PIO BAB OJA, COSTUMBRISTA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NOVELIST

PIO BABOJA, COSTUMBRISTA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NOVELIST
by
Dorothy Sharp Vitmeyer
A Thesis
submitted to the faculty of the
Department of Spanish
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ABT5
in the Graduate College
University of Arizona
195*
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This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of
requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona
and is deposited in the Library to be made available to borrowers
under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis
are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate
acknowledgment of source is made.
Bequests for permission for
extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in
whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major depart­
ment or the dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment
the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar­
ship.
In all other instances, however, permission must be
obtained from the author.
SIGNED:
:W
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fhe'writer .wishes to express appreeiation
for the help a M guidance of
Bri Selea S. Hieholson
in the preparation °f this thesis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
INTROWCTION
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C»PTEB:: i r BIOGRAPHI ■.
OSABTIB II - BAROJA8S^ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL CONDITIONS
A. NATIONAL CHABACTEE
B. EELIOION
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C„ EDUCATION
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militarism
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POLITICS
F * ECONOMIC CONDITIOIS
CHAPTER III - BABOJA AND HIS CHARACTERS
CHAPTER IV
FOOTNOTES
CONCLUSION
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STASSME1T OF P13BPQSE
The pmrpoae of this thesis is to show that the coatemporary
Spanish novelist, Pfo Baroja, is primarily a costixmhrista writer
anS also that he possesses a keen, psychological understanding of
his fellow Spaniardso
The term costumbriBfa is defined in the Arturo Cuyas diction­
ary as a "genre writer, one who portrays everyday life and prevail­
ing customs„"
The material gathered for this thesis was taken principally
from Baroja’s novels from 1900 to the advent of the Second
Bepublic (1931 )5, with- interpretations and comments made hy the
author himself in later autoMographical works« Articles and
hooks on the novelist written hy contemporary critics are like­
wise included.
lifBODUCTIOH
The year 1868 is considered the "beginning of the twentieth century
for Spain.
It marked the end of a century of political turmoil and
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misrule "beginning with the War of Liberation against Eapoleon from l809
to 1814.
During these years lapoleoh’s "brother, Joseph Bonaparte,
occupied the Spanish throne.
In l8l4 Fernando ¥11, "one of the worst
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kings Spain ever had,” was restored to the throne.
The ultra-liberal
constitution of 1812, abolishing feudalism and the Inquisition, was set
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aside and liberal patriots were persecuted.
The revolution in 1820 under the leadership of Biego succeeded in
restoring the constitution, which was overthrown again three years
later when the French Bourbons sent am army into Spain to help Fernando.
Ten years of absolutism followed, and the country’s foremost intel­
lectuals were exiled.
In 1833 Fernando died" and was succeeded by M s
daughter, Isabel II.
The first Garlist War, occasioned by disputed
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succession to the throne, occurred between the years 1834-39=
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Isabel was deposed in 1868 as a result ©f her incompetency and her
scandalous private life.
Her deposition was followed Tby six grim years-
of division and anarchy.
Seeking an unemployed king for her dust-
gathering throne, Spain, in desperation, turned to a twenty-six-yearold Italian, Am&deo of.Savoy. &is unfortunate,; well-meaning foreigner
was buffeted about during M s two-year rule,.until in February of 1873
he quietly abdicated.
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That same dayj, the Congress and Senate met together, contraiy to the
ruling, of the.constitution, and proclaimed the First Republic.^ This
idealistic yotmg Eepuhlic .was short-lived, however', for in 187k the .
Bouriaons were restored to the throne with Alfonso XII, son of Isabel.
Another Carlist .War broke out in 1872, lasting until 1876, and all
during this period there were numerous minor military revolutions.
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After Alfonso XII took over the throne, Spain enjoyed a brief respite
from internal strife, although conditions were by no means improved
under the Monarchy.
Alfonso XXI died in Hovember of 188$, and a few months after his
death a eon was born'to the queen.
Although Alfonso XIII was officially .
regarded as king from the day of his- birth, •the government was under the
regency of Maria Cristina, M s mother, until 1902.^
•Them came Spain’s defeat by the United States in 1898 and the
resulting loss of all that remained of her colonial empire.
Although
seemingly a disaster, it actually freed her from a troublesome burden
and gave 'her a chance to regulate her own affairs within.
The tradi­
tional antagonisms, regional, political,.and religious,.still existed.
The loss of colonial markets through her defeat, greatly dislocating,
the manufacturing interests, increased the old.separatist tendencies and
provoked syndicalist-aaareMet outbreaks in Barcelona, and other cities
of Catalonia.
After Alfonso XIII came of age in 1902, the government attempted
certain reforms, among them the establishment .of civil marriage, univer- ■
sal suffrage, a 'certain amount of freedom of the press and the regulation '
Since l8%4 there had been a growing indifference on the part of the
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people to governmemt affaire, until the disasters in Morocco aroused
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antagonism against the political and military leaders responsible,®
Spain still held s©me land, on the coast of Morocco, and upon the dieeovery of iron and lead :there, measures were taken to develop the mines„
However, the native tribes rebelled against the Spanish workmen, and '
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armies were sent to quell the riots„ fhis developed into a "war which
cost dearly in lives and money, and greatly undermined the Ifeura govern­
ment e At the same time, a fierce revolt "broke out in Barcelona, the.
center of the anti-clerical propaganda, as a result ©f the departure of
more troops for Morocco which meant almost certain death.
Monasteries
and churches were sacked, and the city was cut off from the■outside for
several dayso Ferrer, the ringleader of the revolutionaries, was exe­
cuted,^
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From 1918 to 1923, Spain lived in a frenzied state of social violence
with the creation and dissolution of twelve governments and three Par11a. 10
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These events, together with the Catalan agitation and also the
success of Mussolini in -Italy,, paved the way for the military dictator­
ship of General Miguel Prime de Bivera in 1925, with absolute powers
granted by the king.
He held office until 1930, when he was forced to
resign as a. result of his well-intentioned hut erroneous "belief that he
could improve .conditions in Spain through decree and repression.
Al­
though he was. responsible for the erection of schools, the expansion of
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hostility toward M s regime were caused by lack of eonstitntionj, lack of
eensideratioa for CataleMa, strict eemsorship aad stern measures.agaiast
revolt, together with a financial and economic depression accompanied by ;
increased taxation.
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Although the king tried to regain the confidence of the people, the
Monarchy was ia it® last stages, and la 1931 King Alfonso XIII left Spain
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and the Second Bepublic was. lorn - this time without bloodshed« " She
new Bepuhlie under Alcala Zamora found itself forced to cope, with a Spain
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.morally and politically in dissolution.
She nation had been falling apart .
because of the laismanagement'of the Monarchy ," Its restoration in iSjh had
perpetuated the agrarian question, which, in turn, led to caciquism and
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political corruption.
In order to set the nation on- the path to regem- .
eratios and moral equilibrium, it was necessary to begin with the most
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serious problem of a U = the agrarian problem.
According to A, Ramos
Oliveira in his Polities, Economics and Men of Modern Spain, all Spain’s
problems could be resolved into one - the agrarian problem.
to say thatt
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He goes on
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to the old mobility and other great landowners, and,
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on the other, is divided and sub-divided into
. : myriads of beggar-proprietors, there can be no
citizens in Spain, nor cam the nation be organized
within a system of liberty, nor is it possible to
build a State of any shape or form, still less to
found a democracy.
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He traces all the concomitant ills back to this basic problems
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. . « the fountainhead of ;all the others. The pfoblea of the A m y and the clerical problem, originated
in the weakness of civil society, m d tM.s, in turn,
sprang from abysmal social inequality. Separatism,
on the other hand, was the natural enough desire of
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certain parties in the socially healthy,
■balanced and industrial regions, to "break
with a nation which was socially unsound, un­
balanced, and oppressed by an agrarian oli­
garchy.!?
From 1874, when the Monarchy took over the leadership of the govern­
ment, until its overthrow in 2931 # not a single law had been passed to
cheek the power of the great landowners.
Ho restraint had been placed
on their freedom to fix wages,, and no measures were taken t© compel them
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to treat the braceros who worked for them like human beings. . However,
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with the advent of the Second Bepublie, an attempt was made to remedy
this situation by the redistribution of land, the breaking up of great
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country estates, and by parcelling out land in small lots to peasant
farmers.^
Hp to this time, both church and state schools were to some extent
under the supervision of the Church, .and more than half .of the population
was illiterate. But under the new Constitution, an extremely democratic
one, all education, became secular^.primary education was free and compul- .
sory 5 the right to vote was given to those over the age of twenty-three
regardless of sex| divorce laws were established!,and' complete religious
freedom was granted.
The Bepublic also initiated military reforms,
provided that labor should- be protected by law, and undertook the care :
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of underprivileged children.
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An attempt has.been made to outline briefly the troubled years -'of . ■?
the 'nineteenth and twentieth Centuries up to 1931 in order to provide a
background for the laroja novels.under .discussion.
Bar©ja, in his.
"Divagdciones de aufocritlca,11 a lecture given, at the Sorbonne In 2924,
speaks of himself in relation' to thiS' period:' ,
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To soy uao &e tantos espanoles que^ nacidos en el
fu.timo tercio del siglo XIX^ han Yivido en un
momento malo, confuso y de traBSiel6n| ea ana
epoca ea que las pragmatieas de nuestros abuelos
se aeabaton de descomponer^y en la que, almiszao
ttempo, el intento de ordemr y moderaizar Espraa
fracasaba ea la'Eeetauraeidn Borbonica^ ©stableeido enl874# en el reinado de Alfonso XII, y
eontinuando deepues por la Begencia. El fraease
de la Bestaaracldn culmino ea 1898^ epoca en que
fiBallzaron mestras guerras coloniales ea Ameriea. p(.,
y en Oceania con la lucha centra los Estadoe UniSoe,
,The events which took place during 'these years gave rise to a group
of yomig literary"intelleetuale-ealled the "Generation of 898" who attempted
to analyse their country's complex social scene and its problems, and who
were largely responsible for bringing about the establishment of the
Second Bepublic.
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Although not.a formal, cohesive group of reformers,
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they were all animated by the same spirit of self-analysis and revoltv
George 1 „ Horthup writes that the "generation of '$8" initiates a national
Benaissance.
