Men And Women Norms During 19th Century Mexico City Summary

Men and Women Norms During 19th Century Mexico City The Magic Lantern published in 1886 and written by José Tomás de Cuéllar (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000) is a novella about nineteenth century Mexico. He wrote this book to express his thoughts and ideas about the way men and women treated each other during this time. Cuéllar believed Mexico was wrong for the standards that were set and thoroughly expresses these thoughts through the short story, Having a Ball. He believed that men should look for more substance in women, other than there beauty. This novella is written about Cuéllars views and the French customs in Mexico City during the 1900’s. According to Cuéllar, men only valued women for their looks. The only quality such men cared about was women’s beauty and not much else. For example, Don Gabriel, a very rich man invited to the ball had a mistress that many men wanted to be around. Her presence was needed for two reasons: she dressed well and had two daughters. This woman didn’t contain much natural beauty, therefore her husband asked her of two things which was to dress
Pane Baths, as described by Cuéllar on pages 15 and 16, are “one of the several spas in Mexico City popular among the middle class”. The mothers of three girls invited to the ball needed these baths because it was hydrotherapeutic and improved their health bit by bit. The girls came back wearing a towel to contain their damp, curly hair, which was always held in place by a blue ribbon. As quoted by Cuéllar on page 15, “They smelled like naiads and emanated the essence of algae; and the freshness of their skin announced the voluptuousness of their personal care.” Girls were fresh and clean from these baths. “Their epidermis had been cleansed of secretions, and their pores felt as though kissed by oxygenated air” (Cuéllar, page 16). Pane baths was the main key to proper personal hygiene and