Introduction to Feminism in Argentina
Although feminism in Argentina in the political landscape is not a new term, in the Latin American context and specifically with reference to literature and politics in Argentina, feminism found rich soil and rich minds during the Peron era and military rule of the decade of the 80s and 90s. It is because the educational landscape in Argentina fully supported the rise of political as well as literary feminism. However, the rise of Eva Peron changed the entire feminist landscape in the decade of the 40s. Working as an actress in the Argentinian film industry, Eva Peron joined politics following her marriage to a colonel, Juan Peron, in 1945. The next year, Juan Peron became the president following which Peron’s influence in the country’s politics increased manifolds. She believed in women’s suffrage and gender equality for which she started moving government resources, and for this purpose, she unofficially supported improvements in the health and labor ministries. Marifran Carlosn (2005) describes her as “ruthless and clever, had captured the imaginations of these women”, for she was popular due to her skillful oratory that the poor citizens almost adored her (190). Although she left the landscape following her failed health and dissidence within Argentinian politics, her work for feminism has left its indelible imprint on the minds of girls who were in schools and universities at that time. This situation did not last long, as she left the scene in 1952, but her impact continued making ripples until dictatorship was imposed in 1976. The propaganda and repression continued to give secondary roles to women, but the atmosphere turned hostile to this repression. The incident of fourteen women marching into the Plaza de Mayo in the capital regarding the forced disappearance of their children led to a mass movement called “Madres”, which continued making headlines in local and international media outlets. This minor movement which was left on its own, soon developed into a social movement, picking up momentum until the military junta realized the force behind it, but it was too late. During this time, several ideologues and leftist revolutionaries contributed to the change and democracy but repression increased. The ultimate victims were the poor and the innocents. The impacts of this repression were witnessed more on women, as women became consciously engaged in opposing the military junta. Gwendolyn Diaz (2007), an authority on feminism in Argentina, is of the view that this Dirty War led to more than 30,000 missing persons which “fueled the creative minds of the women authors who chose to write about the power struggles in politics and their effects on society” (3). The short stories written following this period reflect feministic trends of feminism in Argentina and impacts of the past struggles. “Red Summer” by Liliana Heer”, “The Blond Madonna” by Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, and “Combatant Love” by Tununa Mercado demonstrate the effects of man’s dominance and woman’s status, including the spirit of rebellion against the past generation, marginalization of female voice and willful subjugation.
Liliana Heer and Feminism in Argentina
The past sets the directions for the present and the future struggle. Feminism in Argentina and voices to support it emerge from the new generation as well as the expression of sexist situations about the status of women in the struggle. Liliana Heer has consciously made efforts to show feminism in Argentina and this empowerment through her story “Red Summer” in which the mother supposes her daughter to follow her on her path to committing suicide. It is perhaps a hint of desperation in which a mother finds death the only salvation from the repression. However, the daughter does not follow the mother and rebels against her, leaving her to explore the world. This is the first voice that she has given to the females of her age; empowerment, intellectual courage, honesty, and above all the will to love and be loved. However, this is a post-modern view as the daughter makes it clear that her “vision of the events is surreal” (174). In fact, the entire story is woven into images as Lillian has written it in cinematic technique on account of her experience with movies. Although true to her own powerful nature, she does not divulge questions about this story as having autobiographical questions, but then she calls “most of the story fiction” a hint to her powerful creative power and the situation prevalent at that time (171). This is perhaps the wave of feminism in Argentina. Moreover, Tununa Mercado has highlighted this fictional character of feminism in her short allegory-type of the story “Combatant Love”, which does not have real characters. However, this story is written in battle imagery in which the woman is the ultimate vanquished territory, while the male is portrayed as an invader. Although implicit meanings are clearly in favor of male chauvinism, this combatant nature of the story ends it. It is clear as the story shows that “The combatant is all alone” where it is a lesson that even if the invader is hell-bent on showing no love, still the vanquished ‘woman’ can see that he is all alone, where there is hope for recovery and ultimate empowerment (134). She herself states it during her interview with Diaz that “Only seldom is love described as a relationship between equals” that she is implicitly showing male domination in the story (141).