Although each individual represents a different phase of
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movement, they are motivated by a desire to better the national life,
Aubrey F, G= Bell, in his Contemporary Spanish Literature, says:
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They were resolved to do away with anything that
savoured of hollow pretence and to make war on all
surface values1 to face and express facts, to get
down to the bedrock of reality, to sme unassail­
able ultimate framework on which to build solidly
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Baroja deserves first place in this group by rights of seniority and
because of the great fame he has won as a novelist *
Although he has
repeatedly disclaimed, any affiliation with-the writers of this group,
"To no creo que haya habido ni que haya una generaeim de '98 , Si la hay,
yo no pertenezco a ella, "
it is obvious that he shares similar views with
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Till
Azorin and Unamuno, contemporary writers»
William Drake observes that;
All of M s qualities belong to that generation
his rebel style ^ his uncompremiising honesty^
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complete freedom from traditional impositions.,
'■'• his pessimism and his distinct mationalism«,^° ''
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Generally.speaking^ Baroja’s Tiewpolnt is antitraditioml, anti-
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clerical and lacking in a well-defined;-political program, but his
picture of the modern landscape of Spain contributes knowledge essential
to an understanding of the problems and conditions existing in the early
part of. this century.^
Probably no Spaniard of these times has had a
more profound sense of the evils df.existing institutions and a more
violent antipathy for the Bourbon king, the Catholic priests and the Army
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than Baroja.
Claude E. Anibal states;
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He has successfully made', it his -business, to
understand and appreciate M s native land, to.
expose the anachronistic vanities; fallacies,
and corruptions from which she has been suffering, to indicate the ina&eqmey of such, politico:social remedies as have been proposed, and con­
structively to identify himself as a protagonist
of a renascent Spain of physical and spiritual - respectability
CHMTO I
BIOGRAPHY
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She life of onr atvfclx>r must be coMilered in order to appreciate
fully M s ability to portray conditions existing in Spain and also to
promote 'an. understanding of M s own personality as seen through the
characters of M s novels.
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Pifo Baroja y H'essi was horn in San Sehasti^-, in the heart of the .v
Basque country, on December 28, 1872«
His mother's family had come
from Lombardy during the Austrian occupation, and Baroja speaks of himy
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self as being seven-eighths Basque and one-eighth Lombard.
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He was the son of a well-to-do mining engineer, and as a child
lived in many different parts of Spain.
Some of his childhood experi­
ences %-rhile living in Pamplona are recorded.in two of his novels, la
sensualidad pervertlda and Silvestre Paradox, in which he describes the
.schools he attended and his teachers.
Upon finishing his course at Pamplona, he was faced with the problem
of choosing a career," although he was: not attracted to s-ny particular ;
profession. Except for a desire to see the world and to be popular with
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the ladies, he had no ambition,
He lived by the maxim, "Coge la flor
del dia sin pensar demasiado en la de manana."
of indecision in La sensualidad pervertlda.
He refers to this period
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Finally, he was forced to make a decision between pharmacy and medi­
cine and, upon the.persuasion of a schoolmate, chose to -be a doctor. .
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Medical school proved.to he a disappoimtimg experience for Baroja,
as will he show later.on ia discnsaing El arbol de la eleneia. The
teachers were uninspiring^ the classes horing* and the students rude_«,
Hever an exceptional student, he hecame convinced very early in life
that he would never amount to anything, Therefore, no one was surprised
when he failed his examinations/ Lacking enthusiasm to hegin with, he
was tempted to ahandoa all thoughts
of a medical career^, hut,as he had
no other vocation to'turn to, he resolved" to see it through. .
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After heing'qualified as a doctor, he applied for the post of munici­
pal doctor in Cestona, a small Basque village,-, and, as there were no other
applicants, was given the position.
In Cestona. he was- able; to realize.
one of M s heyish ambitions - to own. a house of his own, and to have a
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-•dog, like B oM bs on Crusoe.
During the two years he spent there he had
time for contemplation and observation, as he had to spend many hours
walking through the countryside to visit the sick.
It was On these soli- .
tary journeys that he began:to formulate ideas about his country and its
people which were to appear later in several of his novels„^ la casa de
Aiagorri was written after he had stumbled upon a distillery while wanderTO
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He did not have many patients,
however, and occupied hisspare time
with baking the holy:- wafers and. doing other jobs for his landlady, who was
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sacristan of the parish.
As he had no heart for the career of a country doctor, he .relinquished
his profession, joining M s brother, Ricardo, in Madrid, where they oper­
ated a Tiemese bakery in partnership with an uncle.
After the "latter8s
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sudden death, they lost most of their customers, and it was only by specu­
lating on the stock market that they were able to pay their bills and
have enough money left over* for a modest
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Life at the bakery gave Baroja many experiences by which he was later
able to profito
The six years that he lived among the poorer classes led
him to explore the haunts of Madrid’s unfortunates» This gave him the
background for his trilogy. La lueha por la vlda. Meanwhile, he contrib­
uted frequently to'various periodicals „
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; Baroja sums; up. this period- of. his -life;
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Primero fui siedico de aldea» La vida era difxcil V: '..
en el campo> Se ganaba demaeiade poco; adesias, yo
no tenfa bastamte energia fjfsiea para andar con..'■■■•.
stantemente por los caminos, d© hdehe y de dia,
resistiendo lluvias y nieves» Estwe muchas veees
remaaticoo Luego, por un azar de la suerte, fui'" a
Madrid; me hies panadero; despu^s, ensay^ el ser
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negociante. y periodista; y por ultimo, ya resigned©, ;.
coraprendiendG que por ©1 esfuerz.e propio no ee .. . . - ;
:llegaba a ninguna parte, comence’a ser novellata para
' : emplear mi actividad en algo, amique sin esperanza
de exit© ni de eficacia. Ganando poco, reduciendo
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la vida al afnimo, sin intentar mada active ni tener
relaciones en la vida social, he ido marehando m l
que bien.^3
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His first novel, La casa de Alzgorri, was published In 1900 and was
-followed in 1901 and 1902, respectively, by Sllvestre Paradox and Camino de
perfeccion. It was not, however, until 1903; when El mayorazgo de Labraz
was published, that sufficient note was taken of the young author to en­
courage him to dedicate himself to the arduous profession of literature„
Baroja has never married, and when, asked the reason for this, he
; replied that in the first place he- never had enough money and, secondly, he
had not yet found a woman, with whom he would like to talk exclusively.^
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being asked what our author ia like today,■M s friends say .that
he possesses a great sense of humor, is rather bald, and that every evening•in winter ^he can be seen walking aloag the Calle. de Alcala in a eaiael8s
hair .overcoat I^
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At the present time of. writings 'he has produced eighty novels which
have eariched aot only Spanish literature, hut also world literature„ la a
recent, interview he was asked if he wae expecting to reeeive the lohel Priseof Literature o -With M e customary skepticism he replied,, "Ho, I have lost
all hope of a,nything, and als-o of that much-coveted prize . I .am poor and X :
shall always remain sot"
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CHAPTER II
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. BAROJAjS AMALISIS OP SOCIAL COHBITIOIS
Pio Baroja is regarded, fey many as the only great Spanish novelist
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of the twentieth century „
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Certainly he is to fee comidered a stimulating.
influence, not only on Spain’s literature^ feut also on her thought and in'
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directly on her polities.
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. .Baroja’s afeility to analyse and criticise social conditions is-
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attested fey the critics in their statements that he has the qualities
necessary for a costum'brista 'and a psychological novelist» The critics ’
general statements regarding'Ms possession of these qualities are many
and variedo
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Since &iroja is a Basque, he consequently has written numerous
novels deserifeing the life and land of that part of Spain.
However, Jos^
Balseiro ofeserves that he is not merely a regional novelists
Hoes, sin embargo, un novelista regional. Su
vision es amplia. Is millonario de paisajes y .
climas paneuropeos. la miopia no es su idea
literaria.^
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Angel del Rib states that Baroja,.like Galdbs, reflects the moral
physiognomy of the Spain of his day. 'He goes on to say that:
Su arte, mas que el de ningun otrq.escriior de su
generaciiA, se feasa en el presents y ea la vida.
Claude 1 „ Anifeal writes;
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His rare inteiligence, perspicacity and intuitive .
-I . sense of values comfeine with a certain coeaiopolitanism and an intimate acquaintance with many parts
of Spain, to give him an unusually sound estimate of
his country, and a quite extraordinary perspective
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He expresses M s opiaicm further:
Essentially aad 'Driiaarily a costuabrista. M s
■.*unflagging interest in the ways of his people,
M s penetrating observation, M s sharp sense
of values, M s mastery of impressionistic des­
cription, and his unsurpassed gift for catch­
ing the soul of a time or place make him a
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„ first rate historian, not only of events in
,Spain* past and present, hut also of her
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idealogy, and her manners
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He even goes so far as to state that Haroja’s election to the Academia
Espamla in 193^ was due largely to his qualities as a costumbrista
rather than as a highly developed n
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Salaverria, who isnot particularly complimentary in touch of M s
criticism of Bardga, nevertheless concurs x?ith the other critics cited
here with regard to these two points:
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Bara vez esta ausente de bus ohras la idea de
Espamj en todos sus lihros apuata la obsesiom' ante cuestion, y casi siempre alguno de sus
personajes, junto con la interrogacidh angus- tiosa, sohre la tragedia de la vida, hace la
otra interrogUcidkjo M memos angustiosa, sohre
el drama de Espama..
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He has: this to say ahout Baroja’s penetrating insight into life:
Temperamento exuherante ricoen fantasia,
creador de personas de novelas, perspieaz
agudfsimo ingenio, que sahe descuhrir los
erahles y para otros in@xist@mtes;matices
vidaj 4gil y penetrante psicologo<,9
fertil
y
innumde la
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Hearly all of Barbja es works deal x^ith the social prohlem of Spain,
and John f. Beid observes that;
Baroja’s works are analytical studies of Spain
and those in which the scene is laid outside of
Spain, are nevertheless, directly related to
prohlems of the Spaniards„
Baroja’s genuine patriotism has at times been mis interpreted, for he
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does m t hesitate tq look askance at. or attack traditional conventions,
values and social institutions,,11 Hoi* does he go overboard the other
way and become oblivious to M s country*s plight, refusing,, as he ac­
cuses many- .of his fellow, countryinen.of doing, -to. face reality.
He con­
siders that most of what passes for patriotism in Spain is only theatri­
cal and shallow.
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John T. Reid writest
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M s patriotism is not in claiming everything Spanish
to be good or everything outside of Spain desirable.'
but consists of looking at reality clearly, recognis- -'
ing defects and attempting to remedy them.i^
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Cesar Barja speaks of Bareja as being extremely nationalistic and
patriotic, deeply preoccupied by the state of affairs both past and
present.‘.•■|fe.goes on to say; ,
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Costumbres en el trato social y en la manera d@ pehSar y de vivir, dostwbrS's; eeondmieas, o anti-eeone" ■
«3icas, religiosas, etc. - .sobre este absurdo de las :
costumbres espanoles. se basa la critica dura que de Espana y
y los espanoles hace constantemente Baro ja„. Critica
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de su instintiva crueldad, de sus supersticiOnes y
,violencias religio sas, de su.falta de sociabilidad y
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de coopefacidn, de sus anticuado s sentimiento s de
honor caballeresco frente a la mujer, ser a quien
Bal’dja defiende con piedad de sus eaxdas, etc.13
Baro ja defines his patrio tic sentiments in his autobio graphical work,
Juventud, egolatria;
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To parezcopo co. patrio ta| sin embargo, lo-soy. Tengo
. la preocupacidn de desear el mayor bien para mi
pais,pero no el patriot!smo de mentir. To quisiera
que Espana fuera el mejor rincdn de Espana , , „ ■
He goes on to say: y
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EL clima de la.Turena y de la Toscana, los lagos de
Suiza, el Rhin con sus Castillos, todo lo mejor
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de EuropeXo Xlevarfa por at voluntad entre
los Pirimos y el Estrecho, A1 mismo tiempo
. desmciomlizaria a SMkeapeare y a Dickens^
a Tolatol y a Dostoievsky^ para hacerXos
espaBoXesj desearia que rigieraa en nuestra.
tierra Xas mejores Xeyes y Xas mejores costumbree« $fas aX.Xa.do del patriotiSmo de
desear, eetaf la realidad. ^,Que/ se puede hacer
con ocultarlo? To creo que nada , , La verdad nacionaX calentada por el deseo de M e n y
por la simpatfa, creo yo que debe ser el patrio-.
