My Name Is Emilia del Valle

Emilia del Valle constantly meets resistance from those who do not think that she should be working, as there were very few female professionals in any field in the late 19th century. Her experiences both at home and abroad demonstrate the trials faced by women, both in terms of access to work and acknowledgment for it. Throughout the novel, Emilia works against and overcomes societal expectations of women during this time as she travels into the most remote parts of Chile for her story. While she cannot overturn the gender norms of her time period, she consistently shows that women are capable of doing what was considered men’s work and even a unique and valuable perspective on the world in the process.

Allende uses the entire trajectory of Emilia’s career to illustrate the challenges a woman who wanted a career faced in the 19th century. From the start of her writing career, Emilia understands that she cannot publish under a woman’s name, knowing that she would be “ignored completely.” Although she is forced to give up recognition, writing as Brandon J. Price is a means to an end, deceiving publishers who might think it inappropriate for a woman to be writing dime novels. Using a pseudonym subverts the male-dominated system; no one needs to know who Brandon J. Price really is, as long as the novels are good. Allende highlights the injustice of the fact that Emilia can get published when writing as a man by contrasting it with Chamberlain’s initial fury at the idea of hiring a woman. Her skill does not seem to matter but her gender does.

Even after she gets the job, Emilia’s continued experience of roadblocks repeatedly illustrates the additional challenges she faces as a woman in her profession. Her job is more difficult than her male counterparts’ because she is neither taken seriously nor given the same access that they are. On more than one occasion, a male source comments that certain things would not be “appropriate for a pretty young lady” (76), as in the case of the sheriff refusing to bring her to wait for Chilean rebels at the port in San Francisco. Both the Chilean general and the American ambassador in Chile make similar comments, and their reluctance to help requires Emilia to make her own connections. Allende illustrates both the determination and creativity required for a woman to succeed as Emilia develops ways to work around these obstacles and accomplish her goals even when societal expectations work against her.

Allende also points out that, with so many obstacles and detractors in their way, women could often only rely on each other. Emilia often turns to other women, both for help and as sources of information, valuing their perspectives when so many others do not. She notes how important this has been for her work, saying, “I would not have been able to write my first column for the Examiner without the information provided by Josefa Palomar, and I learned through her that when it comes to uncovering what is hidden below the surface, it is best to turn to women in service” (116). These women’s stories and perspectives are often overlooked by journalists and others in society who do not notice the steady, seemingly invisible work of servants, maids, nurses, and canteen girls. Emilia uses her platform to bring their voices to the surface while highlighting the importance of their unique perspectives in understanding the full scope of the war.

Throughout the novel, Emilia’s commitment to her reporting and her own journey demonstrates her strength of character and her unwillingness to let societal expectations dictate the extent of her achievements. Embarking on this career and journey as a woman in the 19th century is a bold decision, but she works against any expectations about what is or is not appropriate for a woman to do. Eric recognizes this as part of who she is, respecting her agency when many other men do not: “Emilia is a wild and bright spirit. I will never be able to hold her, I can only hope to accompany her and that love will keep us always together” (287). In Emilia, Allende creates a character whose spirit and determination allow her to forge and career and life that pushes back against societal ideas of who and what she should be.