Beatriz De Padilla Analysis

The story of Beatriz de Padilla shows how a woman of mixed race found a way to better herself and the lives of her children, through relationships with men of power. In Colonial New Spain it was very hard for women of color to life anything better than the life of a servant. Beatriz succeeded to establish her freedom in this colonial society, which allowed her “to walk, talk and dress” however she wanted. Her freedom and naturalness challenged the colonial society, because her ways of living strongly contrasted with the severe restrictions on Spanish and Creole women who were meant to keep up appearances and concern themselves with the damaging consequences of hearsay both to themselves and their husbands and