Essay on Subtle Power of Women in a Patriarchal Society

The short story The Judges wife is written at a time that society was majorly male dominated. Men are the head of their homes and families and firm decision makers who do not provide the ideologies of women in their decision making. Casilda, as the story starts provides that perfect description of women as powerless, submissive and incapable of any harm. Men, on the other hand, are characterized by firmness, strictness, and seriousness. The judges dress code of black suit and shoes brightened by wax provides not only the depiction of professionalism but also of strictness. Nicholas mother is seen as powerless and unable to rescue herself from the cage which the judge had put her. As opposed to his mother, Nicholas is presented as careless and a man who does what it pleases despite his down look by the society from being born by a whore. However, despite the general depiction of women, these women do things that are amazingly beyond what would be regarded as a norm. Their power and denied freedom by their male counterparts when they choose to revolt brings great danger. This piece of analysis of show how women attain that liberty with a male-dominated society.

The title, the Judge's wife, is chosen to bring out the irony in the book since that wife of the judge would be expected to live within the legal provisions of the law and that of her society. However, through her actions, she goes contrary to what justice demands in the eyes of the society. For instance, when the husband decides to put Nicholas mother in a cage with a little water as a method of getting hold of Nicholas she decides to release the woman from the cage. She revolts the social construction and unwritten code of how women should behave and conduct their lives. She decides to start the move towards feminism through subtle ways and maximizing on her freedom (Maus pp.1). The law restricts and limits the person through stereotypes that men had set for their benefit. However, she decides to get against those requirements for example by being romantically involved with Nicholas. Notably, Casilda did not start this way as choosing a different path from the social expectations. It seems she had grown into it because of the many years of the exposure on the harm this stereotypes did. For instance, she chose to forfeit her career goals so that she can take care of her three children and her family as well (Perricone, pp 80). Casilda was passive, demure, timid woman who had been married to an austere old man in front of whom she had never even dared appear naked. She feared her husband and would not oppose his orders. Such a sign of weakness to be jobless would depict the highest level of submission from which she would turn from following the death of her husband. Also, the fact that a woman title is used would also mean that the novel would give some emphasis on women. Such powerless women like Nicholas mother who was bold enough and willing to kill Nicholas at birth given that he was not born normal as he had four nipples.

Casildas strength is first seen when her husband dies, and she has to take up a position for her three children and the properties lest she would lose everything. From such occurrence, it is possible to see that the power was within her only that an opportune time was not yet realized (Gunne and Nelson pp.272). Her consistent interaction with Nicholas as well depicts her power given that they were able to be romantically involved and end up in those long embraces. In fact, he was willing to risk his life just to ensure he remained within the embrace of the woman he claimed to love. Despite the warning by Casilda that the soldiers were drawing neigh, Nicholas was unwilling to let go Casilda off his chest. Nicholas Vidal chose to fold her in the last embrace, thus fulfilling the prophecy that had sealed his fate from the start. The strength is depicted by the fact that at first Nicholas considered her ugly and such unlovable but later he would fall in love with her (Amago, pp.43). Her consistency and lure to Nicholas lead him to forget the prophecy that had been made towards him that a woman would end his life. That in his pursuit for women he would lose his power. In the romantic relationship, maybe in the eyes of love, issues of class and gender stereotypes are seen, and people regard each other as compatible to travel the same route (Spanos, pp.163). Casilda takes the opportunity to cultivate the relationship which eventually would lead to the death of Nicholas in the end. Might Nicholas head is lost in the quest for love and intimacy upon ignoring the prophecy and the warning and ignoring the class differences and gender inequality rampant in that society.

In the end it possible to say that both men and women are powerful its only that in a patriarchal system women are not provided with the opportunity to showcase their power. However, when this unbridled power within the women is given time, surprising or unexpected things occur. Through Casildas strength is brought to nothing. The fact that only women survive at the end of the novel is a significant detail that alludes to the fact that despite the fact that women within a male-dominated society would seem powerless, they are strong and gentle but in perfect situations that power is made manifest.

Works Cited

Amago, Samuel. "Isabel Allende and the Postmodern Literary Tradition: A Reconsideration of" Cuentos de Eva Luna." Latin American Literary Review 28.56 (2000): 43-60.

Maus, Kathryn L. "An Analysis of Female Characters Depicting a Blend of Feminism and Traditionalism in Selected Works by Isabel Allende."

Perricone, Catherine R. "Allende, and Valenzuela: Dissecting the Patriarchy." South Atlantic Review 67.4 (2002): 80-105.

Spanos, Tony. "Isabel Allende's' The Judge's Wife": Heroine or Stereotype?"." Encyclia 67 (1990): 163-72.

Thompson, Zoe Brigley, and Sorcha Gunne. "Breaking the bonds of domination: embodied heroines, rape culture, and possibilities of resistance in short stories by Isabel Allende and Rosario Castellanos." Contemporary Women's Writing 7.3 (2012): 272-290.