Gender Expectations in the Play El eterno femenino (1975) by Rosario Castellanos and the Film Adaptation Los adioses (2017) by Natalia Beristain

The essay analyzes gender expectations in El eterno femenino (1975) by Rosario Castellanos and its film adaptation Los adioses (2017) by Natalia Beristain. Both works depict the stereotypes that limit women's autonomy. El eterno femeninocritiques these roles, showcasing the idealization of being a wife and mother but also addressing the experience of single life: “One is not what one wants to be, but what one can be” (Castellanos, 1975). Meanwhile, Los adioses portrays Castellanos' struggle to balance her career and personal life in a patriarchal environment, as expressed in the film. Beristain employs a fragmented narrative to represent both Castellanos' strengths and vulnerabilities, creating an intimate portrait that resonates with the audience beyond historical facts. Through these narratives, the works highlight how stereotypes impact women's development and question the social structures that perpetuate them.