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-'
This emphasis of reaXism over beauty is exemplified, in M s novels^
according to Domenec Guanse, yrho says ;
Si nos han mostrado, a veees, una Espana hueca
y dislocada, grotesca, a la gqyesea, nebs han
hecho sentir tambien su realidad mas profunda,3-5
M, Eomera =Navarro writes that his novels are mirrors -of reality.
He
goes on to say;
Ba.roja vale por sus grandes faeultades de
pbservador. y por la intensidad y poder de
su vis 1(6
- /
-
Cesar Barja adds that;
' \
'
-
El problema de la Vida espahola Xe preocupa
hondamente. Una sola frase de una de sus
novela®, y, por cierto, de Xas de mas intense
realidad nacionaX, 11 arbol de la ciencia,
puede seryirnos para resumir la impresi<6 que
a Baroja causa la vida espanol. "las costumbres de AXcolea eran espaEoles puras, es
decir, de un abburdo eompleto.11^
Aubrey F. G. Bell says;
With M s keen vision and skill in psychology,
Baroja watches the figures pass. They are
seen with utmost distinctiveness for a moment . , .
Many of his characters: are egoistic, cynical,
unmoral, repulsive and presented without paint,
. . . His thought as in hie psychological amaXysis of persons and peoples is penetrating and
.original.
-
Caas inos -As sens agrees vith this viewpeiat:
-
Baroja es ua psicologo, nn.oiaservador ateato,
qae toHia s w notas de la realidad, Los peraoaajes d© sue nevelas son reales y vivientee«
.
-; '
. •
;
He considers this "attractive conciliation of the psychologieal novel of- ' '
immmers aad the rapid, energetic, but artistieally cheaper folletia as
Barova’s greatest aehiereaent,
■
'
William A, Brake, speaking of Baroja’s individualistie inelinfa tiona,
:expresses his opimioBS thus;
- '
;
'
,
’
He simply does not fit into the scheme of
'
■.1
organized society. In a Cutholic society, he
""
is a freethinker who, without th® least rancor,'
.
;
" '.
refuses to accept the supernatural and holds •
-• ■
Up to scorn the hypocrisy and. rapacity of the
.
clergy „ „ . In a military oligarciQr, he is an .
unabashed reporter of the depravity of the of;
. ;
'fleial class, the corruption of the;bourgeoisie '
' .
- and hopeless- misery ,of those- fidas sombrias, ■., - '
.the derelicts of the slums , . , Baroja writes
„„
:
: ‘honestly and Sincerely- with intellectual honesty ,
.Baroja has this to say about himself;
;
.. '
To no soy un eruditoj: no me interesan las
.
.cuestidnes filol<^ieas y gramaticales, ni las
eonozco siquiera„ , , Me interesa mi vida, la
vida de la gente que me rodea y el arte como
' reflejo de la Tida',21
' - '
,
;
■
•
■ -
Having show that larojaes ability to describe and analyze conditions
:that need -changing has been attested by the critics, we -shall examine from
the works of. the author himself typical .passages furnishing sufficient.
material to justify the basis 'for this, thesis,
' .
,i
. The first diTision Of this chapter depicts the national character as :
sees it,
'
. .- :
:^. ::
.'
;
■■ '•;
■i
In his novels ©ur'.author, focuses his attention on the apathy and : ;•
10
in4lfferea.ee of the Spanish people as a whole.
This lack of social con-
.
sciousness he "believes to he one of the major causes of Spain's decadence.
Until the country rouses from its lethargy and refuses to accept passively
and tolerate the ills that "beset itj it will continue to he a "backward
nation.
•.
One aspect of the national character is the Spaniard's lack of cur­
iosity.
Zot earing to "broaden M s knowledge nor concern himselfwith what
goes on outside, he goes through life smugly satisfied with hisownlittle
world.
Bar©ja draws an analogy between the average Spaniard and a nervous
traveler-waiting at a railroad station.
He goes and comes and spends the
time asking idle question®y impatiently waiting for the train to leave.
Behind the station are a village and an interesting old castle, but the '
■Spaniard does not know nor care. .All the other travelers have .explored the ;
town and have returned to the inn in time for. lunch.
At the last minute he:;
decides to visit the town, and as a result almost misses his train.
Agf me represento al espanol andando por la wida,
sin plan, sin tino, y sobre todo, sin fuerza para
ver la realidad. In el comercio, en la Industrie,
en la polftica, en la literature o en la cieacia,
el espanol apemas ve.. . . Y es que el espanol no
se enters.
Baroja criticises the Spaniard of today for his unwillingness to
face reality.
He calls this failure to see things as they really are a
defense mechanism. When life seem® cruel and unbearable, it acts as a
veil, covering the unpleasantness. But when the outlook becomes more hope-;
ful, men. see more clearly, and with this clearer vision become pessimists.
Los que estan tranquilos, loe que lo eonsideran
toiq con un buen aspecto, es que no se enteran.
■: Y esa es la mayoria de los espanoles
-
The Spaniards have carried this veil of illusion to the extreme«
It induced them to believe that they 'would defeat the United States in
1898 . They displayed their patriotic fervor in street celebrations
influenced by the completely false accounts and calculations of the news■
'
■ ■ ■
:
: ■
.
papers„ An example of this is shown in II arbol de la clencia.
:
. . . los yanq.uis? que eran todos vendedores de
tocino, al ver a los primerps'soldados espanoles,
dejarian las armas y echarfan a eorrer. Los
pericS&icos no decfan mds que aecedades y bravuconadasj7.los yanquis/ho estabah pfeparado® para .
la guerraj no tenfan ni uniforiieq para sue soldados, En el.pafs de las maquinas de eoser el
hacer tmos cuaatos uBifbrmes. era un'conflicto
enorme; segun se decia en Madrid.
After Spain’® over^ihelming defeat, the Spaniards calmly returned to their
everyday life, and continued going to the theater and the bullfights, as
if nothing had happened.
it had been born.
Their patriotic enthusiasm died as quickly as
23
Baroja attacks the Spaniard’s predelietion for the well-turned
phrase, regardless of its veracity.
He say®:
Ho es raro que haya side abomimdor de la ora■ toria y de la retdrica en un pueblo como el
esphnol, aobresaturado de retdrica y oratoria,
que no.le peraiten ver la realidad. Tcmar la©
frasee retoricae como heehos eonsujsados es
condicion muy meridional.
He continues in this vein:
Hay espamol a quien no molesta que le digan en
el extranjero que su patria ha'sido cruel e
inhumane; que no le sorprende que afiraen que
no produce eultura eieat£fiea y fllosd^lca, y
que se satisface al leer en un discurso diplpmatico que Hainan a Sspana la noble naeion.^
In those days Madrid was one of the few European cities which still
clung to the romantic spirit of the past.
Other cities in Spain had
12
recognised a need to change,"but Madrid continued as she had "been, lack. lag the desire and will to follow their example.
She-Mired, in a false
atmosphere of optimism, showing no interest in what was not Spanish and
tenaciously clinging to the belief that everything Spanish was superior.
' % i s complacency eoatrihuted to her stagnation.
' ■■
Baroja comments oa the spiritual disintegration of Madrid and of
Spain as a whole through the character of Br. Iturrioz in la dama errante:
.
Aquf' no hay ma"a qua trea eosas:' un patriotismo
de Madrid, ‘bufocratieo y falsoj un regionalismo,que es. m eursileriaj un provinelaliemo infeeto,
;
...
y .luego la harharie natural de la rata, Esto es
lo espanol. T no lo ccmprenden. Estamos aqudf '
. - eapeque’^sidos, aminorados, queriendo vivir con
. :
’ ' las leyes, cuando aquf dehemos vivir contra las
leyes. Este eapiritu legalista ha producido en
'Espana una subversion 'complete de las energies„
/
/
Asdf, que en tcdos las prdenes de la vida triunfa
lo mediocre, y lo mediocre se apoya en lo que es
, .
m s mediocre todavia. $oda raestra eivilizaeidn
.
actual ha servido para redueir al espahol, que
antes era vallente y atrevido, y convertlrlo en
. un pofere■diahlo. Y luego no es solo la mezquin•jffil&dde la vida, sino que es tambien su irrealidad, la vida espanbla no tiene euerpo, no es
nada.' Los instintos ■regetativos y una serie de
V ;
impresiones en la retina; Osa es toda nuestra
existenciai nada mas. •Samoa mejores para figuras
em las yitrimas de un museo arqueoldgico que para
luchari vivimos hechos. unoe animles.domestieos:, :
no fuertes y M e n eehados, sin© can!Jos y tristes,
■com el aire dehll y languldo que tiemen lo®
animales cuando se los eacierra. Porque hay que
' V
ver hasta donde homos ilegado de pequenez, de
mesqulit dad, de eureilerfa. Antes creiamos que
los cursis son los pohres, yono, en Espmia los
cursis son los potentados, los aristdcratas, log
■' duques, los escritores,- los politicos,■lo cursi
e@; el eongreso, las. redaeeiones de los perldEieos,
. los saloncillos de los teatros, el Atemeo, los
•
lunee del espaSbl . V las easas de huespedes mo
son mds que pohres y los que viviiaos en ellas unos
miserahles desdiehados. Desde los miembroe de la
.
■
'’:
13
.familia real, que por los virtuosos y econdaicos
mas parecen formar parte de una hoarada familia
de estanqueros, hasta el ‘
ultimo empleadillG
' madrileSOj, todos los espanbles tenemoe las trazas
de wos conejillds maasos,,^® :
;'
'
fhis inertia, leading to Spain’s degeneration and decay,is traced
to a lack of ■will, Spain toe never toen known as the country of the will.
Her atmosphere of indolent fatalism has long been recognized. It is the
exceptional Spaniard, like Baroja, who deplores the absence in
Spainof
all middle ground between long periods of inertia and momentary exaltation.
Angel Gamivet, a political and social critic of the latter part of the
. nineteenth dentury, explains this, abulia, or lack of willfrom which
Spain is suffering; ..
