| Mexican culture's objectification of the female body is an outcome of the unique colonial history of Mexico. The pervasiveness of this objectification can be partially attributed to the codification of female role expectations in two iconic figures, Guadalupe and Malinche, and to their use as literary archetypes. Although the use of Malinche and Guadalupe to describe the two acceptable female roles has been well explored, less well-explored is what the two roles have in common: both roles reduce women to objects. Accordingly, a primary concern of Chicana feminist authors is to "speak back" to these archetypes and to the associated literary conventions that objectify women's bodies. Contemporary Chicana authors break the boundaries surrounding these archetypes, merging them and expanding their definitions to encompass a more realistic vision of what it means to be a woman. In so doing, these authors reclaim ownership of female bodies and minds for women themselves. |
