Spain

Maria de Zayas

Maria de Zayas Beginning in the Sixteenth Century, an increasing number of Spanish women begin writing some time after the Protestant reformation advocating that everybody , including women, should learn to read and write in order to read the Bible. This period should be recognized as the start of the women’s intellectual and educational history that allowed them to read and write. This period was known as Humanism. Out of this era in Spain arose Maria de Zayas y Sotomayor in the 1600’s. She was born in Madrid, Spain, daughter of Infantry Captain Fernando de Zayas y Sotomayor and Maria Catalina de Barrasa. Baptism took place in the church of San Sebastian on September 12, 1590.Maria Zayas belonged to the aristocracy of Madrid. Even though she earned a low salary as a writer, which was typical in her time, she did well due to her aristocratic status. Other than this basic biographical information, little is known about her. It is not known if she ever got married or even had children but her literary work is well-known and translated a number of times. By 1637, De Zayas published her first collection of Novellas, Novelas Amorosas y Ejemplares (The enchantments of Love) in Zaragosa. Ten years later, her second collection, Desenganos Amorosos was published. She also composed a play, La Traicion en la Amistad (Friendship Betrayed). She enjoyed the respect and admiration of some of the best male writers of her time. Among them were Lope de Vega, who wrote poetry dedicated to her and Alonso de Castillo Solorzano, who referred to her as “Sibila de Madrid” (Sybil or prophetess of Madrid). In spite of the popularity of her works, the Nineteenth Century saw them as vulgar. So they faded into obscurity until their rediscovery in the late Twentieth Century. The first book, Novelas Amorosas y Ejemplares describes violence and deception while the second book Desenganos Amorosos describes the abuse of women. The female characters in both books are well-developed character-wise and their experience allows them to freely denounce their inferior role in society. Many of her characters have been wronged by men and have worked to regain their honor. She wrote during the time of the Spanish Inquisition when women were closely monitored and kept from participating in any major decision-making in society. The paternalistic society kept the majority of women confined to the home, the convent, or brothels. Through her writings she presented women as intellectually independent and just as capable as men. She was trying to encourage women to seek independence and for men to educate themselves about violence. This was contrary to the time period.

By: Richare M.