Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-08-09
woMAN's POSITION IN SPAIN.
A Flavor Ct 0rientalism Which Petards
Progress

Woman in Spain has had no part in
taken place in most European countries
in the last century, says writer in the
Fortnightly Review. ''As a factor in So
cial life she stands entirely in the back
ground; man has the predominant in
fiuence, and the position of woman is an
entirely subordinate one. To the for
eigner the first sign of this z visible in
the absence of that easy and homeIy
spirit of hospitality prevalent in other
countries, and which owes so much of
its character to female influence. In this
matter the lucas OF the Spaniard retain
a flavor Of Orientalism which the prog
ress of the time and the general advance
of civilization around him have been un-
able to dissipate. He possesses what
we should call most limited views as TO
the sphere in which woman should move
He thinks that Il good wife should have
no interests which may distract her from
the duties Of her household. and hence
these duties-the chief among them be-
ing the care and bringing up of children
form the chief occupation of the Span
ish lady.
AN unusual development of intellect
in woman is held by public opinion to
ne unfeminine, and the proportion of in
teilectual women in Spain is remarka bly
small. The majority of Spanish girls
are quite uncultivated, in our modern
sense of the word, except as regards
hand embroidery, music and dancing. for
winch the race has considerable anti
tude. Half century ago the orthog-
raphy or large percentage of welI-born
spanish women would not have come M
10 the standard of one of our elementary
school boards.
The education of Spanish women has
indeed improved during the last thirty
years, owing chiefly to greater facilities
Tor travel and certain filtering through
of foreign habits of life. Bur This has
only taken place within the recognized
llnes OF communication over. the coun-
try. Physical training plays as small n
part In the education of Spanish women
as does intellectual culture in this. roo.
there IS a wide distance separating the
Anglo-SaXon woman from her southern
nelghbor. One of the most no iceable
characteristics of the former is the love
OF exercise which she has recently ac-
CURED. and in which she can now with
lmpunlty indulge. In Spain. on the
other hand. not only do women take lit
tie or no exercise. but they have a strong
aversion to taking it. Spanish girls are
never. III their childhood, taught to an
pfeclate open air life. and they have Ito
opportunity OF acquiring the taste LATER
on. An endeavOr was made a short time
ago 10 introduce bicycling into Madrid as
feminine amusement. hr the attempt
was a failure. owing TO the obstructive
attitude of both sexes. The new idea
was. only taken up by few votalieS of
foreign fashion"
"One result of the position of the
Spanish woman is the easy solution it
offers of 'coniugal problems The ex-
PLANTATION of this fact is to be found in
corollary to the following general
proposition offered hy tho author. One
of the most essential conditions of con
jugal happiness is that the views of the
contracting parties as to their respec-
tive spheres of action snOuid he in per-
feet harmony. In Spain there is never
any question of what woman can or
cannot do or think. She is Il domestic
slave, but she is a perfectly c0ntented
one. and no more devoted wives and
mothers are to be found than in that
count rV F."