Modern Foreign Language
La Monja en la Literatura Española: How Spanish Film and Literature Reflects Nuns and the Catholic Church
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Start Date
10-4-2015 9:45 AM
End Date
10-4-2015 10:45 AM
Sponsor
Terri Carney (Butler University)
Description
During the post-civil war era in Spain, Francisco Franco and his totalitarian regime, as well as the conservative atmosphere it instilled, ruled the Spanish people. Women during this time were expected to live within the private sphere, acting as mother, wife, nurturer, and caretaker. This, however, made many women feel oppressed and contained, unable to reach their inner potential as human beings. The feminist movements of Spain called for an upheaval of feminine stereotypes and gender roles in general. During the beginning of these movements and La Movida, a countercultural movement during the Spanish transition following Franco's death, artists began to challenge existing gender roles in their works. Artists began portraying both men and women as complex, dynamic beings with much more to offer than the stereotypes laid out for them by traditional society. One way that many Spanish filmmakers and writers challenge these stereotypes is by portraying Catholic nuns in a way that not only contests preconceived notions of women, but depicts them in a completely different light. This presentation will show how artists like Pedro Almodovar and Carmen Martin Gaite portray Catholic nuns as symbols of defiance, human struggle with morality, and corruption within the Catholic Church.
La Monja en la Literatura Española: How Spanish Film and Literature Reflects Nuns and the Catholic Church
Indianapolis, IN
During the post-civil war era in Spain, Francisco Franco and his totalitarian regime, as well as the conservative atmosphere it instilled, ruled the Spanish people. Women during this time were expected to live within the private sphere, acting as mother, wife, nurturer, and caretaker. This, however, made many women feel oppressed and contained, unable to reach their inner potential as human beings. The feminist movements of Spain called for an upheaval of feminine stereotypes and gender roles in general. During the beginning of these movements and La Movida, a countercultural movement during the Spanish transition following Franco's death, artists began to challenge existing gender roles in their works. Artists began portraying both men and women as complex, dynamic beings with much more to offer than the stereotypes laid out for them by traditional society. One way that many Spanish filmmakers and writers challenge these stereotypes is by portraying Catholic nuns in a way that not only contests preconceived notions of women, but depicts them in a completely different light. This presentation will show how artists like Pedro Almodovar and Carmen Martin Gaite portray Catholic nuns as symbols of defiance, human struggle with morality, and corruption within the Catholic Church.