Rosario Castellanos
Rosario Castellanos (1925-1974) was a prominent Mexican writer and feminist, known for her significant contributions to literature and her advocacy for women's rights. Born into a privileged family in Mexico City and raised on a plantation in Chiapas, she experienced the stark inequalities faced by both women and indigenous people, which deeply influenced her work. Castellanos earned a master's degree in philosophy from the National University of Mexico, where she became a notable figure in the 1950 Generation of writers. Her literary career began with poetry, and her first major work, the poem "Trayectoria del polvo," was published in 1948.
Castellanos was a trailblazer in feminism, particularly with her thesis "Sobre cultura femenina," which highlighted the absence of women in Mexican culture and established her as a leader in the feminist movement. Through her novels, short stories, and essays, she explored themes of gender, race, and class, earning numerous awards, including the Chiapas Prize and the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize. Her first novel, "Balún Canán," published in 1957, garnered critical acclaim. Castellanos also served as the Mexican ambassador to Israel and continued to teach and write until her untimely death in 1974 from electrocution. She remains an influential figure in Mexican literature and is interred in the Rotunda of Illustrious Men, commemorating her legacy.
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Subject Terms
Rosario Castellanos
Poet
- Born: May 25, 1925
- Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
- Died: August 7, 1974
- Place of death: Tel-Aviv, Israel
Biography
Rosario Castellanos was born on May 25, 1925 in Mexico City. Her parents were Daniel and Adriana Figueroa de Castellanos. Growing up as a privileged European Mexican on her family’s sugar and coffee plantation in Chiapas, Castellanos witnessed the oppression of the native population. She also experienced firsthand the oppression of women. Her younger brother was clearly the favored child, solely because he was male. Castellanos was neglected by her parents even after her brother’s suicide.
Castellanos received a master’s degree in philosophy from National University in 1950. While attending the university, she wrote poetry and joined a group of Hispanic writers known as the 1950 Generation. Her long poem titled Trayectoria del polvo (trajectory of dust), was published in 1948. The poem was written upon the death of her parents. Her master’s thesis, Sobre cultura femenina (regarding feminine culture), was published in 1950, the same year she graduated. This theoretical text, which examines the absence of women in Mexican culture, launched Castellanos as a leader in the Mexican feminist movement. In 1953, she received a grant from the Mexican Writers’ Center to conduct feminist research. A 1954 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation enabled her to publish her first novel in 1957, Balún- Canán (The Nine Guardians: A Novel, 1960).
In 1958, Castellanos married Ricardo Guerra, a professor of philosophy. They had a son, Gabriel Guerra Castellanos, in 1961. She taught in the comparative literature department at National University from 1960 to 1967, and the following year served as visiting professor at the Universities of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Colorado. She then returned to National University in Mexico City. She and Guerra divorced in 1971, the year in which she began serving as ambassador to Israel. While in Israel, she taught Mexican literature and continued writing. In 1974, she died from electrocution. Castellanos received a state funeral in Mexico.
Castellanos received many awards for her writing. Her first novel earned the Chiapas Prize in 1958. In 1961, she was awarded the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize for her first collection of short stories. She received the Sister Juana Inéz de la Cruz in 1962 for her second novel. In 1967, she received the Carlos Trouyet Literary Prize for the body of her work. In 1972, her work received the Sourasky Literary Prize.
Rosario Castellanos published poetry, collections of short stories, novels, and journalistic essays. One of only two women to be interred in the Rotunda of Illustrious Men, she was a pioneer in the examination of the sociopolitical issues of gender, race, and class in Mexican letters.