I, Rigoberta Menchu

Extract

[...] Menchu also acknowledges that some husbands do beat and mistreat their wives. However, she ensures that Indian women have the support of their community as long as they don't break our laws” (pg. 77). It is evident that women “don't complain as much as [their] community allows [them] when it comes to their husbands (pg. 78). Inequalities are also apparent in regards to the lack of female leadership in the Indian CUC movement. Since the main agenda of the book is to expose indigenous suffering it is understandable that Menchu might be reluctant to shed light on the gender imbalances in her community. [...]

[...] Rigoberta Menchu Rigoberta Menchu, is a depiction of the socially and politically powerless indigenous population in Guatemala, presented from a female point of view. The book details the daily rituals, customs, and traditions of the Indian community. Menchu, speaks as the voice for her community. She effectively conveys her people's struggles for social, political, and economic equality. While it is narrated from a female perspective, women's issues are not a main focus. Class differences (in this case, those pertaining to either ladino, indigenous or European backgrounds) and culture take the forefront in shaping women economically, socially and politically. [...]