La Llorona and Chicana Feminism

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As my previous posts have related La Llorona to Bless Me, Ultima, as well as local relevant findings of La Llorona in the Los Angeles community, this post will focus on a critical analysis of themes and motifs that are present within La Llorona, yet are often overlooked. Utilizing scholarly articles by Michael Kearney, Pamela Jones, and Stephanie Serrano, I will investigate the impact of La Llorona’s myth on women, its societal implications, as well as identify the reasons for La Llorona’s malevolence.

Kearney’s La Llorona as a Social Symbol investigates La Llorona’s     temperance. As  we have heard of her continual weeping, Kearney suggests that her weeping is due to her irrevocable misfortune, and moreover, because she envies people that are more fortunate. This is the reason why La Llorona is known for attacking women as well as men — she envies those mothers’ who have  children and a husband; a stable, domestic life. Likewise, she also targets men; Kearney suggests that, without deniability, it is because of her past experience of being abandoned by her former partner.

It seems women are traditionally submissive in the relationship; this was true with La Llorona, and paints a unique contrast as her subservience transforms into the position of the one in power. In traditional La Llorona folktale, the men who are targeted are usually naked; this may be due to the fact that one is utterly exposed and vulnerable when seen in this capacity, ultimately catching them off guard. Along with the lack of clothing, her male victims are also, a majority of the time, subdued by alcohol and found roaming at night, alone. Being drunk, similarly with the lack of clothing, disorients the men and can easily skew their judgment and coordination, making them easier to control and be taken advantage of.

Social implications have multiple views on whether La Llorona is a feminist folktale or whether the myth further instills male dominance and female weakness in a patriarchal society. Examining the former, some scholars, such as Stephanie Serrano maintain the position that Llorona depicts a powerful, rebellious, feminist character. Llorona is independent, aggressive, and powerfully dominates the men she encounters. However true this may seem, others view Llorona as a paradigm for patriarchy and a society focused upon materialism and societal status. As Llorona’s male partner was described as being of higher social rank, some believe the tale supports the myth that women are intrinsically either good or evil. As Stephanie Surrano writes in her No More Tears: La Llorona at the Crossroads of Feminism, “The newer adaptations of the story illustrate an evolving, changing Chicana and, more specifically, dynamic perspectives of Chicana motherhood… exploding the myth of mother as either passive and weak or loving and nurturing” (Surrano, 13). As Llorona is seen as more evil than not, the story has the ability to imply wrongly rooted female characteristics such as irrationality, lack of prudence, dependence upon men, inability to deal with traumatic life events, inability to forget/forgive others.

It is crucial to remember that the story of La Llorona has undergone copious changes as each generation or culture may interpret or remember the story differently; Pamela Jones claims,  “the Llorona is an endlessly changing legend, modified by storytellers to address themes central to their own psycho-social development and circumstances” (Jones, 197). Thus, it proves difficult to find a definitive theme with regards to Llorona’s social implications. Whether Llorona demonstrates characteristics consistent with feminism or the contrary, it is still beneficial to outline each perspective to acquire an in-depth and critical analysis of the folktale.

 

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Speaking directly about La Llorona and her impact upon the Chicana culture, Orquidea Morales writes, “For Chianas, La Llorona is a cultural icon, descendant of La Malinche and Aztec Goodess Cihucotal, who represents women’s voice and agency” (Morales, 6). This is one positive perspective one may take when viewing folktale: Llorona represents a rebellious woman, refusing to be forced into subservience and treated lesser simply because of her upbringing. Morales speaks of how Chicana’s and Chicana feminists have retheorized the myth of Llorna to view the tale as an empowering episode of revolution and the demand for equality. Other women view the tale as a paradigm for being a bad mother — the examples of being weak, abandoning one’s children in times of crisis, being beaten by emotions and unable to control oneself.

First post found here

Second post found here

Cited:

Kearney, Michael. “William H. Hannon Library Proxy Server Authentication: La Llorona as a Social Symbol.” William H. Hannon Library Proxy Server Authentication. Western States Folklore Society, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

Serrano, Stephanie. “No More Tears: La Llorona at the Crossroads of Feminism…” Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

Jones, Pamela. “Folklore, Milton, Popular Culture.” : Grimm and La Llorona: Liminal Space or Appropriation? N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

Morales, Orq. “Chicana Feminism and Horror: Fear La Llorona | Morales | Utah Foreign Language Review.” Chicana Feminism and Horror: Fear La Llorona | Morales | Utah Foreign Language Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

Comments

La Llorona and Chicana Feminism — 1 Comment

  1. I think that your observation that La Llorona tales shift over generations is an astute one and I think it reflects both changing society and as a way for women to control the narrative. The story shifts from a cautionary tale for women to “remember their place” to the advent of feminist scholars reinterpreting it as an attempt to overthrow the patriarchy and to challenge the notion of women as either pure/impure. I think it is particularly illuminating that your pointed out that the mean are often found drunk, naked and alone. This says to me that La Llorona tales also function as a cautionary tale for both men and women to be “proper” and to cleave to societal expectations of behavior. In fact, La Llorona tales are addressed to all members of society: women, men and disobedient children. It’s easy to focus on La Llorona as a villain/abject figure, and overlook the function that she serves: to monitor and punish wayward behavior.