La sátira del matrimonio en pliegos sueltos y col·loquis del siglo XVIII

Abstract

Misogynist satire was a recurrent theme in Spanish Popular Literature in the 18th century. Pliegos sueltos, and in the Valencian sphere, col·loquis, disseminated ridiculed feminine characters on for their vices and whimsicality: spendthrift, indiscreet/gossipy, lazy, party-going, and vain… In general, misogynist criticism ran parallel to that of criticism of matrimony, as the texts usually attributed misfortunes in married life to wives. In our opinion, more than to just reflect feminine behavior, these compositions had the goal of preserving a traditional model of marriage, based on inequality of the sexes and in the total submission of wife to husband. Through mockery of all transgressing attitudes and the grotesque presentation of feminine characters who are removed from the model of spouse as docile and servile, the romances and col·loquis endeavored to preserve the hierarchy between the sexes within the family structure, in a time of social transformations.

Keywords

• gender
• España
• XVIIIth century
• Spain
• Misogyny
• col loquis