Dr. Wayne Stein

Machismo and Marianismo

Indigenous Mysticisms: World Literature

Photo by Ruth Gledhill on Unsplash

It starts with love. . .

Latin American culture remains one of uniqueness, hybridity, and surprise, where mestizo practices occur with its combination of Catholicism and the indigenous mysticisms to create previously unknown and undiscovered realms and new practices within the New World phenomenon to degrees missing in the Old World.

Machismo and Marianismo

Through literature, we shall experience the rise of Machismo that is counter balanced by Marianismo along with Magical Realism which counters the positivism of Realism. As we enter postcolonial studies, a new postmodern age appears before us, full of fragmentation, bordercrossings, and hybridity.

The master narratives of colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchal powers no longer rules supremely.

New voices of otherness and of gender are now being heard as the subaltern tries to be voiced.

Though within these new narratives of the other, Western cultural colonialism continues to multiply as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Star Bucks gain control of monies, minds, and ideologies. Latin America maintains an interesting history.

America declared her independence from England in 1776. Though we think of George Washington as the first president, he was actually not the first official president. He did not become president until 1789. Some 14 other US presidents had ‘ruled” from 1776 until 1789.

We call him our “first” president because he was the first under the constitution. So this shows that beginning a new country is not as easy we think.

The Rise of Latin America

There remains much we do not know about the Americas.

Latin American Writers: Nobel Prize to Literature

Poets

Three of the writers are poets, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, and Gabriela Mistal.

Magical Realism

Garcia Marques and Angel Asturias are known for their magical realism while one is know for his honest narratives about the poor (V.S. Naipaul).

Though master storytellers like Jorges Luis Borges, Alejo Carpentier, and Julio Cortazar did not win the Nobel Prize, they continue to influence future great writers.

Here are the Latin American writers who won the Nobel Prize in Literature:

• V.S. Naipaul (2001) Trinidad
• Octavio Paz (1990) Mexico
• Gabriel Garcia Marques (1982) Columbia
• Pablo Neruda (1971) Chile
• Miguel Angel Asturias (1967) Guatemala
• Gabriela Mistal (1945) Chile

The Cult of Machismo: Cultural Code Word

According to the Dictionary of Mexican Cultural Code Words

“… machismo meant the repudiation of all ‘feminine’ virtues such as unselfishness, kindness, frankness and truthfulness. It meant being willing to lie without compunction, to be suspicious, envious, jealous, malicious, vindictive, brutal and finally, to be willing to fight and kill without hesitation to protect one’s manly image. Machismo meant that a man could not let anything detract from his image of himself as a man’s man, regardless of the suffering it brought on himself and the women around him. … The proof of every man’s manliness was his ability to completely dominate his wife and children, to have sexual relations with any woman he wanted, to never let anyone question, deprecate or attempt to thwart his manhood, and never to reveal his true feelings to anyone lest they somehow take advantage of him.”

Though its origins come from Europe, “fully developed” machismo is a Latin American phenomenon (Stevens 91).

The Macho Cult of Virility

When reading Latin American Literature, acts of machismo and its “cult of virility” (Stevens 90) occur, so it is important to understand that it is a cultural phenomenon of expectations.

Works Cited

“Machismo in Latin America.” http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata77.htm.

Stevens, Evelyn P. “Marianismo: The Other Face of Machismo in Latin America.” Female and Male in Latin American Essays. Edited by Ann M. Pescatello. Pittsburgh: Univeristy of Pittsbugh Press, 1973. 89–101.

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

The Cult of Marianismo: To Counter Male Machismo

Stereotypes associated with Latin American women are that they stay at home, clean and cook, and that they are

submissive. Just visit sites like “Latin Wives: Meet the Most Beautiful Latin Women in the World” and read what they claim: “Again, thank you for taking time to read and view our website.

Only Latin women could do this for men and you will see in beautiful Latin American women energy, loyalty, zeal, intelligence and determination to fulfill all your needs, dreams, hopes and aspirations.”

Cultural origins show where some of these stereotypes stem from: marianismo, the counter part to the Latin American male’s machismo.

Semi-Divine

Basically, marianismo “is the cult of feminine spiritual superiority, which teaches that women are semi-divine, morally superior to and spiritually stronger than men” (Stevens 91). Latin American society holds their women to these high standards.

Furthermore, “No self-denial is too great for the Latin American woman, no limit can be divined to her vast store of patience with the man of her world” (Stevens 94–5).

Attitudes about sexual practices are part of marianismo. “ ‘Good’ women do not enjoy coitus: they endure it when the duties of matrimony require it” (Stevens 96).

Virginity before marriage is important part of this cult, for repairing of the hymen in hospitals, “a practice that goes back at least to fifteenth-century Spain” (Stevens 97)

Works Cited

Latin Wives. http://www.latinwives.com/.

Stevens, Evelyn P. “Marianismo: The Other Face of Machismo in Latin America.” Female and Male in Latin American Essays. Edited by Ann M. Pescatello. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsbugh Press, 1973. 89–101. Print.

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