The Revolution created a period of incredible change in Mexico. The forced resignation of Porfirio Diaz and adoption of the 1917 Constitution gave new strength to the middle class and rural population. As Susan Dever puts it, there was an increased interest in “nation-building rhetoric” with a focus on “patriotism, ‘our’ indigenous heritage, and the sanctity of Mexican womanhood” . The “our” she is referring to is undoubtedly the Mexican people, and one of the most accessible forms of spreading this rhetoric was film. For many citizens, film (along with radio) was one of the only ways to consume information and storytelling because many were illiterate due to limited access to education. This meant going to the movie theatre on a weekly, …show more content…
Her influence lied in her physical beauty and ability to express a variety of emotions with incredible drama. Her refined features and round face were considered to be the epitome of Mexican beauty. She returned to Mexico in 1943, after spending several years in Hollywood where she was featured in many films. This period spent in America resulted in a sense of national pride back home in Mexico, for she was the “compatriot-who-has-made-it-in-Hollywood, the local girl who is a delight on the universal screen” . Her return was at an ideal time in Mexican cinema and she decided to change her image from a glamorous and modern starlet to that of a “meek and ignorant barefoot Indian girl” …show more content…
Her plight is tragic and it is difficult to not feel sorry for Maria Candelaria, whose love for her fiancé is the only motivation she has to go on in a community where all her neighbors hate her. The source of this hatred is ambiguous beyond the little information given about her mother being a “shameful woman”. This ties back to the nationalist interest in protecting the purity of Mexican women. The unknown sins of her mother lead to Candelaria’s exclusion from their society, to the point where she is withheld of the right to make a living and even the medicine needed to save her live. Even with such harsh treatment, Candelaria is kind towards her neighbors, and abides by their unfair demands. Her behavior interprets as the proper way for a Mexican woman to behave, docile and