Gender, colonial past, national identity, and mestizaje in Chile: The many faces of “La Quintrala”

Abstract

AbstractEver since its creation by nineteenth‐century liberal historian Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, the figure of La Quintrala, the mythical and wealthy mestiza serial killer of colonial Chile, has gained a major place in Chilean national identity. Although the original character is based upon sketchy documentation, the fascination it has inspired is rooted on several transgressions that define its monstrous nature. Twentieth‐century literary renditions of the story added complexity to the icon. Over time, La Quintrala has become a fluid, polysemic icon Chileans use to express a wide range of social anxieties including coloniality, gender, female sexuality, race, race miscegenation (mestizaje), women's roles, and, lastly, an urgent need for political reconciliation.