Traditional Gender Roles and Expectations

Mexican Gothic critiques traditional gender roles, showing in what ways required adherence to these roles is harmful. One of the most prominent examples of this is in the contrast between the behavior of Virgil and Francis. Virgil is both a villain and a romantic figure, and Moreno-Garcia shows in what ways his crueler tendencies align with traditional ideas of romance. At least on the surface, Virgil is inclined to take responsibility for his relationship with Catalina, blaming himself for his failure to make her happy. However, his controlling attitude erases Catalina’s own autonomy within the relationship and keeps him from considering her needs. He sexually assaults Noemí on more than one occasion (some of these assaults take place in dreams, but he appears to be aware of them and they are in line with his personality), an act that reflects his...