Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and the Culture of the Baroque

This seminar will focus on the life and writings of the 17th-century Mexican nun, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1649-1695), who is considered not only one of the major literary figures of Colonial times, but also the first feminist of the New World. We will study her poetry, drama, autobiographical letters, and theological writings in the context of the main cultural trends of the Baroque: the new scientific discoveries, painting vs. poetry, the debate on Holy images, theories about the female body, women educational discourse, and others. (1 Unit)

Required texts: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Obras completas (Mexico: ed. Porrúa, 2007); Octavio Paz, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz y las trampas de la fe (Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica); Michel Foucault, La historia de la sexualidad. La voluntad del saber vol. 1 (Mexico: Siglo XXI); additional readings will be available in electronic form on Segue.