Comparing Catalina De Erauso And Sor Juana De La Cruz

Gender identities and roles are a crucial part on a women’s life in 17th century in Spain and what will be later become America. When looking the histories on these century, women transgression toward society norms shaped by Spain influence of a “ideal” women behavior should be like. Two fitting examples of how women transgress in society at the time is Catalina de Erauso and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. These two women had to change many aspects in their life to accomplish an internal freedom, which at the time society didn’t approve as appropriate for an ordinary woman. Some of the crucial aspects affected by this choice are gender and how they are predive at the time, transgression towards social rules, identity and how it had to be changed to be accepted and personal freedom and they mean to each character.
While one was finding her freedom getting out of the convent to explore the world, the other decided to choose the convent to be close to her passion.
This two-character felt the need to take the charge of their life in an early age. In one side, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz found her calling in education at an early age. As Juana Ines puts it, she “I don’t study to learn more, but to ignore less.” This explains the why her passion for education. She feels like her education will allow her to be critical on events. This also allows her to become conscious of women roles in society and teaches her on how to express herself in these problems. And in today’s literature, she is known for being a stand out and
advocator
In Catalina de Erauso’s autobiography, women transgression in 17th century is being presented in the book. The sacrifices she had to make to accomplish a goal that was not acceptable in society for a women role. Throughout the book, we see how this woman gets lost in her own made up character she created, to escape what society already had planned for her. In chapter one, she describes how she left the convent before making the final vows to become a novice. Even though the book shows little of Catalina’s emotion, it still captures her motives for living the way she did. This shows Catalina’s courage and strong mindset in creating her own personality.
In the story of these two women, we them looking for their own happiness in their own way. Just as Carolina, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, go against what is “socially right” and still do whatever feels right for them. They both accepted the responsibilities that came with changing characters and what it means to both. When presented the traditional image of a women in17th century, their roles are similar because of society standards. But, these two women represent the image of transgression and what it looks like at the time. In their own representation, they begging to introduce different roles for women’s in society.