■
-
■.
Los efntomas infelectuales de la abulia son muchos;
la atencion se debilita tanto mas euanto mail nuevo
o extra#) es el objefo sobre el eual hay que fi jar■.
.la; el entendlmiento parece ccaao que se petrifica
■y se incapacita para la asimilacion de ideas mevas;
s^lo e s W agll para resucitar el recuerdo de los
hechos pasadosj per© si llega a adquirir una idea
., : nueva> falto-de, dontrapeso de- otras,'eae'de la
atonfa en la exaltacioS, en la "idea fi^a" que le ..
. arrastra a la- “impulsion violento
" 27 •
. . •
, . , In tanto que ei pensamiento de una nacion
.no est^ claramente definido, la aceion tiene que
ser debil, indecisa, transitoris. 11 sentido •
eintdtieo es en la s o c i e d a d ., . la capaeidad
■ para obrar consicientemente,,, para; conocer M e n sus
-propios d e s t i n o s . ;
. ;
When this Synthetic sense is lacking, what feeble action there is eam.es
frcm tradition or outside stimulus, both unable to result in energetic
volition.
Baroja speaks of the absence of will in Los yisionarioss •
■
El espanol- es a veces exaltado, Como Bon- Quirjote,;
y raadrugador y cueo, eomo Sancho Panza. Tiene
:
- ■' :. :
:
;
'
.
-/: \
:
;
' tambi©H aSairaeim per la.farsa y por la'audacia
facil js hoy por hoy^ pared© que ha, perdido su
aatigBa eB@rg£a.30 . .
.
: ■ #
•
Dr. IttirrioZj, a elara^eter who;appears in all three nowels of the
trilogyj, I»a raza, expresses this lack.of will im la d ^ a errante.
Eapsaa es 'hey.el. pals ideal para los decrepitos,
. o » para-los fraeaeados.^ para .tMos los q.ue no.
tienen nada que h&eer ealafida, porque. lo han
heeho ya# o porque su maico plan es ir. vege- ’- tanSo: .1 :.31 ;
-
\
;
■
Baroja brings la again and again the degeneration of Spain,
Be
expresses it again through Dr. Iturrioz^ M s mouthpiece^ in M ciudad
4e la niehla .
'
_
- Aquel es un pueblo hundld© en n m mieerla -tragiea
y dirigifl,© por tma Wrguesia imbeeil y al mismo
■
tiempo rapaz. iQ.ue' pais I \Qtae Bmbroslda iBas .com- ;
pleta &e. r-gloresj'' To empiezo a sospeehar si la
: unicafuerza le Espa&a. eatara en los presidios,32
In his autobiographical work, &
ohserves
intuieiori y el
estilo, Baroja;/
that a society that is trying to regain its equilibrimnmust.
exercise all its forces in-order.t© conquer its inertia, presenting with
clarity the nature of its problems, "slempre-tificiles de resolver j
algtmos quiza irresolables,”33
•
In the noyel, Caaizio de perfeccioB., Ossorio. the protagonist.
.notices, the spiritless attitude of the inhahitaiats of a Tillage near
Madrid.
-
;
'
.h"'
-
-
-
' . . .
Fernando @e encajnino hacia el pueblo, cruzo un
h puente, y .tGsaa.ndo una senda, fu© testa pasar ’
. .
eerea -de -mia. iglesia'gotiea. con una portada.
‘
■ ■decaderrfce. Llego a la plaza| se. sent© en
un - - -': ■'
eafez0. A em lad©, ; en otra mesa, hahia tina
terV .
tulia eehando el euerpo hacia adelamte, apoyados ea los hastones 5 semr itlllos Se pueblos
que cantahan eaaeioaes:. de zarzuela ;®adrilem.,!- :
15
con los ojos vacfoe^ sin expresion ni peneamiento;
esras Moscas por costumiDre, gente de mirada 8iniestray hablar dulce 0 En aquellos tipos se eomprendfa la anorme decadeacia de una raza qae' no
guardaM de su antigaa energfa mas que gestos y
ademnes^ el easearoS de la gallardia y de la
■ak
fuerza, Se -respiraba allf' xm pesado aburrisiiento»
.
—
A character in El arbol de la ciencia discusses the indifference of
the Spanish people? .who are only concerned with polities and bullfights.
He says:
■;
« o o lo que me indigm es la .ausploacia, la mala
inteneion, la petulancia de esta gente „ . , Aquf
no hay mas que ehulos y senbritos juergistas„ El
chulo domina desde los Pirineos hasta Cadiz5 » . . ■poi^bicos, militares^ profeeores, carae., tedos son
ehulos con un yo hipertrofiad© «' « „ Cuando estoy
fuera de Espala, qulerp eonveneerme de que nuestro
pais, no esta"zauerto para la civlllzacloa; que aquf'
• se diseurre y se piensa, per© cojo un periodic©
espanol y me da asce; no hahla w&s que de politicos
y de- toreros,; Es u m verguenza ,35
‘
:Baroja cqfflttents ©a this gradual crumbling away of the Spanish society
in Mis'"Pivagaciones de autocrftiea,11
El segundo perfodo de mi vida, ya en plena guventud, se desliz©^en Madrid, doade imo pud© observar
eomo t©da la vlda espaWola se iba desmoronando por"
incuria, por torpeza y por inmoralidad. Este perf^o de, que coineidfa c m el fin del siglo XIX y eon
el prineipal del XX, fue^ una epoea de verdadera
eorrupeio^, de graades fraeasos, y de algunas
ilusioaes, de muchas cosas mlas y de algunas
buenas,
.
i
.
Espaha, como otros pueblos, de E.uropa, parecia
entoaces una mujer vieja y febril que se pinta y
hace una mueca de alegrfa, Por debajo de su actitud se iba viendo eomo subfa la marea del
esceptieismo»3o-Moral degeneration is seen in his novel, la easa de Mzgorri, in
which he portrays the deterioration of the entire town of Arbea, through
'•
16
the degenerating force of alcohol <» Shis is a m e h more destructive
factor than the modern explosives^ he saysp because it does aot kill,. hut insidiously damages the physical and moral fibres of a people from
'©He;:generatioa t©'.another« 1 •
-
■
The Middle Ages begin at the outskirts of Madrid„ InEl myorazgo
de Labraz Baroja describes the appearance of the SBiall totrn,Labraz,- in
‘
which.material decadence is as apparent as moral decay.
Era labraz un pueblo terrible, un pueblo de la
Edad Media, Ho habfa calle que no fueee coreovadaj las easas tenfan casi todas escudos de
piedras, Casi todos eras sileaoiosas y graves,
muehas.estaban desplomada®, completamente himdidas,38
He even, comments on his native San Sebastian,
■
lo me es simpatico San Sebastian por maehas
. . razones „ Primeramente, el pueblo no es bonito,
pudiend©: haberlo side; tiene unas ealles reetas,
.que-son todas ■iguales, y dos o tree- monmaentos,
qu® s m horribles „ la construeei^ es misera, :
raqmitica , , ,
Eespecto al esplritu de la ciudad es
lamentable, Allif no interesa la cieneia, ni
: el arte, ni la literature, ni la historia,
ni la politica ni nada, Unicamente interesa
el Bey, la Beirn Begente, los balamdros, las corridas de. toros y la forma de los pantalones,3^
Social feeling in Spain' is no more than,a reflection of the life
that is immediate. Individual and instinctive,; Cone is the sociability
of the ei^teenth and ‘
nineteenth centuries which was produced by an
effort to understand people5 today no.one cares.
Young people do not
want to stay at home, but prefer outside pleasures and amusements, Con­
versation and discussion are confined to bullfights and football, rarely
the theater and never literature,^
17
In the small villages 3 this self-eentereinees and uneoncern for the
other person is partieul&rlgr apparent.
There is lacking an organized
coMamnity interest^ no villager takes any responsibility toward his neighbor
nor feels himself to be an integral part of his society.
In El eabo de las..tormentas Miguel shows surprise that part of the
highway is.in. such good Condition while other parts are full of holes and
in need of repair.
Ferafi explains that part of the road is taken care
of by the government. He goes on to say:
’■
El aldeano espaSbl es/ en algtmas partes, tan
individualista y de tan poeo. sentido qme si le
de jaran cerrarfa la carretera y sembrarfa en
ella patatas.^
:
-•
This- characteristic of.the people.is evident in Alcolea^ a small town ;
■ in La Mancha.,
.
V:
Las eostumbres de Alcolea eran espanbles pmrass
es decir, de- un absurdo eompleto. 11 pueblo no
tenia el manor sentido social; las familias se
metfam en sus. casaS; com© las troglodita® en su
cueva. Ho habia solidaridadi nadie sabfa ml
podia utllizar la fuerza de la asociaeic^i. Los
hombres iban alitrabajo y a veces al casino.
Las mujeres no saliaa mas que los doaingos a
misa. For falta. de instinto eolectivo el pueblo
se habia arruinado.
:An example of this lack of social consciousness is shown during the
period in which Spain had an agreement with France to sell her grapes
for the French wines.
The people in Alcolea; without consulting aryone
else, changed their crops from wheat and grain to vineyards, and soon the
river of wine in Alcolea was converted into a river of gold.
In this time
of prosperity, the city grew, streets were widened and electricity was in■stalled.
When the contract between the. two countries was at an. end and
18
the villagers had to return to raising cereals s no one felt therespon­
sibility
to .call a meeting and suggest they use their new.wealthto
improve their former way of life.
gression with resignation.
Instead, the people accepted the re­
"Before we were rich/*' they said. ."low we are
poor. It’s all the. same. We will repress our needs."
'1 "
Aquel estole ismo acaho•de hundir al pueblo. Era
natural que asj^ fuese; cada ciudadano de Aleolea
.se sent£a tan separad© del vecino'cmo de ua
extfamjero. lo tenfan una cultura comun (no la
tenian de ningtma class): no participahan de
admiraciones comunes: solo el ^mhlto, la rutina
las unla en el fomdo, todos eran extra^js a todos ^
Baroja, a staunch antitraditionalist, decries the control of the
Spanish people by their dead ancestors, who still rule from the grave,
lot that all that is traditional is bad, but it often stands in the way
of progress through scientific evaluation of the bases of society.
He
attacks the strict adherence to the laws and institutions which have
grown corrupt and outlived their usefulness.
La sensualidad pervertIda.
.
-
^
'
•
He points this out in
.
' ''
-
''
'
.
Es estupido y cobarde que uno tenga que vivir
,respetando estrechameate las normas que inventaron los antepasados que se pudren en los
cemeteries, y sin embargo, es aef . , . La
sociedad debe tener una base "flrme; y que los
cimientos styoe se apeyem sobre roca viva, o .
sobf© um moaton de fierao, es igual. Debemos
respetar la obra de los antepasados, aunque
esta obra sea una mezela de extravaganeias y
absurdo. La verdad es que ellos nos govermn
desde sus atatAes, y sus preocupaeiones raneias
valen mas que los juieios exact©s de los hombres
:
, .
vivos.^3
Baroja contrasts the strong, vital spirit of the Russians with that
of the Spaniards. Maria, the protagonist of La ciudad de la niebla„
19
breaks down completely after a disappointment in love, much to the sur­
prise and consternation of her Bussian friend.
