The Answer II

“But this has merely led me closer to the flames of persecution, the crucible of affliction; and to such extremes that some have even sough to prohibit me from study. They achieved this once, with a very saintly and simple mother superior who believed that study was an affair for the Inquisition and ordered that I should not read… For although I did not study in books, I studied all the things that God created, taking for my letters, and for my books all the intricate structures of this world. (73)” This quote shows that Sor Juana was aware of how men felt about her position in society and her intent on learning. She is aware the Sor Filotea is attempting to discredit her intelligence and call for all people, men and women alike, to demand she stop studying. Her lack of books to study led to her studying the world around her. Sor Juana realizes that there is more to know than what is available in books. In this passage she implies that studying in books can help a person better understand the world God created.

“Instead, for lack of such learning and through the extreme feebleness in which they are determined to maintain our poor women, if any parents then wish to give their daughters more extensive Christian instruction than is usual, necessity and the lack of learned older women oblige them to employ men as instructors to teach reading and writing, numbers and music, and other skills. This leads to considerable harm, which occurs every day in doleful instances of these unsuitable associations… For this reason, many parents prefer to let their daughters remain uncivilized and untutored, rather than risk exposing them to such notorious peril as this familiarity with men. (85)” This excerpt attacks the practice of education for women at the time. All harm to a girls virtue and honor that comes from learning could be avoided if she was taught by an older woman. It’s a catch-22 because there are no older women that have learnt enough or been taught enough to be able to pass it on to a student. I think that Sor Juana want to make people realize that nothing will ever change if society remains so hostile towards intelligent women.

Throughout the last part of the letter Sor Juana maes many references to scripture and women in the Bible. She points out that these women were highly intelligent and no one thought poorly of them, instead they were celebrated. She also points out that commonly sourced quotes from scripture have been taken out of context in order to be applied to women and education. Sor Juana makes an effort to point out the mistakes and rectify them by pointing out the historical context in which they were meant.