Female Patriotism in Zayas’s Desengaños amorosos

Bibliographic Data

ID19224923
AuthorsAriadna Garcia-Bryce (0009-0008-8327-3560, Reed College, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume103
Issue5
Pages471-486
Publication date2026-05-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBulletin of Hispanic Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1475-3839 • E-ISSN: 1478-3398
PublisherLiverpool University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3828/bhs.2026.24
OpenAlexW7161652820
LanguageES
References cited19

This article focuses on the representation of female patriotism in María de Zayas’s Desengaños amorosos (1647). Diverging from readings that emphasize the work’s courtly sensibilities, I highlight its affinity with classical Republican models of heroism and reflect on how these are amalgamated with Christian ideals. Countering the conventions of female decorum present in courtly discourses and the imposition of obedience and invisibility articulated in humanist wifely conduct manuals, Zayas constructs a spirited political imaginary in which women gain towering public notoriety. Combining scenes where heroines experience horrific suffering, with others in which they exhibit remarkable ethical agency and rhetorical empowerment, the novellas assign them a key role in the forging of a symbolic patria . As honoured protagonists of urban legend, they preside over an auspicious intertwining of the ritualized Civitas Dei and the dynamic Republican city. This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0

Absurdity · Decorum · False accusation · Patriotism · Politics · Rhetorical question · The Imaginary · Early Modern Spanish Literature · Early Modern Women Writers · Latin American history and culture

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