The following is a con­
versation. between Dr. Iturrioz and Natalia in which he explains the
difference in the two races;
Dr. Iturrioz;
. . . Usted es un magnffieo specimen de
xma raza Joven, fresca, en la que la
energia de la vida tiene una gran elasticidad, y nosotros Scanos viejos, nuestra raza ha vivido demasia&o, y tenemos
ya hasta Ids huesos dalles . . .
Natalia;
No, no es la verdad,
muchaeha enefgica.
Dr. Iturrioz;
Sf, pero ha estado haciendo un esfuerzo
superior a sf misma, y al fin se ha rendid©. Nosotros, la gente del Mediodfa,
no podemos desanrdllar una cantidad de trabajo tenaz y cdnstante; primero,
porqne la raza estsf cansada y el caudal
de witalidad que ha llegado a nosotros
ha venido exhausto; luego, porque somos
maqulnas de menos gasta, y por lo tanto
de menos producto.
Natalia:
Sf, seref verdad. pero me choca lo occuzri<4sr a Maria, porque con un poco de
imaginacim » . ..
.
!4arfa es una
Dr. Iturrioz; ]Los espanoles no tenemos imaginedon
Natalia;
ill fuerza ni imaginacion?
:'
. ..'''""
;>
'- - "
Dr. Iturrioz; Ni una eosa nl otra. Adesas, esfamos
'
aplastados por siglos de historia que
eaen sobre nuestros hombres como una losa
de plomo. Nuestras pobres mujeres necesi- '
taran muchos ensayos, muchas pruebas para
.
emanciparse, para ser;algo y tener una per;
sbnalidad. %Y aun asfl Ya ve usted, Maria
es un eneayo de emancipacion que fracaea.**
It is our author1s theory that Spain, given the same climatic condi­
tions as England, would improve both spiritually and materially.
He
20
expresses this point in detail through the medium of Dr. Iturrioz. He
and Maria are in London, near the Thames Elver:
Si en Madrid hubiera tm rib aejf, ya estaha resaelto
el problema de EepeS&3 . . . Pon tn la capital de
Espa"na a esta altura sobre el nival del mar, con
esta at&<^fera pesada y h&eda, con rib asi, y en
poco tiempo la gente de alia', en vez de irritable
y nervioso como es, se harfa tranquila y eguili. brada. .'El pueblo aumentaria de tamaSb rapidamente,
crecerian los arboles en stis alrededores, erec.eria
la hierba, y las miradas de los madrilenbs, en vez
de ser intensas y fuertes, se harlan vagas y dulces,
Los madrlieSos no tendrian como ahora lo& nervios,
excitados por el clima aspero y seeo, no serian
tan vivos ni harian chistes, estarfan mis tranquilos,
y su inteligencia mds pesada, seria mas fecunda« La
gente de buena voluntad estudiarfa las necesidades
del pais ydesaparecia en las provincias el odio a
la capital. Se entrarfa en un cafe^o en un sitio
'publico, y no nos mirariamos comb nos miramos alii"
todos con odio. Madrid seria para Espana lo qua ^
es Londres para Inglaterra y Espana estarfa bien.
In Aurora ro.ja, the third novel of the trilogy9 La lueha por la vlda,
Boberto Hastings discusses with Manuel, its picaresque protagonist, this
idea of the inter-relation of the land with the people.
Tu eeras un buen chico, de poca voluntad, de buenas
inteneiones, y lo serias igual siendo carlista,
prateBtante, o mahometano. T es que debajo de las
ideas estan los sentimientos y los instintos, y
los instintos no son mds que el resultado del clima,
de la allmentacidn, de la vida que Iia llevado la
raza de uno. En ti esta toda la raza, y en tu raza
• esta"toda la tierra donde ella ha vivido. Ho somos
M jos de la tierra, somos la misma tierra, que
■ siente y piensa. Se eambia el terreho de un pais,
y camMan los hombres en seguida. Si fuera posible
poner Madrid al nivel del mar, al cabo de cincuenta
aSbs, lbs madrilenbs di8currirfan de otra manera.-°
:
In comparing the Spanish with the English, a character in Mala hierba s
another novel of the La lueha trilogy, brings out the same idea that coun­
tries with a plentiful rainfall and a humid climate produce a higher degree
21
of civilization.
He says;
Wo trato de cempararme con tm ingles, ^engo yo la
segnridad de ser un ario? &8 oy acaso eelta o sajon?
Wo me hago ilusiones; sqy de una raza inferiorgue°
le voy a hacer ’ To no he nacido en Manchester sino
en el Camaghey y he sido criado en Malaga . v . La
civilizacion Tiene con la lluvia. In esoS pafses
humedoe y lluviosos es donde se dan los tipos mas
civilizados y w £b heriaosos tambidn. ?
In ^
ciudad de la niehla, further comparison is made between the
■ •
■
'
"
' - ■
'
'
■■
English and the Spanish "by'Maria‘e father. Dr. Aracil, and a Scotchman,1
Sr. Boche.
The latter expresses Baroja’s ideas;
Dr. Aracil; A mi', en Inglaterra me molestan las
ideas y en Espdna los hombres.
Sr. Boche;
Si, en Espana es dificil notar ideas
sociales, generales. To creo %ne no
las.hay.
s
Dr. Aracil; 0 quizas no hay preocupaeiones.
Sr. Boche;
Es igml. La sociedad ee una.ficcion ,
sostenida por una serie de fieciones.
Alii', n©; exiete la ficcidn social; la
ley es una cosa que estaffuera de las
'conciencias. Esta" Men; si detfas de
ese nihilismo, queda el hombre, Espam
siempre sera.algo; ahora si no hay
nada . . .
Dr.Aracil; To creo que hay.
Sr. Boche; |PseI Es posible. Aquel es un pais
andrquico por naturaleza, per© de un
anarquisiao debil. Alii todo esta en
lueha constant©; 16s pajaros rinen en
el eampo, los gatos se aranan, los
r ;CMcos se pegan, pero todos ee cansam pronto. Mire usted aqudf estos gorriones,
que respetables son; no me ehoearia nada
que tuvieran su club y bus horas fijas
para aeostarse. Son gorriones civili­
zados .
,
22
Dr. Aracil;
Y sin embargo# ustedes y sus
gorriones han llegado mks tard©
a la Givilizaeidn qu© nosotros.
■ ■ ' / ': '
^.
'
. ' • ''
Sr. Boehe:
Si, pero con unas condiclones de
suelo y de clima ideales. La
-;
•
civillssacioS primaria, imaginativa. ,
y contemplativa, tenia que desemrol- .
,:vs>
verse en climas ealiente® y humedos,
■;
en donde abunderan cereales y substancias con almidcm y aziacar. La
civllizacldn Industrial, cieatlfica,
;
necesariamente tiene que tener su
ezpansim en climas esmo el de
Inglaterra. Aquf la naturaleza es
en parte enemiga, pero se deja ven­
eer5 exige que se luche con ella,
pero.se entrega pronto, y el hdetbre,
viendo la efieaeia de su esfuerzo,
se hace en seguida hombre de aeeioSi.
La tierra le da. el semtimiento:de su
energia y el sentimiento de su triunfo.
•
.
• -
•
•
. , . La mayor diferencia es el
clima y la riqueza. Las ideas no
tienen importancia alguna.. Lae ideas
son el uniform© vistos© que se les
pone a los sentimientos y a lo® instintos. Una coetumbre indica mucho
mas el.caraeter de un pueblo que una
■ idea;”
-
Dr. Iturrioz lays the blameon the poisonous environment instead of
on the Spanish as a race:
"To . . . temgo alguna fe en el hombre; pero nuestro
ambient© es infeceioso, es mefftico. Aunque hubiera ■
aquf una invasion de raza joven, nueva, no podrfa
resistir lo morboso del ambiente. Alljy donde llega
esta seudoeivilizacion que se irradia de nuestras
eiudades, alldf se pudre en seguida todo. La Penfn-.
sula enters esta gangrenada.”^9
Barova says it is very difficult to have a childhood in Spain.
Busi­
ness, social position, et cetera, all conspire against youth, forcing it
to grow up, Just as in infancy the parents, the governess, and the teach­
ers hasten adolescences
23
la vida se march!ta pronto, cuamdo no hrota
ya mustia por herencia. :La mayorfa de los
homhres y de las mujeres no han vivido la
ninez. Es .yerdad tamM^n que easi nadie
llSga a .vivir la juventud . . . En Ispana, ■
y en nuestro tiempo de industrialism©, de
Id!© y de laxitud, para estar en "buena armon£a con el ambiente, se neceeita ser
viejo desde la buna, y para consolarse un
poco, decir de euando en euando: ‘Eg pre­
cis© ser jovem, hay que refr, hay que vivir!'
Pero nadie rfe ni nadie vive,’^
■Hie Spaniards1 touchiness is brought out by OSsorio en El t:amino de
perfeccicm:
.
•
Indudahlemente, Espam es el pais mas imhecil
del orhe; en otras partes se comprende quien
es el que trata d© dfender y quien ho; en
Espana nos sentimos todos tan mezquinos que
ereemoe siempre en los demas intenelones de
ofemsa.^l
.
,
Baroja diagnoses their urge to poke fun and ridicule as stemming
from a provincial narrowmindedness„ In Aurora roja, thestoryis told
of
two Englishmen who used to go to one of the parks in London every
, afternoon to play tennis„ One-was short and fat and wore a beret, while
the other’s skeleton-like frame was covered by a frock coat and straw hat.
They made such a ridiculous looking pair, that in Spain they would have
been laughed off the court.
to notice."^
However, the English spectators seemed not
'
-
In El mumdo es ansf', our author uses Sacha, a foreigner, as a vehicle
to bring out his criticisms on the temperament and social characteristics
of the Spaniards.
Shortly after her arrival in Spain, she observes the
almost complete disregard for anyone else’s feelings and cites as an ex­
ample the train trip to Madrid. ■ During the night, one of the travellers
2k
took a seat nearly and ‘began to spit and blow smoke from a.foul cigar
until it awoke her little girl. When he reached M s destination, the
inconsiderate traveller got off the train ae unconcernedly as if he'd
had the coach to himself and as if Sacha and her family hadn't existed.
Married to a Spaniard, .Sacha is able to observe close at hand the
utter indifference they show for laws, believing them to be made for
everyone else except themselves.
"Parece que cada espanol no se ha enterado todavia
de que hay otros hombres en el mundo ademds de el.
