". When Maria is reprimanded for her actions, she stands up to the Captain, criticizing the way he raises his children. Through these actions, Maria seems to deviate from stereotypical feminine behavior by challenging the Captain's authority, however, upon closer examination, such is not the case. The children are traditionally the woman's responsibility and are a matter over which she is supposed to have control. In standing up to the Captain, Maria is merely exercising the domestic influence granted to her under the cultural ideal of female subservience. Even this control is limited, as the Captain can overrule Maria's decisions at any time. The Captain, who has ultimate power over his household, silences Maria's attempt at insurgence by ordering her to return to the abbey. The woman, Maria, does not have ultimate control of the children and lacks control over her own actions. Maria demonstrates pseudo-control over her own life when she decides to leave the abbey permanently. Though it seems she is making a great decision for herself and is demonstrating independence, she had only a very limited choice. Maria had to decide which of the accepted woman's roles she would take. The only two accepted lifestyles were that of a nun or a wife. Maria's choices were defined by men and therefore her control was in the hands of men, robbing her of true independence. All matters of true significance were controlled by men, defining the traditional stereotype. When assuming the role of the children's mother, Maria matches the criterion of a traditional woman very well. Like the stereotypical mother, she nurtures the children, comforting them during a thunderstorm and protecting them from their father's anger after they placed a pine cone on her dinner seat as a practical joke. Maria plays games with the children, teaches them to sing, and helps them learn to be comfortable in nearly any situation, as a traditional mother shoul...
