Magic Lantern
Reaction essay on "The Magic Lantern" Born in the capital city of Mexico on September 18, 1890 Jose Tomas De Cuellar was one of colonial Latin America's polarizing figures and from one Mexico's wealthy families. He attended college at the military college of Chapultepec. Later he entered the Academy of San Carlos after taking part in the defense of the castle before the United States invasion on September 13, 1847. He went on to become secretary of the Mexican legislation in Washington D.C. and was secretary of foreign affairs. He gained note ability in 1848 for his essay "Duty and Sacrifices" in both Mexico and Madrid. But, he is most notably known for his skills as an observer and being a master illustrator in writing in his genre and because of the telling of humorous stories to make fun of the society he was living in.1 The Magic Lantern is but a small part of his repertoire , but is an excellent glimpse back into a culture that is long gone but still influencing its people today. The view of women in the time of Jose Tomas De Cuellar and at the time when he wrote The Magic Lantern was that of a culture where few rights were granted to them. Women of the 19th century were seen as dependant, feminine, and timid. On the other hand, the men were viewed as dominant strong figures who were full of male virility. And, this view continues to be reinforced in the telling of Cuellar's stories. The men are seen as strong, bold figures who make the women swoon and fall before them while the women are portrayed as ladies of stature and always fussing about their appearance and clothes. The way Cuellar demonstrates the difference between the sexes shows right from the beginning in his story "In Having A Ball". He shows how the appearance of the feminine gender of the time took this into account even when inviting guests to a party. As when our protagonist, the Colonel, was deciding on who to invite to the party and insisted on inviting the Machuca sister by