Madrid woman of choice - Emilia Pardo Bazán
For my woman of choice in Madrid, I chose to write about Emilia Pardo Bazán. She was the first woman to become a professor at the University of Madrid. She was a literary professor and wrote articles about literature. Male professors were mad because they weren’t supposed to have women professors at the school. So, they boycotted her lectures. This resulted in a very very small attendance of students because the men wouldn’t work with them and sign off on their thesis’ if they attended. This just pushed her more. She was a great female realist and naturalist writer. She wrote stories about adventure, fantastic stories, stories about women, children’s stories, and even Christmas stories. She was the second woman to be a member of the literary club in Madrid. She also weighed over 300 pounds and all of the other novelists shamed her for it, but that didn’t stop her from achieving all of these things.
I think there are many things that made Emilia Pardo Bazán’s contributions important. First, she played a pioneering role in Spanish literature and was a huge advocate for women’s rights. Her works introduce naturalism to Spanish literature, influencing narrative styles and themes. She addressed many issues boldly, mostly social issues, including gender inequality, in her writings. Her efforts to raise the status of women, both in her activism as well as her literature, questions societal norms and inspired many generations to come. Her impact also went beyond literature, as she made so much progress in women’s rights and education in Spain.
In my opinion, I think Emilia Pardo Bazán was commemorated fine. She had many efforts in her honor, the main one being the statue she has. Although, I think there’s room for more widespread recognition. For example, making cultural centers or having a scholarship in her name could deepen appreciation for her work and the influence she had. Another thing that could add to her commemoration is incorporating her literature into educational curricula. This would also ensure that her legacy reaches and impacts future generations! Although I think the statue they have is a great commemoration, I think they can do better.
Bye!
Sophie
Sophie this is such a great blog post! I love how you talked about how many contributions Emilia has made to society in her city. I think this helps us see more of how Madrid is a cultural capital. Emilia helped to improve the equality of opportunity for women in Madrid, which then helped to turn Madrid into even more of a cultural capital. You did a great job at talking about this idea, good job Sophie!
ReplyDeleteThis is perf! Learning about this woman can help us recognize how Spain and society failed in the past to recognize women for their achievements and take them seriously. Even now they still fall short with the commemoration of these women. I think that this helps us understand Madrid's culture and how it fostered these wonderful women who were often silenced.
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