Trampa de Espanto uses magical realism to explore the concepts of relearning love and finding
strength within yourself. This story follows Ursula after the death of her abusive husband. At first
she wept for him, wishing for him to return so that she would not be alone. Because of her begging,
he 'returns' as a ghost. Eventually, however, Ursula becomes aware of the control he had over her. We are taught from a young age that masculinity equal power, strength and control, while femininity equals submissiveness and weakness. These ideas stick with us and become ingrained into our
relationships. Modern media only upholds these narratives and frequently depicts male love as aggression and dominance.Thus, if a person is in an abusive relationship it is easy to mistake jealously,
anger, and/or manipulation as forms of love. This cycle is fairly difficult to escape from unless
you are aware of red flags to look for, and many people are not. It is not usually until one can separate
themselves from the relationship and look back at it objectively that they see the harm. Ursula at the
end of the story sees this and finally retaliates against her marido, tricking him into the vacuum,
ridding him from her life for good. She finds strength in her solitude as she relearns who she is as
an individual and not an an extension of her husband. Learning more about oneself is important
to finding one's strength and voice.
strength within yourself. This story follows Ursula after the death of her abusive husband. At first
she wept for him, wishing for him to return so that she would not be alone. Because of her begging,
he 'returns' as a ghost. Eventually, however, Ursula becomes aware of the control he had over her. We are taught from a young age that masculinity equal power, strength and control, while femininity equals submissiveness and weakness. These ideas stick with us and become ingrained into our
relationships. Modern media only upholds these narratives and frequently depicts male love as aggression and dominance.Thus, if a person is in an abusive relationship it is easy to mistake jealously,
anger, and/or manipulation as forms of love. This cycle is fairly difficult to escape from unless
you are aware of red flags to look for, and many people are not. It is not usually until one can separate
themselves from the relationship and look back at it objectively that they see the harm. Ursula at the
end of the story sees this and finally retaliates against her marido, tricking him into the vacuum,
ridding him from her life for good. She finds strength in her solitude as she relearns who she is as
an individual and not an an extension of her husband. Learning more about oneself is important
to finding one's strength and voice.
Below is a picture I took in Santiago, Chile a couple years ago. It translates to "It could be your daughter, it could be your sister, to be abused or murdered.... #MachismoKills".
#ElMachismoMata
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