HUM102CulturalEncountersII

SorJuanaInésdelaCruzResponsetotheMostIllustriousPoetessSorFiloteadelaCruz

Dr.SandrineBertauxAssistantProfessorofHumanitiesBoğaziçiUniversity9March2020

SorJuanaInésdelaCruz(1648-1695)

Writer,composer,Baroquepoet,philosopherandnun

The“TenthMuse”

OutlineoftheLecture

1)  ColonialEncountersinNewSpain:TheAztecCivilizationandtheSpanishConquest

2)Racialmixingandhierarchy:thecastapaintings3)SorJuanaInésdelaCruz:Acontributiontothe“querelledesfemmes”(the“womanquestion”)

TheReconquistaandtheSpanishConquestoftheNewWorld

1492FallofGranada

ColumbusreachestheBahamasislandsandHispaniola

15-16thcLimpiezadesangre

1521FalloftheAztecempire

1533FalloftheIncaempire

1550ValladolidDebate

Europeanexplorations15-16thcentury

TreatyofTordesillas,1494

TheColumbianExchange

America:anobjectofdesireStradanusc.1588-89:“Americarisestomeet

Americus”

TheAzteccivilization

Tenochtitlan

TheAztecAlphabet

TheConquistasdores

HernanCortés FranciscoPizarro

TheConquistadoresatwork

BrutalityoftheSpaniards

Syncretism:DíadeMuertos

RacialmixingandCastapainting

AletterfromSisterJuanatoSisterFilotea?

SorJuana“Larespuesta”1691:“Mymostillustrioussenora,dearlady.”(1)“howtoexpressmyappreciation..forhavingmyscribblingsprinted,agiftsoimmeasurableastosurpassmymostambitiousaspiration,mymostferventdesire,whichevenasapersonofreasonneverenteredmythoughts.”(1)

SorFilotea=ThebishopofPueblaCommissionedSorJuanaacritiqueofthesermonofaJesuitpriest;Publisheswithoutherconsent:1690AthenagoricLetter;InjunctiontoSorJuanatodevoteherselftofaith(vs.secularmatters)

SorJuanaInésdelaCruz

•  Acriolla:SpanishfatherandNewSpain-bornmotherofSpanishancestry;

•  Illegitimate•  Raisedonthehaciendaofhergrandfather;accesstohislibrary

•  Lady-in-waitingatthecourt;•  1667enterstheconvent:anunwithamaidandalibrary

Abiographicalaccount“Ibegantoplaguemymotherwithinsistentandimportunatepleas:sheshoulddressmeinboy’sclothingandsendmetoMexicoCitytolivewithrelatives,tostudyandbetutoredattheUniversity.”

“Ienteredthereligiousorder,knowingthatlifethereentailedcertainconditionsmostrepugnanttomynature;butgiventhetotalantipathyIfeltformarriage…”

Theologyasqueenofsciencesandsecularmatters

Galileo

Queeninwhatthesubject-matterNotinmethodologyØ Separationreligionandscience

InésdelaCruz

“forhowcouldoneundertakethestudyoftheQueenofsciencesiffirstonehadnotcometoknowherservants?”(4)

Athousandsmeditations

“…studyandmorestudy,withnoteachersbutmybooks.ThusIlearnedhowdifficultitistostudythosesoullessletters,lackingahumanvoiceortheexplicationofateacher.”

“Iundertookthisgreattaskwithoutbenefitofteacher,orfellowstudentswithwhomtoconferanddiscuss,havingforamasternootherthanamutebook,andforacolleague,aninsentientinkwell.”

The“philosophiesofthekitchen”

“Butlady,aswomen,whatwisdommaybeoursifnotthephilosophiesofthekitchen?..hadAristotlepreparedvictuals,hewouldhavewrittenmore.”

The“querelledesfemmes”(disputeofwomen”i.e.thewomanquestion)

“Whatthenistheevilinmybeingawoman?”Ø Defenseoftherightsofwomentobeeducatedandtoteach:

Letwomenkeepsilenceinthechurch..”infactitisnotpermittedofwomentoreadpubliclyinchurch,norpreach,whydotheycensurethosewhostudyprivately?”

Questions

•  HowdoesherbiographicalaccountcomparewiththefictionalcharacterofPortia?

•  DoyouthinkthatshecanclaimlikeDescartesdid“IthinkthereforeIam”?

•  HowwouldyoucompareherargumentstoShylock’sclaimofacommonhumanity?