A Real Change in Esperanza's Life?

Hello everyone, my name is Esperanza, weird name right? I remember asking my parents why they chose that name and they said that Peru was going through a really hard time when they found out my mother was pregnant, so they named me after the hope that I represented for the family and the wishes that they had for my future. During my parents’ youth and my childhood, my country went through different eras, so we constantly lived in uncertainty. That’s the reason why, when we found out that Peru was going to be freed, we couldn’t stop thinking about how the situation was finally going to change. 

Unfortunately, nothing happened the way we wanted to. Yes, the country had been declared independent, but that was it. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but how could it not be? We had been living so many years in difficulty and waiting for a better lifestyle with possibilities and freedom, but all we had was disappointment. In a way, things did change, but it was just not for us. The people from the upper class were happier than ever, while the rest of the country had to live with it. At least, I didn’t have to use tapadas limeñas anymore. I was tired of covering my face every time I was walking by myself, I always had to be with any man around in order to avoid social condemnation.

That’s kind of the thing that made me think about the fact that I felt so different from my brother. We were born in the same place and grew up with the same family, the only distinction between us was that he was a man and I was a woman. For me, that seemed like a tiny differentiation, however, for everyone else, it wasn’t. He was allowed to walk alone and do so many things that I could only dream about. I know that his life wasn’t easy, but at least he had a life. He had the opportunity of representing, defending and honoring our country, while I was just at home taking care of my father. 

I remember hearing conversations about a group of women who fighted for the country’s freedom. If I had the chance, I would’ve loved to be one of them, but because of my family’s social class, I was not allowed to. I think they were called rabonas. Their  purpose was to accompany the military around campaigns and help them with food, clothing, and most important nursing. That’s why they had to have health knowledge, so they could take care of fallen and hurt warriors. I had an obsession with rabonas and especially with Antonia de Caceres. She achieved all of the chores before mentioned but also carried her daughters to the war so they could be supporting her husband and father Andres Avelino Caceres. I think that's true love for our country and for your significant one. This also made me realize that women can love men, but that doesn’t mean that their whole life has to be dedicated to them. I have dreams that I hope I can achieve in the near future. I would love to have a good education. I think that’s the base for all the good opportunities in our country, for a good job with a respectable salary and a good life. I don't want to marry to survive, I want to give myself all the opportunities a man has.

Bibliography

• Sanchez, A. (2021, december 15). Desafiando el peso de la historia. El papel de las mujeres en la construcción de la República peruana. Revista Memoria PUCP. https://idehpucp.pucp.edu.pe/revista-memoria/articulo/desafiando-el-peso-de-la-historia-el-papel-de-las-mujeres-en-la-construccion-de-la-republica-peruana/
• GrupoRPP. (2021, september 28). Rompiendo el molde: Mujeres peruanas en la historia. RPP. https://rpp.pe/peru/actualidad/rompiendo-el-molde-mujeres-peruanas-en-la-historia-noticia-1360106