Lieutenant Nun

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1997

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapters 20-26

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Index of Terms

Basque

The Basque people are an ethnic group indigenous to a region known as the Basque Country, which spans the border between northern Spain and southwestern France. Catalina de Erauso was a Basque person, and San Sebastian resides within the Basque Country. This heritage is very important within the Spanish colonies, as Erauso made friendships based on shared identity and was, on several occasions, defended by Basqueros (Basque people) even when they were strangers. These interactions highlight the shared ethnic identity and solidarity within this group while also showing that the binary distinction between Spanish and Indigenous people in South America that Erauso occasionally makes is not wholly accurate: Each side contains differing groups within itself.

Encomienda

The encomienda was a labor system instituted by the Spanish crown during the early colonization of the Americas and the Philippines. Under this system, Spanish settlers (encomenderos) were granted the right to extract labor and tribute from Indigenous communities. In return, the encomenderos were expected to religiously convert the Indigenous people. This system was an essential feature of the world in which Erauso lived, and it characterized the Spanish conquest of the Americas. It also defined the social mobility offered to Spaniards, as early settlers were able to gain incredible wealth through an encomienda—opportunities that were not often available to those of modest birth back in Spain.

Entradas

Entradas were military expeditions or incursions undertaken by Spanish conquistadors, explorers, and settlers during the colonization of the Americas. These expeditions were aimed at exploring, conquering, and claiming new territories for the Spanish crown, as well as subjugating Indigenous populations. The gambling adventurers that littered the Spanish provinces were used to man these expeditions, as happened to Erauso during her time in Lima. The opportunity for pay and loot attracted many—another new method by which a man could gain wealth in the colonies.

Masculine Code of Honor

In the early modern world, men were beholden to a code of honor that manifested as a set of social norms and values that governed their behavior. This code emphasized bravery, loyalty, integrity, and martial prowess and had a strong focus on protecting one’s reputation. It was heavily tied to public actions and often needed to be defended by fighting or dueling. Violations of this code, or allowing oneself to be dishonored through mockery, came with several social consequences. Erauso and many of the people she came across during her travels highly valued this code, resorting to violence rapidly when insults threatened their social standing. Its importance explains the frequent sword fights over insults that Erauso found herself in throughout South America.

Nun’s Veil

A nun’s veil is a piece of religious clothing traditionally worn by nuns as part of their religious habit. The veil covers the head and often the shoulders, symbolizing modesty, humility, and a commitment to a life of service and devotion to God. In Lieutenant Nun, it is a highly symbolic piece of clothing for Erauso, as her donning/removing it signified her freedom to access the outside world. When she first escaped from her nunnery, she removed it and then put on masculine clothes, allowing her to act with all the freedom available to young men in the time period. After her confession of her identity, she placed it back on and was subsequently confined to a nunnery for nearly three years until she could once again remove it and return to some level of freedom.