Blake (Ch 1): "By emphasizing that the consequence of ‘‘disloyalty’’ is eternal condemnation or isolation, the legends are used to socialize women into traditional roles, control their conduct, and define what constitutes Mexican femininity"

I chose the quote, “By emphasizing that the consequence of ‘‘disloyalty’’ is eternal condemnation or isolation, the legends are used to socialize women into traditional roles, control their conduct, and define what constitutes Mexican femininity,” from chapter 1 of the Blake reading. This chapter describes how La Malinche, La Virgen, La Llorona, and the Mexica goddesses have been respresented and the effects of the discourses regarding each. I chose this quote because it really sums up the purpose of these legends and figures. It seems almost reflective of Christianity where the discourses regarding women surround motherhood and traditional roles of women. The stories scare women to follow societal norms of being only a wife and a mother without any type of sexuality. La Malinche, La Llorona and the  Mexica Goddesses depict examples of “bad moms” or nonconforming, “deviant” women. La Malinche is the whore and traitor for sleeping with the enemy. Why is the fact she was Cortez’s property ignored? She probably did not have much choice. Blaming her for the downfall of the Mexica gives her the Christian role of “Eve.” They paint her out to be the evil one who ruined everything much like Eve is looked at as the one who forced Adam to eat the apple and disobey God in Christian stories. La LLorona is depicted as a bad mom to socialize women to fear being a bad mom because it leads to condemnation from family and society. La Virgen is an example of a “good mom” constantly used to teach women that they should be mother figure and wife, who is passive and serves their husband. The use of a virgen as a mother symbol also teaches women not to be sexual beings. These stories essentially reinforce social norms for women and scare women away from becoming independent women who are not obligated to be great mothers and wives. The problematic reinforcements created by these symbols illustrate the need for refiguring of them to better empower women and create less restricting ideologies regarding te roles of women.