By contemporary standards, this would never be considered a feminist work. However, Moratín was commenting on the social institutions of his own day in Spain, compared to which his ideas are positively enlightened. Commonly, a girl's parents would either find a husband for her or make her become a nun. Females were taught to obey and always be silent, which is exactly what Francisca does. Moratín criticizes this through Diego, who becomes frustrated by the elliptical conversations he has to have with Francisca because she cannot say what she truly feels. Also, by having the happy ending be that Francisca gets to choose her husband, Moratín advocates free choice for women, which was a fairly radical viewpoint for his time.