Role of women in colonial latin america/tales of potosi
In early 1530, Francisco Pizarro set sail from Spain with the blessing and support of King Charles V. His mission was to conquer the lands of the New World and bring riches back to Spain. Three years later, he would defeat the Incan Empire and claim much of South America for Spain. This would begin an almost three hundred year period of Spanish colonial rule that was centered in Peru. The high country of Potosi, backbone of the Andes, "embraced one of the largest and perhaps richest silver loads ever found on Earth" (Arzans xi). In order to exploit this wealth, colonists were sent to settle this land, bringing with them European culture, European religion and European women. It was a very common belief that European settlers were better than the "inferior" natives that they encountered. Part of this inferiority was that they were seen as heathen savages who needed the guidance of Spanish monks in order to convert them to Christianity. These two pillars of colonial life in Peru (the search for wealth and the influence of religion) affected the daily lives of every colonist. As the work of Bartolome Arzans de Orsua y Vela's, Tales of Potosi, clearly expresses, life for women during colonial times seemed to be very narrowly
Bartolome Arzans de Orsua y Vela attempts in the tale of Claudia the Witch, to portray through various examples of different women, further viewpoints of the societal stance and religious convictions of the colonial women of the late seventeenth century. " Their brother who partook in the sport of fencing had a natural influence upon them, "they were more inclined in the exercise of arms than to the needlework proper to their sex (Arzans, 59). She, in conjunction with her female counterparts, who partake along with her joyously, in this wrongdoing, are committing a mortal sin of great magnitude against the empirical beliefs of Christianity. defined, particularly in their societal stance and Christian virtues. They "amused themselves in learning to shoot firearms and make us of other weapons (Arzans, 59). Under usual circumstances these brave young women strived to break free of the role most women had during these times. "In compliance with tradition nothing less was expected of a good Christian woman living in colonial times. For though both had been placed in perilous circumstances and had undergone terrible temptations, they had been fortified with divine favor and had overcome temptation and always preserved their chastity," just as was expected of them from their father, and society as well, during colonial times. In the zest for defiance of the laws they were confined to, in outright disobedience of their father's wishes, and due to their longing to see the streets of their native city, they determined to go out one night dressed in men's clothing. This caused much laughter among those who knew about the girl's earlier love affair (Arzans, 123). Traditionally, women were brought up to be obedient, pure in nature, and most importantly, chaste. She asked Claudia to remedy through her magic art her daughter's carelessness in not having preserved her virginity. Thanks to "God who was responsible for their great valor; for such bravery had never before been seen in Potosi in women of such tender age and gentle rearing;" and to their great skill of arms, they did not perish that night (Arzans, 66). These two young girls were shunned from the "evils" of the world and kept indoors by their strict father, who was their sole caretaker.
Common topics in this essay:
Warrior Maidens,
Dona Claudia,
Thanks God,
Earth Arzans,
America Spain,
Claudia Witch,
Tales Potosi,
King Charles,
Francisco Pizarro,
colonial times,
Bartolome Arzans,
women colonial,
seventeenth century,
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arzans 59,
women brought obedient,
societal stance,
spanish colonial,
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nature importantly,
obedient pure nature,
nature importantly chaste,
brought obedient pure,
brought obedient,
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