Based on what I read and saw in the film, Doña Bárbara is significant in building Venezuelan (and Latin American) national identities since it shows new collective consciousness and political perspectives based on multiple identifiers such as gender. Understanding identity and how nationalism can be constructed in various socio-political contexts is not straightforward (İnaç and Ünal 223). However, Bárbara succinctly revealed the historical struggles and neocolonialism domination (with men as the perpetrators) that Venezuelans, especially women, had to undergo. Gender studies are important because they connect other sociological phenomena like generation, race, class and ethnicity (Swier 92). Generally, any author hopes to rewrite the nation through sexuality by adjusting gender codes in favor of women, affecting current power structures.
Venezuela was plagued by exclusion and atrocities in the 1940s when the film was released. Bárbara was raped by bandits, her father and boyfriend were also killed. Essentially, this made her cruel and hated men, but she still portrays emotions and falls in love. The text depicts a classic conflict between a rational female and masculine barbarism. Nonetheless, gender norms are inverted, as Bárbara is explicitly classified as “macho or marimach,” which is connected with masculinity and power, whilst Santos is noted for his feminine traits (Swier 94). Despite the challenges, Bárbara remains a tenacious, determined woman who understands precisely what she wants and how to get it. She utilizes her body and sexuality to gain fortune and, as a result, is accused of witchcraft. The readings antagonize gendered conceptions of power by demonstrating how the two major characters assumed various forms. Generally, this later became significant in the Venezuelan (Latin America) identity and further modernization of the nation.
Works Cited
İnaç, Hüsamettin, and Feyzullah Ünal. “The Construction of National Identity in Modern Times: Theoretical Perspective.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 3, no. 11, 2013, pp. 223-232.
Swier, Patricia L. “Transgendering and the Emergence of Ambiguous National Subjects in Rómulo Gallegos’s “Doña Bárbara”.” Hispanic Journal, vol. 29, no. 1, 2008, pp. 91-105.