A Pioneering Voice in 20th Century Literature
Rosario Castellanos, along with Juan Rulfo and Elena Garro, is one of the most original and inspiring voices of the 20th century. She is a groundbreaking writer who encourages new and not-so-new generations to explore or revisit literary worlds that move, impact, and appeal to both intelligence and sensitivity. A great poet and novelist, Castellanos was also a playwright, essayist, and journalist attentive to the social and cultural movements of her time.
A Critical and Empathetic Lens
Castellanos’ critical yet empathetic gaze, along with her dramatic, ironic, or poetic writing, brings to life marginalized characters, men trapped in the pursuit of power and blindness of prejudice, and women yearning for freedom yet confined by rigid social norms.
Poetry: A Journey of Self-Discovery
In her poetry, Castellanos found voice, presence, and a sense of self. Starting with more traditional forms and themes, her poetry reaches expressive heights in poems like “Lamentation of Dido,” where the queen, betrayed by Aeneas, articulates the drama of passionate love (“I loved with my root blindness”), abandonment (“I tore my heart and a flock of black doves flew away”), and the lucid tragedy of a heroine that remains in memory beyond death).
In the 1960s and 1970s, Castellanos wielded the sharpness of irony and indignation against misogynistic stereotypes that confine and mutilate women in false self-perceptions; she invites leaving them behind and seeking “Another way of being human and free / Another way of being.” She was also attentive to historical and political injustices, reclaiming Malinche and denouncing the dark violence unleashed on October 2nd, appealing to the power of memory against indifference and forgetfulness (“Remember, let us remember / until justice is felt among us”).
Narrative Masterpieces: “Balún Canán” and “Oficio de tinieblas”
“Balún Canán” and “Oficio de tinieblas” are classic novels open to new readings and interpretations. The former, an autobiographical work inspired by her childhood in Comitán marked by painful losses (her brother and, in fiction, her nurse), sheds light on the destructive dynamics of injustice and social and cultural violence in Chiapas, where racism continued (and continues) to impose an unbearable yoke on indigenous communities.
In both novels, Castellanos approaches the indigenous world with empathy and sensitivity without idealizing it. With extraordinary clarity and literary mastery, she exposes the dynamics of exploitation falsely legitimized in tradition that undermines the humanity of the subordinates and pushes them to rebel. The normalized violence of the powerful, the weight of a social order denying any possibility of change, provoke desperate outbursts – fire or uprising – because the desire for freedom and autonomy, the aspiration for a full life, are inherent to human nature.
Feminist Insights
Castellanos, a feminist of the vanguard, also reveals in these novels the social and cultural violence that suffocates girls and women in closed environments where daily machismo reigns. If the death of her brother leaves a deep wound in the girl of “Balún Canán,” knowing that her mother wouldn’t have mourned her death as she would a son intensifies her pain. In “Oficio de tinieblas,” resentments and frustrations poison mother-daughter relationships, challenging double moral and hypocrisy that lead to failure.
Celebrating a Living Literary Legacy
Rosario Castellanos has left us a living literature worthy of celebration on her centennial.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Rosario Castellanos? Rosario Castellanos was a Mexican writer, poet, and feminist considered one of the most original voices in 20th-century literature.
- What makes her writing significant? Castellanos’ work is notable for its critical and empathetic lens, bringing to life marginalized characters and addressing social injustices.
- What are her notable works? Her poetry, such as “Lamentation of Dido,” and novels like “Balún Canán” and “Oficio de tinieblas,” are celebrated for their depth and social commentary.
- How did she address gender issues? Castellanos was a feminist who exposed the social and cultural violence that confines women in her works, advocating for another way of being human and free.
- Why is her centennial significant? Her living literary legacy, with its relevance and impact on generations of readers, merits celebration on her centennial.
