The novel, The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela is a great perception of the Mexican Revolution. The stories of exploits and wartime experiences during the Mexican Revolution was fundamentally driven by the men. The war was between the people and the government. Throughout the novel, these men had to isolate themselves from their families and battle for a cause they greatly believed in. Even with not enough resources, the people were able to fight aggressively in order to overthrow the government. Regardless of the men who were at war, there were two females who played a significant role in the Mexican Revolution, Camila and War Paint. While the representation Mariano Azuela captures these ladies and their role in society are accurate, he neglects …show more content…
These two women had primary roles during the Mexican revolution. Camila who is conservative, played the domestic role. She provided shelter and care to the soldiers during the harsh times. She was seen as a playing the traditional roles of women in society. However War Paint played the complete opposite role of what society expects of a woman. She was a fierce woman who partook in different events and fought along with the men. She was the type of women who drank a lot and had many love interests. In the novel, Camilla explains to Luis Cervantes about how Demetrio Macias was feeling her and wanted to know if he would do anything about it. From the statement she made, Luis laughed and preached to Camila about how she should take interest because Demetrio really likes her. However, Camila is not convinced because she is attracted to Luis. “Camilla felt a welling up in her chest, rising to her throat, nearly choking her. She pressed her fist hard against her squinting eyes to stop the tears starting to flow from them. Then she wiped the moisture away from her cheeks with the back of her hand and ran away quickly as a musk deer, just as she had done three days ago” (Azuela, pg 36). Instead of telling her real feelings to Luis, she felt like it was better if she kept her feelings to herself. As we can see, this was the submissive and innocent role expected from women during the Mexican
Anna Julia Cooper’s, Womanhood a Vital Element in the Regeneration and Progress, an excerpt from A Voice from the South, discusses the state of race and gender in America with an emphasis on African American women of the south. She contributes a number of things to the destitute state African American woman became accustom to and believe education and elevation of the black woman would change not only the state of the African American community but the nation as well. Cooper’s analysis is based around three concepts, the merging of the Barbaric with Christianity, the Feudal system, and the regeneration of the black woman.
Aztec women embarked on several defining moments of labor, gender, class, symbolism, and political power in the Aztec Mexico history and culture. The roles of the Aztec women were unjustly marginalized. Their contributions to the work activities, economy, government and the influence of growth and development were grossly deceptive in the Ethnohistoric documents. Moreover, the variations of Aztec women cooking and weaving revolutionized gender.
Over the past few decades, research on women has gained new momentum and a great deal of attention. Susan Socolow’s book, The Women of Colonial Latin America, is a well-organized and clear introduction to the roles and experiences of women in colonial Latin America. Socolow explicitly states that her aim is to examine the roles and social regulations of masculinity and femininity, and study the confines, and variability, of the feminine experience, while maintaining that sex was the determining factor in status. She traces womanly experience from indigenous society up to the enlightenment reforms of the 18th century. Socolow concentrates on the diverse culture created by the Europeans coming into Latin America, the native women, and African slaves that were imported into the area. Her book does not argue that women were victimized or empowered in the culture and time they lived in. Socolow specifies that she does her best to avoid judgment of women’s circumstances using a modern viewpoint, but rather attempts to study and understand colonial Latin American women in their own time.
The contentious little book titled Women, Power, Politics maintains politics to be devalued, acknowledging the fact that only few people do vote, and women are unable to achieve within the realm of Canadian politics. Sylvia Bashevkin, the author of the book argues that Canadians have a profound unease with women in positions of political authority, what she calls the "women plus power equals discomfort" equation. She evaluates a range of barriers faced by women who enter politics, including the media's biased role of representing the private lives of women in politics, and she wonders why citizens find politics is underrepresented in Canada compared to Belgium. In clear, accessible terms, Bashevkin explains her ideas on how to eliminate “low voters turn-out,” “devaluation of politics,” "gender schemas," and "media framing.” She outlines some compelling solutions to address the stalemate facing women in Canadian politics which are; contesting media portrayals, changing the rule of the game, improving legislative quotas, electoral reform, movement renewals, and so on. This response paper would addresses the reality of a political mainstream, actions which should be taken against the oppressive elements of reality, and the awareness it brings through economic, social, and political environment.
The year is 1916, the location is Merida, Yucatan. At this time, Salvador Alvarado was governor of Yucatan and believed that “women’s emancipation an integral part of Mexico’s overall revolutionary goals of elevating oppressed peoples” (76). Alvarado was a socialist that had some radical ideals. He and constitutional leader Venustiano Carranza believed women should be educated, they wanted to educate women only to become teachers. They portrayed to help women but this help only pigeon holed them.
