LITR 4231 Early American Literature Sample Research Posts 2014 (research post assignment) Research Post 2

Maryam Chambler DeLosSanto

SOR JUANA INEZ DE LA CRUZ:  WOMANHOOD OR FRIENDSHIP

IT WAS DURING MY RESEARCH FOR RESEARCH POST NUMBER 1 SOR JUANA INEZ DE LA CRUZ: "INDEPENDENT THINKER." IN WHICH MY MAIN FOCUS WAS ON HER LIFE 'S ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A POET, FREEDOM FIGHTER, ACTIVIST FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AND HER INTELLECT. I READ IN ONE OF THE SOURCES THAT SHE WAS A LESBIAN. THAT IS WHAT INSPIRED ME TO CONCENTRATE AND RESEARCH HER PERSONAL LIFE AS A WOMAN

 SOR JUANA TURNED HER NUN'S QUARTERS INTO A SALON, VISITED BY THE CITY'S INTELLECTUAL ELITE. AMONG THEM WAS COUNTESS MARIA LUISA de PAREDES. VICEREINE OF MEXICO. THE TWO WOMEN BECAME PASSIONATE FRIENDS. SOR JUANA INEZ DE LA CRUZ'S RELATIONSHIP WITH MARIA LUISA INSPIRED HER TO WRITE AMOROUS LOVE POEMS. ONE GOES LIKE THIS.

“THAT YOU’RE A WOMAN FAR AWAY IS NO HINDRANCE TO MY LOVE. FOR THE SOUL AS YOU

WELL KNOW, DISTANCE AND SEX DON'T COUNT" [SOR JUANA]

  THE ROMANCE BETWEEN SOR JUANA AND MARIA LUISA CONTINUES TO BE INSPIRATION FOR CONTEMPORARY POETS AND CHICANO STUDIES SCHOLARS. HOWEVER SOR JUANA IS NOT RECOGNIZED AS A SAINT BY THE MALE DOMINATED CHURCH HIERARCHY THAT SHE CRITICIZED, BUT SOR JUANA HOLDS A PLACE IN THE INFORMAL COMMUNION OF SAINTS HONORED BY LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANS GENDER PEOPLE OF FAITH AND THEIR ALLIES.

I TOOK THE TIME SEE ODALY'S NANIN'S PLAY “THE NUN AND THE COUNTESS"

TO ME HER LIFE EXEMPLIFIES THE IDEA OF LESBIAN SAINTHOOD, WHAT ELEVATES, INSPIRES, AND TRANSFORMS WOMEN ACROSS THE CENTURIES. IN NANIN'S PLAY THE COUNTESS AND SOR JUANA ARE DEFINITELY PORTRAYED AS LOVERS, INTELLECTUAL COMPATRIOTS AND PASSIONATE FRIENDS.

WORK CITED:

 1. THE NUN AND THE COUNTESS BY ODALY'S NANIN

2. SOR JUANA'S SECOND DREAM : BY ALICIA GASPAR DE ALBA

3. THE PASSION OF CHRIST : "A GAY VISION " BY KITTREDQE CHERRY AND DOUG BLANCHARD

4. SOR JUANA INE'Z DE LA CRUZ : BY LEWIS WILLIAMS [www.trinitystores.com] SFO [c] 2007

5. " YO LA PEOR DE TODAS" I THE WORST OF ALL" DIRECTED BY LUISA MARIE BEMBERG. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW. [ OCTOBER 1992]: 1161-1162 PRINT