The Notebook

De Céspedes utilizes Valeria’s secret notebook as a symbol for the private worlds of women. Throughout the novel, Valeria confides her desires, frustration, and emotions to the journal. Simultaneously, she feels compelled to silence these thoughts around her family. In the same manner that she hides the physical notebook, Valeria hides her internal world because she is afraid of being shamed, chastised, or undermining her role as a woman within the patriarchal ideals of her family and society.

The Rag Bin

In Forbidden Notebook, De Céspedes utilizes the rag bin as a symbol for the cultural reduction of the female gaze. When Valeria is afraid that someone will discover her notebook, she hides it under the dirty rags. Similarly, her personal thoughts are hidden beneath a façade of deference to the family, contentedness, and meekness. Within the patriarchal culture in Rome...