Sor Juana

SOR JUANA THE ATLANTIC’S CREATIVE FEMINIST

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (1651-1695) was a poet, composer, philosopher, and self-taught scholar in New Spain. Born in 1651, Sor Juana was a bright

young child. Sor Juana educated herself in a library left to her by her grandfather. 6 She was almost entirely self-taught in the fields of literature and poetry. 7 In 1667, at age fifteen, she wrote an exam that tested her knowledge of subjects including art,

philosophy, theology and mathematics. Shortly thereafter, Sor Juana chose the religious life and entered a convent, allowing her the freedom to pursue literary opportunities, including poetry and fiction. Denied formal education as a girl, one of the interesting aspects of Sor Juana’s life is the way in which she bent expectations of her era. Her most famous work, The Answer, written in 1691, directly addressed the abundant opposition she faced as a woman in the academy and defended women’s right to knowledge. Sor Juana’s work depicted women in a positive light. Unlike other writers in her era, she did not consider women inferior to men; rather, “she created female characters who were strong, brave, and clever”. 8 Sor Juana has continued importance in Mexico’s religious and secular culture that extends into current social structure.

In many ways, Sor Juana’s writing allows readers to explore new constructions of femininity in the Atlantic world. She is still read today because her writing style offers insights into the complexities of the seventeenth century Atlantic World.

JESSICA ROBERTSON MAIH STUDENT