Today’s Video: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

The phrase “Renaissance man” is used to describe people who are experts in many fields of knowledge. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz would certainly fit this description; the 17^th-cenutry nun was one of the most influential authors and minds in Latin American history. Though she was a controversial figure in her time for outspokenness and feminism, she has become revered in modern times.

Below is a video narrating one of Sor Juana’s most famous poems – Hombres necios (“Stubborn men”). In it, she blasts the sexism of her era and including the moral double standards towards prostitution (“Who is most to blame…the one who pays for sin or the one who sins for pay?”)

In honor of International Women’s Day, this week’s videos will look at famous Latin American women in literature. On Monday we focused on Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni.

Sources- Las Mujeres, Wikipedia, YouTube, The Latin Americanist