How I envy this woman's mind. Here we see, I think, a woman who is so ahead of her time, that she is able to manipulate the system of hierarchy and machismo into thinking that they hold the power.
In many instances the male dominant figure did indeed hold the power over the family during the 17th Century. However, de la Cruz makes a wonderful comment about women being able to learn the letters of the scriptures. And she makes her case in such a way to say that 'we can't have these dirty men teaching our young maidens' (paraphrasing) and of course you'd probably expect the reaction from the men to be something like, "Damn right!" when in fact THEY ARE the dirty men she speaks of.
And I think what makes de la Cruz so interesting is that she is able to make some very valid points, veiled under what appears to be almost a pleading for permission, when in fact she is very clearly stating what needs to happen. When she mentions having older women teach the younger women it's not as if to say "You men are powerless" but again she is using very simple art to invoke an idea, as if to say, "You men go along and do your business, we'll instruct the ladies." And in doing so, giving power to the women, or perhaps edifying that power that women had, and putting the male / female perspective on a more even playing field, even if it wasn't understood to be as such.
I think that here we see a very pure form of rhetoric, the use of which to espouse a certain point, or to persuade someone to a certain point, in such a manner to make them think that they had thought about it all by themselves.
This all reminds me of an old saying in our house, growing up, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Guys will walk around all puffed up, thinking and saying things to make themselves impressive, but we all know, deep down, who is in charge of the household. And this isn't meant as a depreciating comment, either. But rather, I think, a modern incantation of what de la Cruz was getting at.
I really like what you've pointed out here, and I completely agree with what you state about the older women teaching the younger women. It makes perfect sense--as de la Cruz so aptly puts it--to keep the affairs of women strictly to women while let the men pretend that they are doing what is best.
ReplyDeleteMy real point of inquiry stems from one simple question: what is the purpose of education? De la Cruz states, in the beginning of this text; "For there are many who study only to become ignorant, especially those of arrogant, restless, and prideful spirits fond of innovations in the Law" (785). If this is what the masculine seeks through education, and if this is what they are impressing onto the feminine through that, then what is the ideal education?
I do enjoy (and, sadly, agree) with your last comment. In my current relationship, while I am the one who appears my stable, my significant other wears the pants and makes the majority of the decisions while emulating de la Cruz by making me think that it is something of my own choosing. Definitely a well articulated point!