Lieutenant Nun

This section of the text shows a period of outlawry in Erauso’s life that roughly marks the midway point in the text between her donning masculine clothes and her confession to the bishop of Guamanga. Within this time, she generally avoided major cities, favoring instead small towns on the periphery that enabled her misadventures. It is also a notably violent period in her life, where she committed three murders due to disputes over her honor, two of which were directly connected to the insult “cuckold” (meaning a man whose wife has had an affair). The actual cuckolding of Pedro de Chavarría produced an equally extreme reaction on his part.

This series of events reveals a key aspect of masculinity in the period, further deepening the theme of Personal Identity Versus Societal Roles. Within much of European culture at the time, a man’s masculinity was closely tied to the control he exercised over his household, so his wife being unfaithful would emasculate him. Further, this emasculation exposed him to social stigma and public shame, which would offend his honor. Thus, the insult of cuckold was a method through which someone’s identity as a man of honor was called into question, thereby demanding a violent response so that the masculinity of the insulted person could be proven. As Chavarría proves, far worse than the insult was the fact of an unfaithful wife, which provoked him to a murder and a long chase between cities.

Such events centered upon the idea of wounded honor demonstrate how someone’s social status as a respected man was not stable and could be threatened if not reinforced through violence. It thus helps explain the endemic killings over insults in this autobiography. The offence that Erauso took to the insult is notable, as it shows that she had completely internalized the priorities of men within this time. Following her donning of masculine clothes, Erauso’s value system became that of her male contemporaries. She thus personally challenged the status quo through her ability to succeed within it while simultaneously systematically upholding it by reaffirming its masculine standards in action. Erauso sought to “win” within the masculine honor competition, not challenge its existence.

Furthermore, in Erauso’s recounting of the rescue of Doña María Dávalos, she places the only major female character of these chapters in the role of a damsel in distress whom Erauso (somewhat begrudgingly) saved. This depiction firmly places Erauso within the narrative role that a masculine hero would usually play, while Dávalos aligns with the perceptions of women at the time. The twist to their usual societal roles is, of course, Erauso’s secret identity, which adds a nuance for the reader; however, Dávalos—and all the other women in the narrative—are portrayed very simplistically. The lack of depth in Erauso’s portraits of women adds further evidence to the conception of Erauso as a writer whose internalization of the masculine worldview is complete and unquestioned.

The Role of Religion in Early Modern Life is displayed again in this section. Churches continued to provide Erauso with an unbreachable sanctuary, even in cases where she had clearly murdered someone. There is also a revealing episode in which Erauso’s interruption of a church service and demand for help caused a postponement in her sentencing, brought her safely to a church, and allowed for her to escape. These events illustrate the hold that the church had on social values in early modern Spanish South America. Respecting the sanctity of the church and its customs was more important than enforcing the local laws. Acknowledging this factor is essential in trying to understand the period. However, Erauso’s consistent exploitation of these values also shows the nuances in this picture, as people could act in terms of self-interest even while engaging with an institution that they wholeheartedly believed in (and there are no hints that Erauso ever doubted Christianity).

The exceptional capacity for Freedom and Adventure in the Colonial World for a male-presenting person is central in these chapters. Erauso was still able to move from town to town, starting anew each time and largely avoiding consequences (or even potential justice). In her travels, she came across many other soldier-gamblers, who were equally quick to fight. At the same time, she added more jobs to her varied record, namely as a livestock guardian for llamas and an agent of the court’s justice. Lieutenant Nun continues to paint the picture of the colonial world as a “frontier,” where unusual lives could be lived due to the lack of an established system. In this context, Erauso appears as a perfect fit for—and partially a product of—this setting. Her adventures took place somewhere where the usual patterns of society were already disrupted. This sense of living in a less rigid, more adventurous place helps explain her celebration by contemporaries—she was living proof of the extraordinary opportunities of the Spanish colonies.