In La fuerza de la sangre, Cervantes demonstrates the low view of women that was prevalent during the time, in order to call out the injustice women faced in society. It was a very male dominated society, and Cervantes wrote often on behalf of the women. In this story, we empathize with Leocadia and her family, and when Rodolfo rapes her, we are enraged, and we desire justice for Leocadia and her family. We feel compassion for her family, and admire their devotion to God, and we feel disgust towards Rodolfo and his evil ways. When she doesn’t receive full justice at the end of the story, we are left unsatisfied. In creating empathy for Leocadia, Cervantes aims to create empathy for the women in the society in his time that were mistreated often without consequence.

La fuerza de la sangre is one of the novelas ejemplares of Cervantes. In these, he aims to teach morals to the readers. It is interesting that he uses rape as a way to teach a lesson to readers, as he tried to keep readers from evil thoughts, but he does it in a way that fights against injustices. Cervantes wrote in a way to bring suppressed truth to life. Instead of using a positive example to follow, he uses a negative example to avoid. Cervantes wrote about rich and poor, about Christians and non-Christians, about men and women. In La fuerza de la sangre, Cervantes writes as a feminist in defense of women, but also on behalf of the poor, as Leocadia's family represents. In doing this, he writes against the abuses of male privilege in Spain during this time. He explores what a woman’s role looked like in society, and why so much social conflict existed during this time, especially in regards to gender.

The story opens in a summer day with a hidalgo and his family. Cervantes describes them in a way that we really like the family. He foreshadows that something bad will happen to them, which causes us to worry for them, when he says that on this night there is a “calamity that will cause them to weep for a year.” We see the family as innocent, as they are in “innocent enjoyment” and do not want to see any calamity fall on them this day. In having us care so much about the family, we are very saddened when the calamity happens.

The calamity is that a young cavalier, Rodolfo, rapes Leocadia, the hidalgo’s daughter. Cervantes describes Rodolfo in a way that we do not like him. He is wealthy and does not think there is a consequence for his actions. His companions are described as parasites, as people who “did things that disgraced his rank.” They are described as wolves, and Leocadia and her family are described as sheep. Rodolfo and his companions stare rudely and insolently at the women, and mock the hidalgo. Rodolfo rapes Leocadia, as her family shouts and cries, leaving the family in “desolation and woe.” We see that the view that these men have of women is that they are objects, and that they also view this poor family as unworthy of respect. Cervantes realizes that the poor people during this time, especially women, were exploited by those in power. “Rodolfo arrives at his own house without any impediment,” demonstrating that there was often times no consequence or justice for these crimes. If the family were to appeal for justice, this would dishonor their daughter in that she is not longer a virgin. The daughter would lose her worth in society if the people knew she was no longer a virgin. She even asks Rodolfo to kill her, due to this dishonor. As Cervantes intended, we feel much empathy for this unfortunate woman and her family that are like sheep, and feel disgust towards evil Rodolfo and his companions that are like wolves.

We then see that Leocadia and her family appeal to God for justice. They are a Christian family, and trust in God’s provision. They understand that she has not offended God in thought, word, or deed, and they continue to love her and to comfort her. Even when they find out that Leocadia is pregnant, they pray to God for His help, knowing that he is in control, and we admire this devotion that the family has. It is a very important symbol then, that the crucifix is what brings Leocadia justice.

While the family is being righteous and trusting in God, Rodolfo is away in Italy. He does not feel remorse for what he has done. When his parents find out about what he has done, they have him come back, and they tell him that they have a wife for him. This is part of their plan to bring justice back to Leocadia, who was wronged. You expect his parents to punish him, but instead they play a trick on him in telling him he will have an ugly wife. We again see contrast in the characters of Rodolfo and Leocadia’s family. Leocadia’s family had looked at her heart and loved her, while Rodolfo tells his parents that he only cares about the outward appearance. He wants a wife that is beautiful, but he does not care about what his wife is like, aside from her body. When he sees her, he is happy, because outwardly she is beautiful, and he marries her. Cervantes wants us to see here that Rodolfo is not a man of character, but that he only cares about beauty, and also feels no remorse for his actions. Cervantes wanted to demonstrate that in the society of this time, men looks at women as objects, but not as people who deserved respect.

There is irony in that this is how Leocadia receives justice. The readers are supposed to be upset that she marries the man who raped her. We are supposed to feel empathy for her, and to realize that this really is still not the ideal situation for her. It is still as if this man has stolen her, and that she had no choice in whom to marry. We are supposed to realize that women do not have a fair life in society.Their worth and honor is found only in their sexuality, and the man is able to get whatever he wants without consequence. Leocadia is stripped of her honor, and also her identity. She does not have worth anymore, and also cannot identify as a mother, as she keeps it a secret from the people. Men however, had a much easier life. Rodolfo raped a woman, and then is still able to marry her without any real punishment or remorse. He does not care how she feels, but is happy to receive a beautiful woman as his wife, regardless of how he has wronged her. He is not so much being punished, but being rewarded with a beautiful wife. Clearly this is not real justice. In this story Cervantes brings to light the views that men had during this time, and the power that they had in society over the women, hopefully leading others to fight against this injustice, or at least to be aware that it existed.