Throughout the years, women have been mistreated brutally by gangs in their neighborhood. In a memoir by Luis Rodriguez, Always Running, the main character experiences many random acts such as shootings, rape, and many arrests. Even though, Luis may seem like a very tough young man, he gives the women the respect and love they wish to receive from a gang member. In today’s society, many young girls are attracted to what society calls a “bad boy” because their lifestyle seems exciting. When one decides to join a gang, one must prove their loyalty to their new family by getting “jumped” by the whole gang or committing a serious crime. When a young girl begins to date a gang member, she begins to see how quickly a situation can escalate to a violent scene and abuse. As soon as a young girl is expose to that lifestyle, they tend to get mistreated mentally and physically by other gang
Maria Herrera Sobek and Tere Romo both analyze how Malinche is depicted, mostly in the form of visual imagery. Instead of seeing her in a negative light, as do most Mexicans, they offer an alternative analysis that depicts her as the center of Chicana movement and separates patriarchal misperceptions from the reality.
Martinez, Demetria. 2002. “Solidarity”. Border Women: Writing from la Frontera.. Castillo, Debra A & María Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 168- 188.
¬¬The women in Mexico and the United States were both faced with enormous obstacles to overcome. In spite of the difficulties they faced, women from both countries sought to better themselves in the midst of the chaos. They strove to gain control of their lives and demanded a voice within their country.
Throughout the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Mariam and Laila are constantly having their inner strength challenged from birth to death. They both had different lives growing up, but they both lived in the same society, meaning that they both dealt with the disrespect from the Afghani culture.
For years, females have used their sexuality for empowerment. In the fairy tale “The company of Wolves” by Angela Carter uses her sexuality to keep her alive. Then in the story “Yellow Woman” by Leslie Silko her sexuality is her excuse for disappearing. Both story talks about sexuality, but how they empower the situation is different. Which story shows sexuality for empowerment better?
...field against the opposition forces, but essentially battled against the past stereotypes that demeaned their limitations as humans. Both as a camp aide like the Adelitas or a combatant like the Soldaderas, women liberated themselves from the restraints in their lives and successfully achieved equality with men. The women who took on the political edge to the revolution committed themselves to attain the equality they deserved. When the objectives of the feminist groups were met in the Mexican Revolution, ultimate success was achieved for all. Unfortunately, the participation of women in the Mexican Revolution is often overlooked, unlike that of Pancho Villa or Emiliano Zapata. However, women truly were successful in the revolution and it is unfortunate to see that the numerous gains in achieving complete rights for females during the Revolution are disregarded.
In 1910, the first social upheaval of the 20th century was unleashed in Mexico. Known as the Mexican Revolution, its historical importance and impact inspired an abundance of internationally renowned South American authors. Mariano Azuela is one of these, whose novel, "The Underdogs" is often described as a classic of modern Hispanic literature. Having served as a doctor under Pancho Villa, a revolutionary leader of the era, Azuela's experience in the Revolution provides The Underdogs with incomparable authenticity of the political and social tendencies of the era between 1910 and 1920. The Underdogs recounts the living conditions of the Mexican peasants, the corruption of the government troops, and the revolutionary zeal behind the inspiring causes of the revolution. In vivid detail and honest truth, Azuela reveals the actuality of the extent of turmoil that plagued Mexico and its people during the revolution. However, before one can acknowledge The Underdogs as a reflection of the Mexican Revolution one must have an understanding the political state of Mexico prior to the Revolution and the presidents who reigned during it.
The contrast between the Mexican world versus the Anglo world has led Anzaldua to a new form of self and consciousness in which she calls the “New Mestiza” (one that recognizes and understands her duality of race). Anzaldua lives in a constant place of duality where she is on the opposite end of a border that is home to those that are considered “the queer, the troublesome, the mongrel and the mulato” (25). It is the inevitable and grueling clash of two very distinct cultures that produces the fear of the “unknown”; ultimately resulting in alienation and social hierarchy. Anzaldua, as an undocumented woman, is at the bottom of the hierarchy. Not only is she a woman that is openly queer, she is also carrying the burden of being “undocumented”. Women of the borderlands are forced to carry two degrading labels: their gender that makes them seem nothing more than a body and their “legal” status in this world. Many of these women only have two options due to their lack of English speaking abilities: either leave their homeland – or submit themselves to the constant objectification and oppression. According to Anzaldua, Mestizo culture was created by men because many of its traditions encourage women to become “subservient to males” (39). Although Coatlicue is a powerful Aztec figure, in a male-dominated society, she was still seen
This is a not a heroic story of any sort. The readers get to see the ugliness of war through Natalia’s eyes. Even when her world echoes with the adversities of war, she tries her best to deal with the blows without any hints of immense bravery. Natalia shows that women during this time in the war can survive without the help of a man. It’s shows how the ordinary and tough lives that live away from the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War.