Ch 13, 14, and 15

While reading chapter 15, I got to the portrait section titled Ursula de Jesus, an Afro-Peruvian Slave and Christian Visionary.  Here we learn the story of Ursula de Jesus who was born a slave.  She was sold to a young woman who was from a wealthy family and was now living in a convent.  Ursula's owner dressed Ursula in such a way where she was covered from head to toe in finery (I didn't know people were so well dressed in convents).  Ursula said she was vain and one had a near death experience when she almost fell in to a deep well but asked for the intercession of Our Lady of Carmel, and regained her balance.  From there she stopped being vain and wanted to focus all of her self to Jesus.  It is also said that Ursula experienced visions from those stuck in purgatory especially priests and nuns.  Ursula then had her freedom bought by another nun and she stayed at the convent where she died.  Her diary about her visions were actually turned into a book.

The question in the book was to what extent did Ursula shape her own life and in what way was it shaped by larger historical forces.  I would say that Ursula shaped a large majority of her life, even as a slave.  She was sent to tend to the girl who went to live in the convent; which I would say was the large historical force.  From what I have read, rich, young women went to convents to retrieve an education.  There Ursula followed but Ursula choose to give up her fine clothes and choose to giver herself to Jesus.  She also choose to stay until her death after her freedom was bought for her.  I would say Ursula was able to shape her life more then the historical forces that she lived in at the time.