The education of females is considered a normal part of society in North America today. While we take for granted the right of girls to gain an education, and the ability to read and write (among other skills), this has not always been allowed by those in authority. In many nations around the world, there have been women throughout history, that fought long and hard for their right to become educated. For some women it was a difficult battle, once educated, to be taken seriously for their desire to write, and to contribute to society as literary figures. One such woman was Juana Ines de la Cruz, a woman who became famous during Mexico's colonial times, and a person who was considered a female genius at the time.
Juana was born near Mexico City in 1651, the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish captain and an indigenous woman of Criollo descent. She was a very religious youngster and was raised on her grandfather's hacienda, her father being largely absent from her life. It was in the estate's chapel that she discovered a collection of her family's books, which girls were forbidden to see; she had learned to read and write by the time she was three.
Today, if she were tested she would likely be dubbed a genius. By age five Juana could do accounts and sums, and at eight she was composing basic poems. Greek logic and Latin came next, and during her adolescence she taught other young children in the neighborhood. She even spoke the native Aztec language, Nahuatl. In 1664, when she was sixteen, she was sent to live in Mexico City, and asked for permission from her mother to go in disguise as a boy so she could study at the university. She studied privately when her mother refused, until Vicereine Leonor Carreto took an interest in her.
Although he was the husband of Vicereine, Viceroy Antonio Sebastian de Toledo, was dubious about this 17-year-old girl who claimed so much knowledge. At one point, he invited some of his scholarly friends, including several philosophers and theologians, to a meeting where they asked Juana to explain a number of difficult scientific concepts. She astonished them all by holding her own under the intense scrutiny, and she became quite famous throughout the country as a result.
She was apparently very attractive, and as she became renowned for her intelligence, her reputation spread throughout the country, and several noblemen proposed to her. She entered the convent of Carmelite nuns in 1667, turning them all down, where she lived out the rest of her days. Unfortunately, only a small part of de la Cruz's prolific works still exist, but some escaped destruction and were saved by Vicereine Carreto; many of them were sold or burned when she became a nun, amid rising criticism from the Archbishop of Mexico and threats of censure. A great deal has been written about this enigmatic woman, and her work has been admired for it's insightful observances and adept structure. She is considered today to be one of Mexico's initial, and authentic writers.
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