Refusal as Intellectual Practice

Sor Juana ultimately refused to write poetry, stopped her intellectual work, and withdrew from public life—a refusal scholars debate as oppression, resignation, or resistance. The concept of refusal as intellectual practice recognizes that saying 'no' is itself a form of thought and action. In intersectional contexts, refusal becomes crucial: refusing assimilation, refusing emotional labor, refusing to explain oneself endlessly, refusing to produce on oppressive terms. Those navigating multiple marginalizations often discover that their greatest power lies not in performing for systems, but in withdrawing participation. Refusal can mean leaving projects, communities, or institutions. It can mean creating work on one's own terms even if fewer see it. It can mean silence as resistance to the demand for constant explanation. Sor Juana's late refusal, whatever its context, models that the intersectional life is not always about winning arguments within systems—sometimes it is about deciding those systems don't deserve your voice.