Flowering Judas

“Flowering Judas” explores misogyny and the objectification of women set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution. Through the experiences of Laura, Porter draws attention to the unequal gender dynamics of a patriarchal society undergoing political upheaval.

As a single woman in a foreign country dedicated to a political cause, Laura appears to represent female independence. However, Porter quickly establishes that the protagonist is severely constrained by her circumstances in Xochimilco. She is reliant on Braggioni’s financial support to stay there, dutifully performs the tasks he gives her, and must endure his unwelcome company. Although she sometimes “wishes to run away, […] she stays” (Paragraph 5). Laura is reliant on the revolutionary cause to give her life a sense of purpose, but Porter emphasizes that she finds no freedom in her political activism.

Despite her serious purpose, Laura is consistently objectified and sexualized in Mexico. Rather than attracting respect for her activities, she becomes an object of male desire, with multiple suitors trying to win her over. Significantly, the protagonist is sexualized by others, but she is not depicted as sexual. Laura does not reciprocate the desire of the men who pursue her. Porter conveys the sexual threat that underlies the tactics employed by her suitors.