Questions on the readings for the week of 24 Sept.

This weeks film, I , the Worst of All [Yo la peor de todas isse in e i o i in he s e i oisnow e sp n [New Spain], a Virreinato [Viceroyalty ] of the Spanish Empire. A Viceroyalty differs from a colony in that there is a Virrey [Viceroy] who runs the region and who represents the King of Spain [to whom he answers directly]. Theso i lo g ni ionof e sp n closely mirrors that of Spain at that time. The nobility is on top, and is closely aligned with the clery and the military. Most if not all of these people would be Spaniards who had come over directly from Spain. Beneath them were the criollos, children of Spaniards who were born in the New World. They had access to most but not all of the positions of power and influence. Beneath them were the mestizos, who were 2 European [usually by the father] and 2 indigenous [usually by the mother]. Their status in part was further determined by whether or not they were legitimate offspring or not. Beneath them would usually be the African slaves, who began arriving in Mexico in the first half of the 1500s. At the bottom of the social scale were the indigenous peoples. f o se hisso i ls leonl pplie o hemen Thewomenin e sp n were few and far between at first [leading to the proliferation of mestizos!]. The wives and families of the conquistadores made their way over, and eventually women of various social categories arrived, ranging from prostitutes to middle and upper class women hoping to land a criollo. White women were traditionally confined to the house,, i n attend school [or if they did, not for very long], and were taught the domestic and social skills needed for their future married lives. Restricting their movements was done in part to not expose them to unsavory elements, like the African and Indian inhabitants. However, these were the people employed in the homes as domestic workers and slaves, and those with whom many of the women had a lot of contact. Those women who i n or o l n marry had two other op ions onemo e ep le h n heo he he on en o he o hel he oinefo ne weeks film o is e n nes de la Cruz, chose the former. The readings will give you some understanding of the religious atmosphere of the day, of the position of women, and of Sor Juana herself. p. 141 p. 156 I highly recommend taking a look at these pages. h p //www l in me i n m k/ l e/ o n / http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sorjuana/ p. 160.: This text is a satire of late Colonial Mexico p. 9 2 [You on t have to read the whole article]. This selection describes Mexico 200 years later, but is still relevant. Review of Chac the Rain God: 100 words