ABSTRACT
In order to reflect upon these issues, Bemberg usually sets her films in the historical past and within the confines of the privileged classes: her female characters – Sor Juana, Miss Mary, and Leonor – either belong to the upper and upper-middle classes or move within those circles. This is significant because, as educated and privileged women, they can afford to look inside themselves, reflect upon their inner conflicts, and, in so doing, gain awareness. Within their historical and social setting, these female characters develop a consciousness that enables them to become fully aware of the societal conditioning imposed upon their personal and social behaviour. In their quest for self-definition their consciousness allows them to challenge, and at times to transgress, the traditional boundaries within which they are confined.