Juan mism© no.hace caso"de nada. Todas.las advertencias y prohiblciones ®e le figuran heehaspara
el proximo. Encuentra muy M e n las leyes para los
deaasf ahora, para Si, no1^3
/
/
The Spanish way of life is very difficult for her to understand.
At
first glance it appears there is a great deal of liberty and free will,
but later on© discovers this freedom is irdn=clad.
Spain is a country
with dogma, but without morality| with gestures but lacking enthusiasm;
with frankness but without effusions
/
"Gran parte de su manera de ser creo que precede
de la falta de hogar. La call® les pareee a estos
meridioaalee el pasillo de su casaj hablan a las
novias en la calle, diseuten en la calle: para la
easa no guardari mas que las funeiones vegetativas
y la severldad/' ■ •
•
1
Another aspect of the national character is the position and treat­
ment of women in Spain.
Baroja, always sympathetic toward women,;dis­
closes the typical Spanish attitude in regard to them.
The Spaniard,
like the jealous Harlequin, adopts a jovial and affable manner before
'
•. ,
■.
^
the public, but in private acts harshly- toward hie poor Coloabina. Juan,
Sacha’s husband, believes that the so-called civilised woman is the most
25
disagreeable product of modern civilization, and that her only mission
in life is to stay in the kitchen and take care of the children„ Suffra­
gettes and feminists should be beaten in the streets.55
The men have such little regard and consideration for women that they
speak of them as if they were horses:
.■7 :
.
, Wo es raro o£r decir a uno; :^Quez tal es esa mujer?"
■" : ... ‘X a otro que contesta: .'rEs urn buena jaea „"
"
'■
■
55
In spite of this, much is said about Spanish gallantry.
Arcelu, a contrast to Juan, explains to Sacha the position of Spanish
women, and especially those in the south of Spain, which is more heavily
weighted with convention because of the 800 years of Oriental influence:
Bespecto a las mujeres, su mision es ester en su
casa „ o . Wo haeen nada, mi se ocupan de nada . . .
Personal!dad inteleetual o moral, ninguna. La persona11 dad femenina es un producto del norte . . „ Aqujf
el Mediodia eneontrara Ud. en la mujer la personalidad bioldgica, el caraeter, el temperamentoi nada
mas. Es el catolicismo, que ha ido produciendo su
inferioridad. . . . Todas
las seetas semfticas han
mirado a la mujer como un animal lascivo y peligroso.^'
In Spain the emancipation of women from conventional limitations is
complicated by the particularly strong tradition which determines the
sphere of women1s activities and by the intense devotion of Spanishwomen
to the Catholic Church.
The Church, together with the Spanish ideal of
honor, both of Semitic origin, according to Baroja, have convinced her of
her inferiority, and have been contributing factors to the retardation of
her social and intellectual development»5® This is expressed further in
La dama errante:
La vida de la mujer espa'nbla actual es realmente triste.
Sin sensualidad y sin rcmanticismo, con la religion
convertIda en costumbre, perdido tambien la vida de la
eternidad del amor, no le quada a las eepanblas sosten
26
espiritmal algtino. Asif tieae que eer y eg ©a la
famllla ua: elemeat© deprimieBte,, Instlgador de
d.e'biliaades y amlador de ,la eaergla y de la dignldad del hombre. Vlvlr a la defensive y repre- .
sentar es todo su plan<,59
, .
The custom of keeping vpmea la the home has prevented them from
:
influencing social life through.their' intelligence and good instincts.
Women should he educated t© collaborate in problems of.society,outside
the home,
Baroja says this lack of education and the years of being
held down have caused the Spanish •woman to resign herself to her role,
and that only a few have begun to emancipate themselves;
Wuestras mujeres son primeipalmemte instimtivas,
y todo lo^.ue sea alejamiento de su fuacion les
parece inutil y peligroso. For ©so son fan
reaecionarias y eonservadoras, Su idea es haeer
uh mido y para eso s©; necesita una rama firme ,
• Una sociedad iasegura y urn poeo revuelta es para
ellas poco simpatieai y;que puede haber tan inseguro y fan revuelto como el pensandento! ,Prefieren
con much© la rutina,
, , Huestras mujeres, en/su
mayorfa, conslderan que el mundo, la sociedad, ei
papel que ellas tienen en la vida esta todo muy
bien. Solo algunas pocas empiezan a cf-eer que podrfan tener una esfera de actividad mas eztensa„ . ,
Este sentido de eonforaidad proviene de su falta
de sentido literario y filos<^ieo,°0
Arcelu comments on the way the men and women regard each other!
"Los espanoles consideran a las mujeres como a un
ememigo no beligerante, al que se puede robar y
entregar al pillaje. Las espaSfelas miran a loe
hombres como a un enemigo beligerante eon quien
se puede pactar."
■
He goes oh to compare the more.human© treatment of the French toward
their women:
"El franees deja a su mujer en plena lueha por la
vida; la smjer tiene que sufrir las consecuencias'
y los peligfos de su libertad; pero esta 'lueha,
cuande no mata? fortifiea; eh cambio, el^ espl&ol
ahorra a la mujer el combate en la call©, la deja
reclufda en la casa, y esta.reclusitm tiene que
hacar a la mujer eobarde„ -
-
27
Sacha observes that the womeB of Spaia have ho other objective Ib
life than to share a rich huebando
To them marriage is solely ah eco^.--
: raomic proposition.' Afterwards,, they lose all regard for their appearance
and concentrate on dominating their husbands to achieve, their own mercen­
ary- ends. She goes, on to observe:
....'
: .. :
:
:
.■
v
.To.da.su inteligencia, todasu maXieia, esta al. VV'
- - .'
servicio de esta idea capital 1 Tin encauzamientp
;
*
asjf de las facultades a un- fin hace a la mujer
^ ;
soltera muy viva, mny graclosa, seductora para
el hombre; en cambio, la mujer casada, coibo ya
ha conseguido. su objeto, corao ya no tiene que
. :
ilusiohar a nadie, se abandona y tom un aire
;.
de pasividad y de indiferencia abaoluta.^
■
-
-
:
Baroja blames the. Church’s teachings for instilling in them an incli­
nation toward hypocrisy and dlssimulatioh, and in La dama errante he says:
El sentimiento de la categorfa social, umido al
'del pecado:,/©nfermba-a estaSr;®ujereS el. aim.
Lmego el. easuisino de la eduea'cldn Catdlica les
habia infundido uiaa hipocresia sutil: . la idea de
hallaree legitimado todo, con tal de llegar en
buems condicionee economieae a. la prostitucidn
legal del matrimonio. El haSito del; dieizralo y
.
de la. mentira., y el ir de cuando en cuando a
jabonar en el confesionario sue pequenae roms
:
espirituales, en compahfa de un ganan raoreno, de
. mirada intensa j barba azulada, les iba pudi-iendo
lentamehte el a l m a . 3
^
'
.f
:
belt sioi
<
;
;
ri; This brings us to the subject of religion, one of the basic elements
of Spain’s complex social structure, and one of the main causes for the de­
cadent state of the country, according to Baroja. An agnbstic himself, he is less anti-religious than he is anti-clerical and anti-Catholic. His
, belief is that a society that is in need of priests, soldiers, executioners.
28
a nobilityj, prisons and gallows is still a primitive society, embryonic
and absurd,,
"En el fondo estames todavia en plena Edad Media.
There is hardly a novel which, fails to include bitter or satirical
remarks about Catholicism and its adherents.
One of his objections to
the Church is the ritual, especially communion and confession.
In Camino
de perfecclon, Ossario describes his early impressions of the religious
rites and his growing skepticism;
. , Dije que todo aquello de comulgarse era urn
majaderia y una farsa, y que en una cosa que va al
estmago y se disuelve alii'no puede estar Bios,
ni nadle.^5 ,/
;
Confession is nystieal noBSense, The idea of sin provokes his wrath,
as it only serves to make vice more attractive.
"Sin is like the husk of
pleasure; it is the black mask'which veils the face of vice and premises
greater voluptuous pleasures; it actually serves as a stimulant.
He complains especially of the control the Jesuit order has over
Spanish women. ■In contrast to the regular clergy, the Jesuits have culti­
vated a feminine, sensual manner which captivates women, making: them tool®
of the order.
Because of this, their influence is much greater over women
than mem, who have almost lost any true religious feeling, and have come
to regard the priest as .something like a rival.
La semsualldad pervertIda.
;
Baroja explains this in
::
El cura catoliea- es
hombre, muy macho: es el
producto de m m religion como la judfa, en don.de
lamujer no es mas que una tentacion, ma vaso de
impureasas y,de la Idea romana de la, autoridad.
El cura domina a las oujeres por su caraeter masculinoj pero a los hombres, no . . . A los hosbres
el cura los podrdf avasallart . . . pero no les
puede seducir| para estd serfa indispensable que
tuviera un caracter femenino que,no tiene. Be aquf%
precede, creo yo, el exito mundano de los jesuitas. ^
;
Although Baroja condemns the Jesuits„ and particularly the modern
ones, :Me respects and admires the: founder of the order, Ignacio Loyola,
llke.vhim8elf>,ie Basiue<,rv He recognizea his strength and genius and finds
in him the zeal and persistence of a modern anarchist. "Loyola was a Bon
Quixote who realized his dreams.n^
'V;
One of his chief objections to the Catholic religion ia the hypocrisy,
and insincerity of.its followers. He points this out in 11 arhol de la v
cienoia; by describing a coarse, young priest who divided his time "between
gambling and telling off-color stories
If 8 erne-devout person reproached
him for his vulgar language, he assumed a pious expression and excused
.
himself "by saying that the Church was not concerned with the vices of its
unworthy priests„ After losing heavily in a card game, he made the state­
ment:
: x- ;;;\xi
r
•
;
x yyr '/ c
To no paedo vivir asfl Wo voy a tener mas remedio
. que -lanzarme a la calle a deeir misa en todas partes
y tragarme todos los dias catorce h o a t i a
S:^;;
"1
s
:
Baroja describes a bishop: in the small town of Tillazar, who dedi­
cated Mmselfto amassing a fortune by'selling all the .archaeological
objects of value throughout-the province in connivance with an ahtiquar- i
ian«
The time that was left over from his planderings he spent playing
cards..
::; w'/-
f
x' f-X-1--;^,X‘;^X'^vX-— 'x ■- x
='xx.- ....-x
. XManuel, of jfeia hierba, seeks, shelter in the church, but is sent to
jail by the sexton.. ”In .God's house, where all are supposed to be equal, x
■it ■is a eriffle.torenter and rest>
- X ;.
:
X:b
X v x X1.-x.-x -X. .■^.'x-.x:x-•
X\ ' • In Labfaz,; a small town in northern Spain, is pictured theXsavagery
..-of the bullfights, intemperate drinking and brutal dances „ Bie vieiousness
30
and' pettiness of the people whose actions are controlled only by the
fear of hell and of being fommd out, he attributes to the influence of
the Church.