Non-conformity of Feminism in Argentina
Another point of consciousness is the rebellion against the former generation. In fact, this is the consciousness due to the education and awareness left by Eva Peron, as several writers emerged after her during the military rule. “Red Summer” shows this amply when the daughter does not conform to what her mother has persuaded her for. She leaves her, but at the same time makes her own argument rebelling against her mother’s proposition that only suicide is the solution to problems. She is of the view that the girl has left her mother “alone to explore the town” (171). This is a sort of rebellion that she says appears in her story. However, this is an intellectual rebellion that the reference to the Danube, Neitzsche as a spiritual guide, and the slogan of “Live dangerously to the end” are suggestive of this (174). Alicia Dujovne Ortiz has debated the same point during her interview, saying that though she owes a great deal of her intellectual development to her parents, she has developed her own personality after engaging in writing about familiar and unfamiliar things including a biography of icons such as Eva Peron. About Eva, she writes in “The Blond Madonna” that when she becomes aware of her beauty, she lets it blossom, and takes hold of everything that comes on her way. This is a tribute to Eva in that she is posing her as a rebel who rebelled against the previous generation where “she so longed to live” (156). This is actually rebellion though it comes at a price they have to pay.
Marginalization of Women and Feminism in Argentina
The other thing projected in both Ortiz as well as Liliana Heer is the marginalization of women as well as their willful subjugation. Although this is not much clear in “Combatant Love”, it is somewhat implicitly stated by Mercado through battle and combatant imagery of male sexual violence devoid of love. Pointing to the male domination in “Combatant Love”, she clearly hints at the undefeated and dominating male sexual obsession, saying “the combatant does not concede” and this “combatant love yearns to leave a mark” (132). It is a hint of the awareness of the feminine marginality against this sexual attack. Ortiz also shows this in her stories and biography of Eva Peron. By the end of the excerpt from her book, The Blond Madonna, she says that Eva “would often say, laughing, “I am a repentant brunette” a veiled hint that she has been marginalized in the male-dominated political arena, though Oritz states that it was said as a joke. But it “remind us of Mary Magdalene” (157). Oritz has also stated it in her interview saying that Eva Peron has put her husband to the task that she wanted to do, as she “had always felt anger for being poor, marginalized, and ignored” (154). In fact, this marginalization of women has come into the foray in the writings of Lillian Heer and Ortiz regarding the emergence of feminism in Argentina.
In short, these three writers have not only reflected the conscious awakenings of the female voices, but also the conscious efforts of the Argentinian women to come out of the stupor that lasted for a decade and make efforts to realize their voices. All three stories “Red Summer”, the excerpt from “The Blond Madonna” and “Combatant Love” show that male domination has played havoc with the female blossoming that Eva has prompted through her struggle. And this shows the emergence of feminism in Argentina, specifically in short stories. These stories also highlight the status of Argentinian women, their spirit to rebel against the past generation’s thinking and ideas to bear insults, and their wilful subjugation as their repressive marginalization by male dominance.
Works Cited
- Carlson, Marifran. Feminismo: The Woman’s Movement in Argentina. Chicago Review Press. 2005. Print. 190-191.
- Diaz, Gwendolyn. “Introduction.” Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 1-10.
- Fields, Shawn. “Alicia Dujovne Ortiz”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 141–160.
- Fradinger, Moira. “Liliana Heer”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 161–182.
- Kahn, Peter. “Tununa Mercado”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 121–140.
Relevant Questions about Feminism in Argentina
- How has feminism in Argentina influenced the narratives and themes explored in contemporary short stories, and what are some notable examples of this influence?
- In what ways have short stories contributed to the ongoing dialogue surrounding feminism in Argentina, and how do authors use their storytelling to address key feminist issues in the country?
- Could you provide insights into the evolution of feminism in Argentina as depicted in short stories over the years, highlighting any significant shifts in perspectives, voices, or approaches within the literary realm?