What Is Florinda's Patriarchy?

A woman’s abhorrent behaviour within the patriarchy would get them killed (qtd. in Natalie Dejonghe, 6). Although, Florinda’s broken chastity challenges patriarchy through her female agency. For example, Florinda is apparent that she will not “obey [to] those unjust commands” (5) of marrying “old sir fifty” Don Vincentio a wealthy older man decided by her father. Don Vincentio symbolizes patriarchy as the traditional system through his family wealth of five hundred years. This contact between father and husband stabilizes reputation and honour between two households. Upon her discontent, Don Pedro (a figure of patriarchy replacing the absent father here) directs her to marry his best friend Antonio, “giving [him the] opportunity to free [Florinda] from Don Vincentio” (1.1.150). The verb “free” suggests man can only save a woman’s entrapment in patriarchy proving its instability as a social structure that excludes woman. Yet, unknown to Don Pedro is Florinda’s agency to direct Belvile as “the “object of [her] bounty” (3.1.213) to marry. Instead, Don Pedro “approve[s] of [Florinda’s] choice (5.1.399) in which
However, Florinda’s witty comment that “must [she] be sacrificed for the crimes…infamous of [her] sex” (4.5.56) shows her frustration at man’s need to overpower woman and destabilises ideology of men believing the rape victim is submissive. Yet, by producing Belvile’s ring, her perpetrators, back off because now she is “a maid of honour”. This strongly relates to the “internal contradictions” of patriarchy as a “maid of honour’s” chastity is upheld while any other woman’s is not. Therein, from Pacheco’s argument, this demonstrates that chastity is a social construct reconstituting ideas that men act upon rather than representing their individual selves. Inverted gender roles redirect men as objects to the female characters’