ABSTRACT

The giraffe woman appears as someone whose intellectual knowledge in different fields contrasts with an inveterate sexual ingenuity, a space where the foreign intervention of the other, watching from within, takes place; a part of her moral consciousness carefully scrutinising any sexually suspect or wicked fantasy. In Latin America, for instance, universities have become the centres where many women logically attempt to acquire the necessary illumination for their mind. The individual will impoverish herself mentally in order not to sin, and will shelter within herself the appalling fear of any revealing knowledge. There was the fear that at the turn of any free fantasy, an uncontrollable temptation might suddenly provoke the bringing to consciousness of an indecent thought which would automatically induce a sinful action. Only a few years ago, any attempt made by women to increase their freedom of action was considered highly suspicious.