Sor juana inés de la cruz quotes

What did it take for a woman to pursue intellectual activities in 17th-century Mexico? Sor Juana continuously faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church. Despite this, she left a huge literary legacy and is widely regarded as the first published feminist of the New World. Sor Juana grew up in a single household and her father never recognized her as his legitimate daughter, a circumstance that presented a detriment in colonial Mexican society.

The nun was acutely aware of this and went on to eloquently address it in one of her poems.

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A child prodigy, Sor Juana demonstrated a thirst for knowledge from an early age and knew how to read by the age of 3. This is where she entered higher society and gained admiration in elite circles. At the age of 17, Sor Juana had to make a life choice: to enter the convent or marry. These were the only socially acceptable ways for a woman in 17th-century Mexico to protect her social status, economic security, and respectability.

Sor Juana chose the convent and dedicated her life to learning, writing, and charity. Her decision was influenced by several factors.

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First, the convent was a place where she could access a library and continue her intellectual pursuits, which were limited for women outside the convent walls, and would not be possible as a married woman. Second, taking religious vows allowed her a degree of independence and self-reliance that was otherwise unavailable to women in her time.

Life in the convent came with its own challenges. Although Sor Juana served the convent in numerous ways, her intellect was questioned and tested by male authorities throughout her life.