Yolanda Oreamuno, “Frivolous Environment” and Feminist Thought in Costa Rica

Abstract

The essay "Medios que usted sugiere..." (1938) by the Costa Rican writer, Yolanda Oreamuno, has been an important reference in the understanding of the author's thought and her positions regarding the situation of women and feminism. In it, the author launches important questions and criticisms on Costa Rican education and the social role of women; however, it is possible to note divergences in the critical opinions on the soundness of the thought developed in it. This article aims to analyze the theoretical-argumentative construction of the essay in the light of the context of the feminist movement of the time and the notion of "frivolous environment" used by Oreamuno. The analysis allows a more detailed understanding of the sometimes contradictory ideas defended regarding female education and the complex relationship of the author with the feminist movement of the 1930s in Costa Rica.