Figure 1.--We think this is a modern painting of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in the style of the 17th century by Gorge Sánchez Hernández (1980)--"Nepantla's girl".

Children in history with only a few exception meant boys. There still just weren’t many pathways to what we would call success for girls in 17th century. With the exception of Malinche, Sor is the first girl to emrrge in Mexican history. Limitations on girls was especially the case in the Catholic world, including Mexico. This was particularly the case for girls born to unwed parents. She was the illegitimate child to a Spanish naval captain. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz proved to be a rare exception as a result of a brilliant mind and a nimble pen. It was not the result of an education, ony available in aristocratic families. In fact she was at first self-taught. Even so her brilliance shown through as a child. She wrote a dramatic poem when she was only 8 years old. At about the same she began studying the Greek classics. s a young teenager only 13 years old she began teaching Latin to other children. As word of her scholarly skills spread, she joined the court of Viceroy Marquis de Mancera. There she stunned a panel of professors with her eclectic knowledge pf different subjects. Sor Juana eventually entered a convent, where she was permitted write plays, poems, and carols. She was an imprtant contrbutor to Spanish Golden Age. Her greatest work was a proto-feminist manifesto -- 'Respuesta a sor Filotea de la Cruz'. This was resulted in an inevitable conflict with Mexican authorities--especially Church authorities. The Church in Mexico was still dominated by the Inquisition. But that was not until old age and she was near death. She was the first feminist voice in the history of Mexico.

Created: 6:09 PM 8/17/2025
Last updated: 6:09 PM 8/17/2025