“Woman Cleaning” is licensed under Caras y Caretas
Idealized Gender Roles
In the early twentieth century, Argentine women took the responsibility for caring for the family, cleaning, and cooking. Women also completed textile work such as sewing and weaving. They were expected to maintain their gender identity through notions of “marianismo,” or submissiveness, motherliness, and kindness. Argentine men maintained their gender identity through notions of “machismo,” or fearlessness, domination, and toughness.
The Play’s Response
In “La Doctora de Lantera,” men and women switch gender roles. Juliana is a politician and her husband takes care of the baby and housework. However, Crisóstomo complains to his friend Raul, “last night I was thinking that we need to rebel, take off the yoke and stop being the oxen of the house.” The men’s masculinity has been threatened, so they feel the need to rebel and take control of the situation. To avoid being perceived as too soft or caring, Raul makes a joke about throwing his child off of the balcony. Such comments show how men struggled to reclaim their masculinity throughout the feminist movement.
“Election Day” by E.W. Gustin is licensed under the Library of Congress
Antonio’s scene at the park represents some of the negative attitudes that many Argentines felt about shifting gender roles. He believes that women are naturally made to be mothers. He states that men are in charge while “women are born to cook, wash the dishes and laundry, and speak about one neighbor with another neighbor.” Basilia states that these types of discussions should be solved at home and not in public. Policies and issues concerning women historically were and still are viewed as “private” issues for the family to solve.
Women’s Transition into the Public Sphere
Working-class women often worked at home. Many of these women sold garments or worked as seamstresses. Only middle and upper-class women could afford to stay at home. Men worked outside of the house to provide for their families. As the nineteenth century ended, women began working outside of the home. They became involved in factory work and professional occupations. Jobs in industrial cities usually targeted young and single women in order to avoid women having to bring their children to work with them. Women’s entrance into the workforce was not met without criticism. As great numbers of Argentine women entered the workforce, gender roles began to shift. Working mothers were seen as breaking the family apart.
The feminist movement’s entrance into the public sphere also made women less submissive. Women began to recognize their right to engage in the public domain. Shop girls rode the streetcar to work, and women ran for office, even if their candidacy was only symbolic. Women became more active participants in the community as they entered the workforce. They also began to protest out on the streets in the public sphere. Women participated in demonstrations and protests in response to the violation of women’s rights.
“Julieta Lanteri flyer” is licensed under El Partido Feminista Nacional
The Play’s Response
Juliana’s speeches demonstrate how feminists in Argentina campaigned to improve working conditions, women’s suffrage, and equal rights. Antonio believes that Juliana is breaking families apart with her “rhetoric.” As women devoted more time to outside work, they stepped outside of traditional gender roles. Thus, men believed that women were spending less time taking care of their families. Raul and Crisóstomo celebrate Juliana’s loss at the end of the play. The men’s reaction to her loss may symbolize a “win” for patriarchy. While feminists constantly worked to gain more rights for women, men were clearly threatened by their efforts. Recognizing women’s increasing power in society meant recognizing the loss of their own.