Machismo & Marianismo: Gender Relations in Latin American Literature Kyle Yoshioka Haley Pangman Hanna Dooley

Machismo Defined The cult of the male—characterized by a display of sexual prowess, zest for action; including verbal action, daring, and, above all, absolute self confidence A hyper-masculine ethos at the core of societal organization “…and at times those who believe themselves to be machos are really not so when they are alone with their conscience. They are only braggarts of the moment.” The typical male response to fear of dominance by a (perceived) sexually superior and threatening female. Not all machos are caudillos (leaders), but all caudillos must be machos Cynthia Nelson describes how the identity of the macho is a façade that disguises the conflict between his persona of macho and his inner feelings

Marianismo Defined Spanish Colonization Catholicism Preservation/Idealization of virginity Virgin Mary Morally and spiritually superior “In relation to the machismo, the woman, or the Marianismo, is a mother first, a wife second, and a sexual being almost never.”

The Relationship between Machismo and Marianismo Marianismo-emotional, familial, spiritual support Machismo-physical, material support Men attempt to “…wrench the secrets of life and death away from women, who although gifted with the capacity to produce earthly life, are believed to exist too close to mortality ever to hope to guide their fellows to another existence.” Public vs. Private Family Structure—roles are contrasted Intra-familial relationships are divided between a respect for authority of the father, who directs the family’s relations with the outside world, and love of the nurturing homemaker mother. Mother-son relationships: the mother turns to her son’s for consolation and male affection (not the husband). The son is “…seduced into the role of the sociological husband.” A mother’s son comes first in her heart.   It is in this closeness of the mother-son relationship that the crucial role identification problem that results in machismo lies.

Machismo in The Underdogs Men - Aggressive, confrontational - Demetrio Women Support, fulfillment of men’s needs Camilla

Machismo in One Hundred Years of Solitude José Arcadio Stubborn, headstrong, like his father “Well-endowed” Leaves home Saves Aureliano from execution  Colonel Aureliano Buendía 32 civil wars Leader, warrior

Marianismo in One Hundred Years of Solitude Úrsula Iguarán - Chastity belt Virginity, “virtud” - Support “If you have to go crazy, please go crazy all by yourself! But don’t try to put your gypsy ideas into the heads of the children”(5). - Consistent Macondo, home, family - Blindness “Quite simply, while the others were going carelessly all about, she watched them with her four senses so that they never took her by surprise”(247).  

Cambridge Companion: Gender Studies Analysis of literature from a gender studies perspective: How does gender relate to power and social control? How is gender depicted in Latin American Literature? Companion suggests that some women in literature are “socialized into subordination” (192)

Bibliography Azuela, Mariano, and E. Munguía. The Underdogs: a Novel of the Mexican Revolution. New York: Signet Classics, 2008. Print. Basham, Richard. "Machismo." Frontiers: A Journey of Women Studies 1.2 (1976): 126-43. University of Nebraska Press. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. García, Márquez Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude. [London]: Harper Perennial, 1998. Print. González Echevarría, Roberto, ed. The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories. United States of America: Oxford UP, 1997. Print. Kristal, Efraín. The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel. New York: Cambridge UP, 2005. Print.