The assumed power of men has been a question of gender politics through Seven Solitudes of Lorsa Lopez by Sony Labou Tansi and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. African and Latin American cultures have become societies vulnerable to traditional prejudices that women are the weaker race, responsible for men's problems. Through their attitudes, physical strengths, and physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive behaviors, men continue to oppress women in their societies. Male power has been institutionalized by society, while women continually fight against their socially accepted roles using the only weapons at their disposal: their voice and their sexuality. Estina Benta and Clara try to conform to their own standards of life by attempting to defy their male rules. spouses. Using the power to express their opinions and retain strong self-confidence, both are able to control the emotions of their male authorities. (Provide context for this quote) “Clara walked like a…silent shadow. She didn't even look at him. She walked past [him] as if [he] was a piece of furniture. [They] had not started sleeping in the same bed again” (Allende 113). By refraining from all communication and sexual relations, Clara is able to expose Esteban's vulnerability and gain her own power and independence. This particular vulnerability revealed through Esteban Trueba is the very essence of his eventual downfall. He “felt defeated for the first time in his life” (104) (put the quote at the end of the sentence), which led him to abusive and possessive behavior towards Clara. “He wanted more than just his body; he wanted to control this indefinite and luminous matter that was inside her” (96). The need for obsessive control over women is the backbone of...... middle of paper ......m because he needed to be loved, even if it meant he had to resort to extreme measures. [But] he realized that Clara did not belong to him and that…she would probably never belong to him” (96). , and pushed her into the library” (132). such as "pulled", "dragged", "pushed" and "pushed" correlate with sexual violence, which is the only dominant trait of a man that can keep him in a position of power. . However, being a strong individual does not mean having physical strength, but rather a strong mind, emotional stability and the power to express oneself; all the weapons of women from African and Latin American cultures. Through their words and actions, such as sex strikes, their power is highlighted and true equality is found because “women are men too ».” (23).