A false feminism : the objectification of women in Isabel Allende's The stories of Eva Luna.

Isabel Allende is often praised for creating heroines that liberate themselves from oppression, often through their freedom of sexuality. In her collection of short stories, The Stories of Eva Luna, the female protagonists are intelligent, sensual, creative and resourceful, but far from being liberated, they are entrapped by this freedom. This is illustrated in Toad's Mouth, The Judge's Wife, and Simple Maria. An initial reading of these stories may support the idea that the protagonists in these three tales are liberated and living lives of their own choosing; however, a deeper analysis reveals that the women are not free but are, in fact, imprisoned. Hermelinda is the only women for hundreds of miles around and is extremely free with her sexuality. She makes a living charging for sexual exploits with any man who comes into her home and pays to play her games. As she manipulates the games to her advantage, she imagines that she has the power over her partners, home, her life and the men in her realm. Contrary to appearances, however, Hermalinda is disempowered by her sexual freedom. In The Judge's Wife, Casilda comes to the area as a mail order bride to bring prestige and power to the judge. Instead she appears to hold the power over him, and he changes so drastically that the entire town notices and is thankful to her for her influence over the judge. In the end, when the judge and his family are fleeing his rival, Nicolas Vidal, she uses her sexuality to save her family. Although it seems that sexual freedom is Casilda's salvation, it is actually her condemnation. In Simple Maria, Maria has an innocent mind as the result of a train accident when she was a young child. She is able to care for herself and her child, so she is self-sufficient but is treated by her family as if she is incompetent and sold off to an elderly, ailing man who dies shortly after their wedding. She finds that she loves sex and it is the only thing that brings her pleasure and spends all her time waiting for partners and in the sex act. She becomes a world renowned prostitute with men lining up to receive her services. She spends her entire life waiting without ever finding true love or happiness. While Maria gives the illusion that she happy in her life of meaningless encounters, she is disillusioned by the lack of happiness she has found in her sexual freedoms.--Abstract