Redondilla 92 Essay

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was born in New Spain on November 12, 1648 who became a nun and a very well known poet who challenged the patriarchal system during the 17th century. It was hard for her to write about secular literature due to her being a catholic nun, but she wrote around sixty-five sonnets and over sixty ballads. One of her many well known works is Redondilla 92, a poem that criticizes men for their misogyny and the double standards that they have on women during that time period. Even in this time, this poem still is relatable for many women all around the world because there are women who still experience double standards and who still feel oppression towards men. Redondilla 92 is a poem that many women can relate to, including

This question is something that the readers keep in mind and sets the tone and mood throughout the poem. The question she starts off with is “why wish them to behave well/ when you urge them to do evil?” (source). This question makes the reader feel her frustration on the contradiction that men have on women. It creates tension throughout the poem which creates discomfort for the reader. She makes certain that the tension that she created at the beginning of the poem by asking more rhetorical questions to the reader. By doing this, the reader is made to think about how to answer these questions, even though these questions are not meant to be answered; these questions that she asks are to highlight the irony of their behavior. The repetition of questions is a clever way to not loose the tension and unease that the poem is creating. This forces them to constantly critically reflect on the social expectations placed on

She is able to successfully graspure the hypocrisy that women face every day. Patriarchy and masochism is something that is heavy in the hispanic community. As a hispanic woman, I am able to deeply understand Sor Juana’s frustration towards men. For example, hispanic women are seen as sexual beings and some men would expect them to do sexual actions to them. It is ironic because the hispanic culture is big on religion, specifically Catholicism and Christianity. Women are expected to be holy and pure and would be compared to Mary. I remember seeing as a kid seeing women be shamed for showing a bit of skin but would also be expected to give sexual pleasures whenever men