“Argentina is a country with a rich feminist theatre tradition dating from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day. Although early twentieth century feminist plays vary in format, aesthetics, and commercial appeal, each one carries with it a burgeoning feminist imagination that seeks to alter the prevailing discourse of the period. These scripts reveal the role that feminism played in the development of national culture in Argentina as well as the role that theatre played in the advancement of feminist social change.”
Overview
Argentina had a mainly patriarchal society, whereas the man was the head of the household. Men held power over the family in its entirety. From the very beginning, men held a dominance over women and children. For example, Donna Guy stated that under the Siete Partidas fathers could eat the flesh of their children. This a prime example of how much power a man had in the household from the very beginning.
This is a very harsh example of the kind of power that men held from the beginning, but this goes to show that even over the years many women faced oppression in Latin America at the hands of man. For example, in Gracia Plena, each male character is dominant over a women in some way. The term, machismo, can be seen throughout. Machismo, according to Guy, is a system that validates masculinity and it operates between and among men as well as towards women. Machismo is the power that is held over women and can be seen in many examples in Gracia Plena.
*Siete Partidas– This is a code of law set forth by Alfonso X of Castille in the mid to late 1200’s. Latin America held this code to great significance in their lives.
Juan Carlos and Maria Theresa
Juan Carlos and Maria Theresa have a strained relationship. Maria Theresa is pregnant and Juan Carlos wants her to abort the baby. Legal and safe abortions were not available during this time period. This meant that Maria Theresa would have to raise the baby on her own without the help of Juan Carlos, if she decided to keep the baby. Maria Theresa and Juan Carlos are about to become parents. Juan Carlos gives Maria Theresa an ultimatum: him or the child in a play scene.
Maria Theresa ends up being jailed for attacking Juan Carlos, while she is pregnant. She had her child in the prison and was not allowed to keep him. This meant that her child would be adopted or placed in foster care. This happened to many women in the time period, who did not have fathers for their children. Maria Theresa knew that cabaret life would not be a good option for her to raise a child, that is why she pushed so hard for Juan Carlos to step up to the plate. He was too dominant and set in his ways. He did not want any part of the family life with Maria Theresa.
The way Juan Carlos acted throughout the play was a perfect example of machismo. According to the Berkley Center at Georgetown University, machismo is a concept that means that men are aggressively dominant over women. This related to Juan Carlos and Maria Theresa because it was implied that Juan Carlos faced no repercussion for getting Maria Theresa pregnant and not helping her, while she was jailed for getting upset at her situation.
Nato Perez and his wife
There are many physical allusions to abuse. El Nato Perez appears to be an abusive character. For example, his wife makes money for him to drink and states that it “drowns her sorrows.” On top of making money for him to drink, she also brings in another income. Perez states that his wife makes 5-6 pesos a day to support him and buy him drinks.
This relationship challenged the ideal role that women and men had in Argentina. El Nato Perez was married and let his wife work in a cabaret, with a child on the way. This is not something that would have been seen as morally acceptable in this time period. Typically, the man supported the family and not the wife.
A cabaret worker made decent money for this time period. From 1914-1919, the cost of living in Buenos Aires rose to 60%, while salaries fell 60%. This could be the reason why Perez’s wife had to work so hard. Other jobs made very little to no money, so it would have been difficult to work in any other place other than a cabaret.
Milton and Sarita
Sarita and Milton have a very tough relationship. Sarita stated that she only had their baby because of Milton’s wealth. It turned out that Milton did not have that wealth, although Sarita was betting on that to get her out of the cabaret. This resulted in Sarita wanting nothing to do with her child and still working at the cabaret.
Reformers from 1900-1930’s failed to eradicate gendered poverty or protect women from the harms of cabaret living. This is why a lot of women turned to prostitution and stayed in prostitution.
Eva Peron: Although Eva Peron was born in 1919, it is important to note that she was key to fighting for the women’s suffrage in Argentina. She was instrumental in this fight because of her background and being the President’s wife. She was born very poor and became and actress. Her poor background helped with the cause of helping poor people, such as women who had to turn to prostitution.
Evita died of cervical cancer in 1952. She was only 33 years old and did not have any children..
There are rumors that Eva Peron had a child, a daughter, while she was on the rise as a famous actress. According to Claudia Joseph, Nilda Quartucci is Evita’s long-lost daughter.
