2025/02/17 by Mariela Fargas Peñarrocha · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · #Spanish Literature and Culture Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/1468-0424.12832
openalex publication_date 2025/02/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/16
ABSTRACT The disinheritance of a firstborn son accustomed to the privileges of exclusion has for centuries been a dramatic event for families, especially if the decision was taken by a woman, the son's own mother. Very few dared to do so, because it symbolised a break with the notion of virtuous, compassionate motherhood; it represented a failure to be ashamed of, as well as being a bold challenge against the male line. Through examination of litigation documents, this text describes a case of disinheritance by a mother that occurred in Barcelona in 1732. The analysis considers the different perspectives of those involved in such events, from the struggle over gender representations to small acts of self‐affirmation by women who became agents of their own lives.