THE WISDOM OF FEMINISM
Introduction
Angeles Mastretta’s life is a historical novel told from a feminist point of view. This work is clearly marked by social ideas that the writer has, since she is a novelist who frequently writes with feminism, her various books and essays are related to women’s rights. In this story, the author manages to create a perspective of the usual woman of the time of the Mexican revolution by creating a female character, Catalina, who characterizes the daily problems of women as a certain rebellion against macho society.
Developing
The book is based on the period of the Mexican Revolution while bringing important aspects of that time to light. Catalina and Andrés, the main characters lead a life very similar to that of Maximiliano Ávila and Bárbara Margarita Richardi. The aspects of this novel lead the reader to feel like living at that time, and more being a woman. First, the novel is characterized as historical because it is written in the first person. Catalina tells the whole story from her point of view, in exception to the dialogue that is created by other characters.
This technique is essential for a historical narrative, since the story is a view of the perspective of only one character. In key examples, how narrative is stronger in the first person, and even more from a feminist perspective,. “I looked at it, we laughed, I said yes and forgot the attempt to generate an honorable past. I would like to be governor. He had been between the kitchen, chichi and diapers for almost five years. I was bored."When the perspective of the opposite gender is omitted, we can see only one side of what happens, leaving the reader infer what happens in the other opinion.
History is based on a fundamental historical context, the Mexican revolution from 1910 to 1940, it is clear that at this time the woman had little power and was limited to taking care of her home and family. The opportunities to which Catalina was exposed were quite restricted, reflecting the reality of the women of that time. The situations presented to the characters during the course of the story are very similar to those of the revolution and that is why the basis of the story is clearly inferred.
“Arriero like the father of the Ascencio, fought in Puebla against the French and joined the troops of Porfirio Díaz. With him became important and rich. When the revolution arrived he returned to the town where he had a ranch and felt protected. Andrés went to work with him."During the text, you can see direct examples of the base of the events to guide the reader of the situation in which she is located. During the evolution of history, we can see how Catalina being a wife of a government general had power in movements that supported and benefited the woman.
Since Catalina was little, education and the female word were always restricted and that is why she takes her marriage as an opportunity. “I didn’t go to school anymore, almost no woman went to school after primary school, but I went a few more years because the Salesian nuns gave me a scholarship in their clandestine school. I was forbidden to teach, so neither title nor anything I had, but I had a good time.”(Mastretta) of the previous appointment can be highlighted as it was normal for women not to have any education, since they did not have to have wisdom to move forward in the future.
Not all women agreed with this, but they had no choice, since neither the upper class was offered a fair and equitable education. On the other hand, it is clear how to have a husband at an early age was fundamental and common to be valued in society, so it was like a shadow. During the story, Catalina has several intimate couples regardless of the fact that she is married to Andrés. He, abusing his power commands to kill all lovers of Catalina behind his back leaving her with a broken heart.
The abuse that Andrés gives to his wife is the main cause of why she goes out to look for another man who makes her happy, but as he believes that she is always correct, she does not accept this fact this fact. “I never wanted Andrés like that, I never spent the hours trying to remember the exact size of his hands or wishing with his whole body even see him appear. I was ashamed.”(Mastretta) After being with a series of men, Catalina develops a special love for Carlos Vives, a famous musician.
Catalina proves with rage that her husband, the main obstacle for her to achieve her loving freedom and specify her relationship with the musician decides her future: the general makes the musician kidnap and kill the musician. This takes place very hidden and without making great noise so that Catalina does not find out. At that time Andrés pretends not to be in control of the situation and not knowing;But it is known how he is to kill his wife’s lover and wins. This example is a clear demonstration of how men had absolute power over women.
But Catalina sought to get ahead this includes being unfaithful to her husband. It is to one point that women let themselves hide under the shadow of their partner, because the time will come against him and seek the life that they have better. During the course of history we can see how the narrator character shows the different situations in which she has been put by her husband, with a sense of irony and humor. For example, when talking about the ways in which men show affection between them.
‘The gentlemen are funny, as they cannot kiss or say tenderness or have the pregnant bellies have been left over, then those hugs full of noise and laughs are given.’(Mastretta). The tone that Catalina uses takes away the idealism of the actions of the male characters, showing their disappointment and discontent in front of a society that requires sacrificing their personality and morality to get ahead, since it is not valued by its gender. It is difficult for Catalina to live in a society that denies her words for being a woman and that is why she is almost forced to make fun of men and express her dissatisfaction.
conclusion
In conclusion, Mastretta uses his wisdom of feminism to produce a novel that expresses his feminist ideal in front of the society in which he lives. The historical context where the novel develops is based on an ideal that develops women and gives it a free expression and a beginning of the era of gender equality. The women of history fight for their feminist being and manage to get ahead independently.
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