statement: “… In contrast, they treated girls especially gently, but with a lack of
full attention and a readiness to impose opinions on them ” Lips, 1989: 3.
Women in this case actually are not only as the victims of patriarchy, but also as the extension. It is see
n from Mama Elena’s and Rosaura’s decision to apply the family tradition to their last daughter. Mama Elena and Rosaura are
considered applying “hegemony masculinity” as Connel said in her writing that this hegemony allows the dominance of men over women to continue. Mama
Elena’s and Rosaura’s decision show that they continue the practice of patriarchy through the family tradition.
2. The Rules of Woman’s Attitude
The Mexican society is also strongly-rooted in religion. Catholic is the religion which is dominant in that country. Catholic has the portrayal of Lady
Guadalupe as the role model for women. She is described as the symbols of innocence and purity, and she never complains about her destiny Fernandez, 2009:
55. Since Lady Guadalupe identical with the image of a good woman, so it
is used as role model for Mexican women. The innocence, purity, and obedience of Lady Guadalupe then are related to the rules in patriarchy. Patriarchy also rules
women to be obedient Mirande, 1979: 475. For the purity, women are expected to be virgin before they get married Gordillo, 2010: 66.
Tita and her sisters are also expected and forced to keep their virginity before get married. Mama Elena strictly applies that rule to her daughters. When
Gertrudis, her second daughter, leaves the house and works at a brothel Mama Elena feels so upset. She disowns her, as stated:
“… what nearly killed her was when she got the story from Father lgnacio, the parish priest-and who knew how he found out about it-that
the next week Gertrudis was working in a brothel on the border. Mama Elena burned Gertrudis birth certificate and all of her pictures and said
she didnt want to hear her name mentioned ever again” Esquivel, 1989: 58-59.
Gertrudis works as a prostitute. It can be concluded that Gertrudis does not only lose her virginity but also she gets a shameful job. That fact breaks Mama
Elena’s heart down. She is very upset and does not want to remember Gertrudis anymore.
In Tita’s case, Mama Elena prohibits her to get closer to Pedro. She prohibits Tita to be near Pedro because she is afraid of their love relationship and
their physical relationship. Mama Elena wants to keep Tita virgin. Even when Mama Elena dies, her soul still haunts Tita because she has had a sexual
intercourse with Pedro. Unfortunately, Tita gets a late period so that she thinks that she is pregnant. Mama Elena’s soul gets angry at her, as seen:
“I told you many times not to go near Pedro. Why did you do it?” “I tried, Mami … but …”
“But nothing What you have done has no name You have forgotten all morality, respect, and good behavior. You are worthless, a
good-for-nothing who doesnt respect even yourself. You have blackened the name of my entire family, from my ancestors down to this cursed
baby you carr y in your belly” Esquivel, 1989: 173.
From the dialogue between Tita and Mama Elena above, it is obvious that women should keep themselves virgin. When they are not virgin anymore
before getting married, they are considered as bad women who do not have good moral and behavior. They even have less value and are considered as a shame for
the family. This obligation to keep their virginity before getting married is considered as a patriarchal practice because its basic root comes from the
portrayal of Lady Guadalupe which seems to be the same as the expectation from patriarchal value toward women’s attitude. Patriarchal value expects women to be
obedient Mirande, 1979: 475 and to keep their virginity Gordillo, 2010: 66, while Lady Guadalupe is well-known of her innocence, purity, and obedience.
Therefore, when Mexican women are expected to follow the portrayal of Lady Guadalupe, unconsciously they are dogmatized to fulfill the expectation of
patriarchal value. Women are not only expected to keep their virginity but also not to
expose their body, as Gordillo stated: Mexican Porfirian elites 1876
–1910 expressed moral indignation “over adultery, over the loss
of virginity before matrimony … over the exhibition of women’s unclothed legs, and over the knowledge of
anatomy 2010: 66.
Tita’s sister, Gertrudis, is a general on revolutionary troops. She really works and fights hard to reach her current position. Everyone admires her bravery
Esquivel, 1992: 178-179. When she starts dancing spiritedly she lifts her skirt until her knee so that she can move freely. Yet, her action triggers dishonor
comments from the women at the party, as stated: “She lightly hitched her skirt up
to her knee, quite uninhibited. This attitude provoked scandalized comments among the ladies gathered there
” Esquivel, 1992: 180. The dishonor reaction from the women around Gertrudis shows that
women are really limited in every inch of their move. It also implies that the patriarchal norm about women’s attitude and virginity has been strongly rooted in
women’s mind. Beside about the virginity, everything which seems having relation to women’s body should be covered. It is impolite to expose them even
though the intention of exposing them is not to trigger sexual desire.
3. Gender Roles
