Cultural Context

To understand this production, it helps to know more about the cultural context in which Sor Juana was writing, as well as about some of the theatrical conventions of the day.

Code of Honor
Much day-to-day life in Golden Age Spain and Mexico was ruled by intricate social behaviors and strict prohibitions. Knowing this, it will be easier for you to understand certain characters’ motivations and concerns in House of Desires. Under the Code of Honor, a man’s loss of his honor, whether through cowardice or failing to exact revenge for an insult, was deemed worse than death. Another aspect of the Code of Honor involved chaperoning: an unmarried woman could not be alone in a room with a man who was not her husband or relative. If she were, she would either need to marry the man, join a convent, or watch the man being killed at the hands of her nearest male relative.

Social Hierarchy and Racial Situation in Mexico
A very defined social hierarchy characterized life in Mexico in the 17th century. The Spanish were at the top of the pyramid and jealously guarded their power and prestige. The Criollos, people of Spanish descent born in Mexico, frequently enjoyed great wealth, but were always extremely conscious that the Spanish looked down upon them. The Mestizos, people of mixed Spanish and native ancestry, inhabited an uncomfortable gray area in Mexican society: they were neither accepted by the Spanish and Criollos, nor by the native peoples. Finally, the native peoples of what came to be called Mexico lived in both nomadic and sedentary cultures, which were slowly wiped out as the Spanish zealously pushed their Christian agenda throughout the country.

Asides
Sor Juana makes frequent use of a dramatic convention known as an aside throughout House of Desires. An aside is an actor’s speech directed to the audience but supposedly not heard by other characters; he may actually step aside from the action to address the audience or simply turn his head briefly to comment on his plans or emotions.

Discussion Questions

Do you think our society has a Code of Honor? What is it? How do you feel about the Code of Honor of the world of the play? Do you see any part of this code that survives in our culture today? Do you think it is viable in our day and age? What do you think of woman’s role in the Code? If it pertained to you, would you be comfortable marrying someone just because you had been alone in a room with him? How would you feel about your male relatives killing someone because of you? If you had to choose one of these two options, which one would you choose, and why? How do you think 17th century Mexico’s social hierarchy compares to that of our society? How do you think this hierarchy affects the plot of the play?