72
■
Although it is ostensibly a holy city, a mask of hypoc­
risy cloaks its vices.
The clergy and wealthy religious people secretly
support two houses'of prostitution while openly they denounce them
piously.
In these houses the girls are exploited and treated miserably,
unable to find protection from any source.
The proprietresses, always
on the lookout for new victims, stalk unfortunate girls who are on the
brink of respectability like buzzards circling their prey.
When one is
ensnared, the "respectable " people of Labraz build a wall to separate
themselves from her as if in fear of being contaminated by her presence.
If she appears in public, she is thrown into prison.
Meanwhile, love affairs between the priests and married women were
notorious.
Public opinion was divided as to whom the carpenter’s chil­
dren resembled more, the father or the canon who lived in with the family.
These suspicions, instead of bringing disgrace, only caused a certain
contempt for the husband.
Once when La Cammera, one of the bawds, was on her deathbed, the
priest to whom she confessed extorted from her a promise to abandon her
profession.' However, she recovered, and, failing to keep her promise,
was brought before the municipal council.
She threatened to expose the
people who patronized her house, and the latter, fearing exposure, re73
leased her.IU
' ■ ■ ■
■■■
-
A typical condemnation and unsavoury portrayal of the priesthood is in
Camino de perfeceion. Utterly disillusioned, Ossorio goes to Toledo,
31
[email protected]® eoatiaaaaeatfe fie su poeo eueMoj la
He oTbserwes that tli© omers of the hoeses
prostitatioa are s@=oallefi
Solasaeate tealeafio al mlsm® tiemp® $ m plasa fie
tores y m m easa fl@ prestaaos pefila eoaceMr©®
algo asas perfeote,
ISi® haaeftal lafltieae© ©f> the Ghwoh 1® most clearly sees ia the reral
Spaim la that it® streets are t?iS® aafi its hmiMiag® are a@Wo
Hwe^er^ it
32
la Yeeora ©aly petty aa& m a a tlioughts exists aad eMISrea are
Catholic aras ar@ net .exempt from Baroja"# eritioiSBo
jfS'
Baey ar@ set
s'
14©alistie aad aagelieal ereataree -a® iaflres Hurtado in 11.arhol de la
eieaoia^mated t@ Tbeliev®^ hat they w r © poor girle who took the veil
The Chwohg tlroa^ its iaflBeaee^ is one of the st&maeheet @mp-=
"been oae of the factors which ha® stultified thought ia Spain and failed
•
. ' V . ■'
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■
33
8l
to encourage wide and independent reading.
Baroja’s detestation of friars and priests dates from a boyhood
.experience with "un candnigo sangutia.eo# gordo j fiero.-” After attending
a funeral, he had entered the cathedral and, with the sound of the organ .
musie still in his ears, he hegan to hum.
Suddenly, -a black figure
leaped from "behind a confessional, rushed at M m and grabbed him by the
neck, almost strangling him.
He reflects;
Ese candnigo . . . que ee lansa a acogotar a
un chico de nueve aSbs, es para mf, el simbold
de la religidn catdlica.82
-
' ,.
'
EBWCAflOS
^
/
Baroja blames the priests for the lack of adequate educational
facilities and the widespread illiteracy, since education was almost
entirely in the hands of the Church until the Second Bepublie came into
existence in 193i»
•
He particularly criticizes ,th© convent schools such as the one
ffaria Aracil was put into, which was almost like a prison, melancholy
and dull.^3
In La sensualidad pervertIda, Luis becomes acquainted with several
young ladies educated in convent schools, who had been taught notMng of
science, history, or art.
"Si se lee hubiera asegurado que Napoleon era
eontemporaneo de Cesar, no lee hubiera chocado nada.
Luis was sent to a school in Barcelona,' which, like the majority of Spanish schools, was quite disagreeable.^ He blames his schooling for
his lack of social adjustment and the absence of ideals.
3h
Alguna vez alguien me ha dieho? usted es un
indisciplinado. Sf, he contestado yo^ pere no
un indisciplinado voluntario. jQue mis huhiera
deeeado yo qne encontrar un hombre o/una institncidn que me hubiera dirigido bien por uav
: caxaino de aensatez y de coeas rasonables! /
: " '
He contrasts the actual life of the average student, who has barely
U
»
-enough money to get by on, with the carefree existence pictured in novels.
Yo advertfa como la moral espaSola rfgida y
fuerte, no es me(s que un diafraz de la miseria.
Istudiantes que apenas contaban con medios mas
que para vivir pobremente em un rincdn,^ como
iban a tener fiestas, ni baaquetes, ni amores
* alegres, ni nada de lo que earacteriza, segun
la literature, la loca Juyentud? Todo estaba
hecho alljf a base de pobreteria y de miseria,
sin alegria, sin robtistez, sin esplehdor.^7
•
"
Baroja!s attack on education and teachers is, in part, a reflection
of his own unhappy school experiences.
As a child in. Pamplona, he was
educated in schools where the children were whipped frequently, and were
permitted to fight among themselves like savages.®®
He admits he was never an outstanding student,but attributes at
least a part of his unfortunate educational experiences to a deplorable
system'of instruction.99 His university medical training was especially
bad.
He describes his life at the university in 11 arbol de la ciemeia,
which is frank3y autobiographical.
When Hurtado goes to Medical School
at Madrid, he finds a discouraging scene in his classes.
In class, the
students smoke, read novels, play jokes, shout and ridicule the professors,
The teachers themselves are little better| old and lacking enthusiasm, they reflect the uselessness and falsity of their environment.91
Yo no reduerdo de ningun profesor que eupiera
ensenar, que llegara a comunicar aficion a lo
que ense&ba y que tuviera alguna comprension
35
::del espirltu del eetudiante .
Los profesores
de jaedicim teafan tm eriterio tarn estupido que
ao caiDe mas <, In las doe maiversidades doade yo
cursi^ las aslgnaturas se estudiaimn a mediae„
Coea ridfcula en cualquier profesIon, pero mas
• ridlcula ax&i en- mediclm,°
■
.
;
■,
•
'
He describes M e chemistry teaeher below:
El profesor era un pobre bcaabre presuntuoso,
rldiculo. Sabfa estudlado en Parfs j adquirldo
--T los geetos j las posturas aznaneradas de un fran, ' eeS petulante.93
.
.
.
•fie speaks of another professor, Letamendl’
Entre los profesores, uno que se erefa un pedagogo, j un pedagogo genial, era Letamendl . = <,
Era, este ua escritor roeoco, como muehos eata-.
■ lanes ,: 4 wees hablala en elase .de;arte, y de "
■
pintura, pero siempre eon un eriterio absurdo.
Becuerdo ima wez que deefa, que piatar uh raton
y un libro. no podfa ser asunto para un euadroj
pero que si en el libro se escribfd el tftulo
• Obras de Arlstotelesy al raton se le ponfa
. .royeadolo, ya, lo que. no era mda, se eonvertia
:.en asunto pietc^-ico ^
"
': .
The professors do not seem to care if the students learn anything or not
and are unable to command their respect«
He continues;
. Los p'rofesbres no sirven mas que para el embrutecimiento metb^-ieo de la juventmd estudiosa„
Is natural, El espahol todaria no sabe ensenarj
es demasiado fanatico, demasiado rago y casi
siempre deismsiado farsamte „ Los profesores no
tienen mas finalidad que sobrar. su sueldo y Qz- i
luego-pescar pensioned para pasar el verano,
■
The system of education in Spain is based, like everything else, on
a foundation of egotism and false values, The student from the provinces
;goes toJfeirid with nothing more .serious on his mind than to play the “Hon
Juan” and to have a good time.
On the other tend, the conscientious stu­
dent, .eager for knowledge and with a desire to obtain a clear picture of
36
his country and her role in the world, finds himself unable to "break
through the screen of illusion.that the educational system ha® set up,
La accion de la cultura europea en Espalta era
realmente estringida, y loealizada a euestiones
tecnieas, loe periodicos dahan una idea incom­
plete de todo; la tendeneia general era haeer
ereer que lo grande de Espana pod£a ser peqne'BO
;. I. .:
fuera de ella y al eontrario, por una especie de
mala fe internacional.9T _
'
In Camimo de perfeccim, Gssorio was sent away to school in Teeora,
and after three years returned home rice-losing, mean and dissolute.
sayss
-
He
-
Yolvf' a Madrid; . . . a los diez y ocho ams me
puse a estudiar, y yo, que antes habfa sido casi
un prodigio, no he llegad© a ser despues ni
siquiera un mediano estudiante. Total: que
gracias a mi educacion ham hecho de mjT un degener.ado.98
Tears later, he revisits the school, remembering with antipathy the;
unpleasant years he spent there.
permitted to go outdoors.
Treated like a prisoner, he was rarely
He disapproves of a society that would take a
child inthe most impressionable stage of his development, incarcerate
and submit him to daily tortures..
him
His memory-becomes hypertrophied, his
intelligence clouded, and his natural instincts benumbed.
Jail-like, the school provides a breeding place for evil thoughts
and vices.
Teeora.
Institutions like this are the source of the moral anemia of
From inside its walls had come the horde of petty bosses,.self-
indulgent priests and unscrupulous loan sharks who waste their time drink­
ing and carousing in some casino.
Institutions like this take the young men and turn them out stupified,
37
famtical* and 'bereft of all noble sentiments „ Bae good ones become .; ,
cowards, and the bad, hypocrites - all are submerged in a morass of super:
99
stition and in a fear of.eternal damnation*
Gssorio determines to kick over the traces of convention and allow
his son to grow up in nature, unsullied by stuffy doctrines and decrepit
professors,
/,
- .
■ ;- /...
‘'
' "■
■
V
El le alejaria del pedante pedagogo aaiquiladdr
de los buenos instintos; le apartaria de ser un
atomo de la masa triete, de la masa de eunucos de
nuestros miserables dias, E$ dejaria a su hijo
libre con sus instintosj
, « no le torturarfa
a su hijo eon estudios inuCiles, con ideas
tristes; no le ense"fer£a simbolo misterioso de
;
religion alguna.^-0®
,
■ Yenancio, in La dama erraate, advocates this same Botisseauan idea of
education for his girls„ He wants to develop their personalities, and find
a way to harmonize them with their environment.
He doesn't want to send
his daughters to school and explains his.reasons:
Sntre el miedo al diablo, el hacer trabajar la
imteligemcia sobre el-vaefo. de. estupidas abatrac- .
"■ .clones y la falta de ejercicio, los coleglos
-.
espemoles estropean la raza. Ho dan
que dos
productos, y los dos malos; la mujercita histerid a , mfstiea, y desquieiada, o la mujerona gorda
y bestial.
Silvestre Paradox, the hero of the novel by the same name, received
his education from a teacher who stuttered, and whom the children nick­
named "el Boca-AMerta," because he always ,gave the appearance of catching flies,
This teacher developed an intense dislike for Silvestre and
enjoyed beating his hands with a strap until the blood came.
