spanish World.

In this type of alpha-male household, the man wears the pants, and he is able to get away with abusing his wife or daughter(s). This is the cruel fate of Cleófilas’s future. She was going to have to tough it out, every time that Juan Pedro got drunk and laid a hand on Cleófilas. She is tough, considering how much abuse she has to take. The city was even a man’s world, where the women were never outside, just stayed home, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children: “Because the towns are built to you have to depend on husbands. Or stay home” (242). Even then, it was considered taboo to have a woman in the workforce that was predominantly male. Unfortunately, in those times, a woman’s place in the world was a caretaker for the home and the children, according to men who lived in those times. Cleófilas has spent her entire life trapped in a world that conditions her to see herself as inferior, and to feel that males, fathers, husbands, or brothers are somehow superior beings that she must serve and honor.

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.

Lope de Vega’s play touches upon several key components and ideas that were brought up in many of the other stories read throughout the semester. This included the role of gender and how men and women are viewed differently in the Spaniard town of Fuenteovejuna. Another topic included the importance of family, love, and relationships and their connection on loyalty, trust, and personal beliefs. The last major influence found in other literature and in Fuenteovejuna, were the political and religious references made throughout the play. Even though Lope de Vega didn’t make these views obvious, the reader could still pick up on their connotation and the references made towards these specific ideas. With all of this in mind, each of these

And, therefore, fascism and the governing and publicising industry, moreover, exploit individualism and the masses, which accept their fabricated destinies. This mental depravity while it antagonises free singularity and personality of the mind promulgates sham hopes as hierarchical superiority; furthermore, it advocates hostility and war when fear prevails.

In this video it illustrates the specific techniques and strategies of fascism because it uses the techniques of official ideology, single-party, cult of the leader, terror and fear, and control of media/education. The technique of cult of the leader is demonstrated in the video when the kids are pledging to Hitler1.The technique of official ideology is indicated when Hans say “the poor rabbit” showing disapproval

All art, specifically theatre, is created to understand human existence. It is a search for how and why we feel and do the things we do. It’s scavenging for why things happen and the relationships we have to others. It looks for the truth and the calm in the whirlwind that is life.

In “Lady Susan”, the gender roles or the gender expectations are revealed by the relationships between varied characters, like the affair between Lady Susan and Mr. De Courcy, or the maternity showed by Mrs. Vernon to Frederica. Aims to discuss the female gender expectations in this work, I want to compare Lady Susan and Mrs. Vernon. Specifically, I want to evaluate the conducts and thoughts showed by Lady Susan and Mrs. Vernon to discuss the gender expectations as a female. And through those comparisons I want to argue how to build a positive and good female role.

Since “the brothers were brought up to be men,” they needed to take action in order to regain their sister and family’s honor (30). Honor was idolized in the town to the point that the act of killing Santiago can be forgiven, or even rewarded. The town’s ideal of honor closely relates to heroic, masculine theme like going on an epic quest. For instance, Pablo Vicario’s wife Prudencia Cotes “’never would have married [Pablo] if he hadn’t done what a man should do’” (63). In other words, Pablo is the hero who goes on a grand journey to slay the monster Santiago. After slaying Santiago, he proves himself as a man, gains his honor, and is rewarded with a bride, who would not have married him otherwise. Prudencia’s decision to marry Pablo amplify the hidden cultural expectation for a man to uphold the honor of the family, even if upholding the honor means sacrificing someone else’s life.

Rituals and theater, which are both cultural performances, have similarities such as serving the purpose of entertaining teaching the audience, belief from audiencce, use of props, use of space, and repesentaion. Since during this time period many commoners did not know how to read, the church had to present these rituals in order to teach them about events in the bible like the Crucification of Jesus Christ. Similaritly, a play will serve the purpose to teach the audience a certain idea that the playwright believes is necessary for the audience members, the audience vary depending on the time this play was written, to learn or understand. Unlike a play, which has no certain time frame to be perform, a ritual is perform during certain time of the liturgical year; for example, the passion of the cross