Abstract
Scholarship on El Inca Garcilaso has analyzed the representation of women in the Comentarios reales, but not nearly as much in La Florida (1605). This article focuses on two encounters between indigenous Floridan women and Spanish conquistadors: (i) the daughter of the cacique Hirrihigua and Juan Ortiz; and (ii) the cacica Cofachiqui and Hernando de Soto. When portraying women, Garcilaso embraces paradoxes and contradictions, and this article will explore the inner tensions of such portrayals.
On the one hand, the early modern Hispanic world encouraged young girls to be submissive. Garcilaso does not question this pedagogical paradigm. In this sense, the representation of women in La Florida is influenced by Juan Luis Vives and Fray Luis de León, authors of conservative treatises on female education and behavior.
On the other hand, however, Hirrihigua’s daughter confronts her own father to save Juan Ortiz, while Cofachiqui defies her mother to aid Hernando de Soto. The boldness of both female characters is far from the docility expected by moralists. Hence, I propose describing them as mujeres varoniles: Hirrihigua’s daughter acts as a mediator, while Cofachiqui is a leader. Both women go beyond the submissive female role models of the time. Thus, the article complicates conventional narratives of female passivity by exploring the agency of Hirrihigua’s daughter and Cofachiqui.
Finally, the article also explores the representation of interracial desire between Spanish and indigenous people in La Florida. However, such unions will never be consummated. I propose a reading that delves into these unfulfilled possibilities.
On the one hand, the early modern Hispanic world encouraged young girls to be submissive. Garcilaso does not question this pedagogical paradigm. In this sense, the representation of women in La Florida is influenced by Juan Luis Vives and Fray Luis de León, authors of conservative treatises on female education and behavior.
On the other hand, however, Hirrihigua’s daughter confronts her own father to save Juan Ortiz, while Cofachiqui defies her mother to aid Hernando de Soto. The boldness of both female characters is far from the docility expected by moralists. Hence, I propose describing them as mujeres varoniles: Hirrihigua’s daughter acts as a mediator, while Cofachiqui is a leader. Both women go beyond the submissive female role models of the time. Thus, the article complicates conventional narratives of female passivity by exploring the agency of Hirrihigua’s daughter and Cofachiqui.
Finally, the article also explores the representation of interracial desire between Spanish and indigenous people in La Florida. However, such unions will never be consummated. I propose a reading that delves into these unfulfilled possibilities.
| Original language | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 137 |
| Number of pages | 152 |
| Journal | Revista Hispánica Moderna |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |