Week 3
This week’s topic, “the colonial experience” is largely centred on the ways in which colonialism expressed itself with regards its impact on the societies and peoples which it touched. Colonialism, as a very complicated phenomena finds expression in many modes, and has had wide-reaching impacts that persist today. Nevertheless, colonialism tends to strike in a pattern of faultlines in social fabric, compartmentalizing populations and polarizing relations. Of those faultlines, two are especially highlighted in this week’s readings: race in Casta Paintings, and gender in the case of Lieutenant Nun.
Race is a social construct. We are reminded of such when “race” connotes varying things in different social settings. What it means to be of a certain race in one society often differs in definition when contrasted with another society. Nevertheless, race has become an important marker of privilege and status in societies based upon hegemonic domination (here, colonial societies). Constructions of race become imperative in the maintenance of colonial structures of dominance, whereby populations are socially (politically, economically) controlled to follow the patterns of their racial group. Colonialism is dependent on cultural productions that reinforce these “boxes,” such as the casta paintings of the 18t c. This obsession with determining the race of mixed people demonstrates a confrontation of colonialism with a blurring of its foundational faultlines, and its reactionary efforts at reinforcing racial distinctions. How has the conception of race changed since then? How about when this distinction is used to uplift a systematically oppressed racial groups?
Gender is another faultline in which colonialism plays a strong role. Here cultures will determine how the gender binary dictates behavior. In Lieutenant Nun, Catalina places herself in opposition of her assigned gender, albeit for the most part in secret, yet nonetheless reproduces many of the social patters of colonialism. Gender distinctions operate within colonial apparatuses in complex manners, further compartmentalizing society along the lines of sex. Definitions of what it meant to be a man, or a woman, served many colonial interests (within European as well as non-European racial groups). Does Catalina, with this in mind, represent a rejection of gender binary? Does she represent a rejection of colonialism?
Do you think gender or racial issues were more prevalent? What kind of point do you think Catalina was trying to make by defying gender norms? Do you think that she ultimately made her point?
I think that Catalina is not a rejection of gender binaries precisely because she chose to live a fully ‘male’ lifestyle. I don’t think that she necessarily represented the notion that we have today of gender fluidity, thus did not reject the binary. As for colonialism, I think that by becoming a ‘conquistador’ herself, she also did not reject the ideology of colonialism. I think Catalina saw an opportunity to leave her ordinary life behind and live an adventure and took it.
I found it interesting how you mentioned that the concept of race is a social construct, as while that has been something I’m aware of, I’ve never really put that much thought into it. To answer your question about how the conception of race has changed, the first thing that came to mind for me was the ‘one drop rule’ that previously categorized any individual with African ancestry to be considered black, and how that stipulation is largely irrelevant in that society today – race is no longer separated into neat little boxes but rather a fluid, continuously changing notion.
Contemplating whether Catalina can be a representation of a rejection of the gender binary is a question that I believe none of us can fully answer – although she lived her life as a man, I hesitate to classify her as transgender (even though the introduction to the article does mention it briefly) simply because we don’t know if she truly believed that she was a man trapped in a woman’s body or if she just saw the opportunity to live a more fulfilling and adventurous life in taking on the role of a man – her sexuality is another thing to consider within this scenario. I personally don’t think she represents the rejection of colonialism as she virtually took on the life of an ordinary conquistador during that time, and I did not sense she really regretted many of her actions. Overall, I think the character of Catalina is complicated and nuanced; the documents we read depict only a part of the big picture and thus we cannot ever fully define her or her intentions.
I believe that De Erauso did defy gender norms (at least to some degree), but, in no way, defied colonialism. (S)he seems to personify non-intersectional feminism (also known as “white” feminism). (S)he may be a ‘feminist’ in the sense of breaking gender rules, but does so in a manner than oppresses other racial groups and perpetuates colonialism. Not to mention the fact that much of what (s)he succeeded in doing was made possible by his/her white privilege. Many of famous feminists we celebrate today, sadly, still operate from a non-intersectional, oppressive space.
I agree with you that race and the associations dubbed to them are a social construct. I find I so interesting that ones uncontrollable characteristic; race, dictates so much of how one lives.
You are incredibly correct about race and gender being social constructs, yet today, they are still used to divide us. I find your question incredibly interesting, in some ways she does reject a social binary, however, he reinforces the binary by demonstrating her “manliness” through aggression and a lot of the time senseless violence