Gender Misconceptions In The Shunamite By N Ines Arredondo

The story, “The Shunamite” by n Ines Arredondo is filled with gender conflicts within a young girl’s culture affecting her experiences and the way she perceived herself. Gender misconceptions go greatly unnoticed, and will cause harm more than people realize. Luisa is a young woman in Mexico. Her uncle who raised her was on his deathbed, and requested to see Luisa before he died. Her uncle was practically her father, so she saw no reason to deny his request. While she was with him he asked for her to marry him before he died so she could inherit his money. Luisa had become very controversial about this, because she thinks of herself as pure since she is still a virgin. Her family pressures her into marrying him by telling her that she would be left penniless and shunned by the entire family. Luisa was just a young …show more content…
Considering the fact that her uncle was so comfortable with marrying and having sex with his niece, the readers cannot help but think if the uncle had those intentions while she was a child and living with him. Marrying her uncle forced Luisa into growing up too much too quickly. She missed out on too many life experiences within the few years she was bound to him, and she could never get those years back. Luisa had to worry about doing things for her husband, such as: cooking, cleaning, and performing her wifely duties. Within her culture, people would probably say that she did not have time for anything else. Everybody expected her to cater, and stay by her husband’s side as well. For example, when she went to go confide in the priest he told her, “I understand, but if you don’t go to him, it would be like murder. Try not to arouse him, pray to the Blessed Virgin, and keep your mind on your duties.” This life seemed extremely controversial for Luisa, because she is told to not arouse her husband, but at the same time she has to keep her mind on her