1(IP
In Paradox, rey, its sequel, Paradox has been elected king of a tribe
of natives off the coast of Africa.
He plans to construct a Utopian form
38
of society in "which there are schools hut ho teachers > "Who are only :
”u
kind of parrot." All the ordifiazy academic studies would he rejected and
a program of free interests suhstituted,
A few workshops could he estah-
lished for the/men and hoys.- who, if they have the' vocation,.- would learn':
willingly, and if not, could leave.. He denounces art as: .an overthrow of
naturefs eqmilihriuzn and declaims, "Vivamos la vida lihfe, sin trahas, sin
escuelas, sin leyes, sin maestros, sin pe&agogos, sin farsantes.
This seems to stim up &,roja ’s idea of an ideal educational program one.that is liheral and open tq all that want it, and free from the limita­
tions and restrictions imposed on it hy the state „ ': . :
'r
...v
;
MILITARISM
:
,
: ;/ }
: ;
: \ A" '
Bardjh is and always has heen against militarism and war. He says in
Juventud, egolatrxa;
i
',
;:
.■
It is in my blood to be antimilitaristic
.T
have always had a profound dislike for barracks :
- hnd nrny 'pfflcere^ 7; ^
.:r.
When he was a medical student in Madrid, he refused to do his military '
service and was finally excused by Bomanones „
:
In La familia de Errotacho, one of the characters witnesses the execu­
tion of two syndicalists accused of fomenting strikes.
They had tried to
secure a pardon from the king, hut after several weeks of waiting had been •
refused.
v ;;
He comments on the pettiness and nastiness of the modern army:
'i'Que mafranada mas espMoli; f La Btehiobra hahia sid© :
una c.psa fea, indigna y cobarde. Un GoMerno fuerte,
rudo y un poeo harharo, despues de nomhrar un Trihunal Militar Seyero huhiese mandadd fusliar tree o
ctiatro reheldea, sohre la marcha, al dia siguiente
•'
,de los sucesos. Aquellas dllaciones y recfifieaciones
39.
la desautorizaeidn del primer Conse jo de guerra,"
las.ejeemciones en la eareel por el verdugo, todo
t w o el caracter eamllese©. y miserable de una
medlda de mn Goblerno iallltar# sostenido por ma
Ejerelto de burderatas y de leguleyos.
Los grandes espanbles de otra epoca,
severos, terribles, hubleran quedado avergonzados de esta pequena marranada^ hecha por gen© nal'es de salm o en obsequio de una burguesfa
rapaz y de su guardia pretorlaaao
Era un represicm dlgm del allltar del slglo
XX rapadOj, mediocre y vulgar . ... El ver que todo
el mundo aceptaba con resigaaelon y conformldad
los beclios, le hacfa deeirs ‘Somos maos pobres
miserables.'^5
In a garrison city like Villazar, the militaristic influence exercised
equal power with the clerical over the people.
lous and overbearing army personnel.
It was ruled by the ridicu­
la Spain,, Bareja saye,, the’arsy only
serves to amuee the nursemaids and the children with their gaudy mafietiw©'!?S o
Por mas que uno sea un tanto anti-militarista, no
puede uno negar que el ejereito, en general, es
sin dispute decorativo y que sirve para amenizar
la vida de las nlheras y de los ehicos de las
cap!tales de la provineia. Hosotros, en Tillazar,
sollamos ir con frecueneia a ver las mniobras de
los sqldadoe en las explanadas de las afueras, los
ataques a la bayoneta, las marelms, y cambios de
frente y otras cosas, probablemente iniitiles para
la guerra moderna, per© muy pintorescas y divertidas.106
.
In El cabo de las tormentas Baroja remarks that inside or outside of
Spain the army has neither displayed good tactics nor heroism.
It and its
officers enjoy less prestige than any other institution in the country.
Other nations either have major victories or mjor defeats, but Spain only
suffers insignificant colonial fiascos which she considers as.great dis­
asters .107
.
.
■
• The whole novel,. Paradox, rey, is a satire of the militaristic and
Imperialistic policy, of e.er^aim European nations „ To the ;cliche’tha,t war
is "a tonic for the weakened nerves of a sedentary race" Parades: answers
that it is good only for munition makers„
,;
The French send their troops to bring- civilization to.Paradox’s
idyllic island and do so with horrible slaughter and brutality.
The re­
sults of this civilization Were small pox, tuberculosis, syphilis and.
alcoholism.
The savages were, not immune to the disease as were the
French and, of course,;sueeumbed.^^
' r.
■ :: 'And:yet a French priest praises the army as "the school of all vir- .
tues and defender of human rights . . . Let us give thanks to God, my
brothers, because real civilization, the eivilization of the peace and
.
\.. '
;y. 1r .
"'Vy , ■- ■--- . •
110
brotherhood of Christ, has come to stay im the.kingdom of Uganga."
Baroja. admires the essential qualities of the good warrior that dls.tinguish the guerrero from the merely professioaal military man.
In
Y
Juventud, egolatrfa, he observes that the- former type of soldier ceased
to exist in Spain-at the end of the second Carlist War and since then .
both the struggle and the men have lost their legendary p r e s t i g e .
.
.
'
POLITICS
Spain's political picture is. a motley one. Subjected as she has
been to a series of different governments - monarchies, dictatorships and
republics - she has led a checkered political career.
This Is metaphori­
cally shown by a character Ih Camino de peffeecibm who calls a certain
portrait of'Alfonso .XII a "symbol of Spain."
.-
;
41
E b ub retrato que tiene su Mstoria. Fue/
prlmltlvameHfce retrato de Am&eo, restido
de capitan general; vino la B.©publica se
arrimeoadfel cnadro y'Blrrlqde mampara, ■
,en una ehimenea; llego' la Eestaaracio^ j
el goisernador de aquella epeea maadd^borrar '
la cabeza de Amdeo y smbstitulrla por la
de Alfonso» Be poslble que esta de ahora
sea eubstltuida por alguna otra cateza, Es
el sijnbole de la Espana,^-^
-
•
^
.
. .; .
The political theories that were prevalent at this time help explain
as well as give an insight into the thomghts and reactions of the people
toward these philosophies and the political situation in general„
People talk ahout politics, hut do nothing about it.
In Los visiona-
Fermfn remarks that in no other country does polities absorb life
so much as in Spain today.
The little time that is left over is dedicated
to sports and movies. Science, literature and art, as conversational sub­
jects, will be soon extinct.
•
■
The indifference to what goes on im the country or to how it is run
is brou^it out plainly in El eabo de las tormentas. The Bevolution of 1931,
if it can be called such, showed up the.insipid, spineless disposition of
the Spanish people.
Fermfhs
Miguels
"
The following is .a discussion between Ferstih and
Poeo rencor ha demostrado el madrile'Mo
eon su revolucioa, si es que esto es ■
una revolueion.
'
:
Is verdad. Los pueblos se van haeiendo
mas sosos, mas pesados y menos vengativos.f
Fermfns jQue'engd^o corre en el mundo sobre nose=
los espaSbles I :Se nos cree todavxa
terriblee y somos unos ihfelices.
. ’'
Miguel wonders if the-hate for the king was only superficial.
He
believes the people looked on him as nothing worse than a carouser instead
k2
of a greedyj, petty man, intent on making a fortune at their expense „
He had believed that the king would have offered some kind of resistance
to the new regime instead of slipping out through the baek door, as it
were^:
'
'; ^-
::' - ^
^
Baroja expresses his intense anti-monarchistic feelings in the decla­
ration of
.Iturrioz :
To, „ , . ni republican© ni monarquico; lo que
scy es anti-borb^ico „ Para wx, eso de Borbon
es una cosa arqueidgica y deleterea, como una
momia que Mede.^t)
Our author has an unqualified respect for the type of democracy that
is benevolent, that gives the other fellow a chance, and recognizes that •
117
one1s neighbor has some rights of his own.
He favors the abolition of
social-classes, inasmuch as they entail certain privileges because of
wealth or prestige.
Shis, he believes, only leads to the glorification
of the witless and mediocre members of society.
Youth, intelligence and
strength of will should be the only considerations that merit privileges,
exclusive of class.
However, he does not believe in political democ­
racy, which tends toward the domination of the masses and an absolutism in
119
numbers. • Hor does he believe in democracy with universal suffrage, parlia
OA
mentary bodies and juries.
This form of government puts a premium on
the dishonesty of its leaders. Also, the people are too easily moved by
prejudices and superstitions to be capable of self government.
idea that the mass of the people can govern themselves is senseless and
absurd.
Ossorio meets a group of small-town bullies on election day, and
curses the fools that gave the suffrage to "that ignoble, miserable mob."^^
43
In theory a democracy means the rule of the people, hut the people
never have ruled.
The pretense that they have representatives or delegates
Is only a faree,
„
■
:
A mif el slstema representatlvo slempre me ha
pareeido una farsa, . . si cada dos o tres
personas tuvieran un repres;enta-Btexnen unas
cortes reglonales o comarcanos e@o podrfa
ser algo; pero cada 50 mil personas un dlputado, excluyendo Btojeres, nl^s, millfares, y curas, eso no es nada« 3
Equally ridleulous is the theory that the majority is always right.
Paradox says.;
@0 ereo en la aublimldad de ese procedimiento,
<pte hace que la mayorfa tenga slempre la razon.
He adds that the form of government does not matter.
The head of the
government, whether a king or president, is generally a figurehead anyway what people obey is a set of laws.
125
When Roberto is asked if he believes in democracy, in Aurora goja,
he says it is only the beginning, not the end. of a society.
Baroja attacks Republicanism through an odious character in Camino
de perfeecion? Ossorio’s uncle.
He is a Republican, ”a specialist in
democratic commonplaces.” In his own household he is despotic, belying
in private M s public protestations in favor of freedom.
Ossorio says;
Hi ml tfa, ni mis prims son republleanas. Bsas
son autoriarias y reaecionarias, ccamo todas las
mujeres-i jiero su autoritarismo no les Mee ser
tan despoticas como su demoeracia y su libertad
a ml republicano tfo.^7
V-
••
Baroja attacks socialism for its hypocrisy and charlatanism, which
128
have always repelled Mm,
Ihsineere and selfish, the socialists have
. '
'.
'
.'
M
no concern for anyone else9s problems | for example, the farmers1 position.,
women’s difficulties, or the intellectuals.
In Los visionarios, he says,
"Es una manera de ser egofsta y m poco antip^tiea.
.
In spite, of his adverse criticism, of the socialists, Baroja admires
sincere, intelligent Marxians, and in Aurora roja, gives oneof them an
unhiased hearing.
Pepe Morales is a "man with socialist ideas . „ .typical
of the intelligent, thoughtful workers."
He answers some of Baroja’s own
objections, for instance, that of uniformity and standardization of life
under socialism.
Pepe sayss
Hoeotros no queremos la uniformldad en la vida-de
una nacicm, y memos ai6 en la vida de los indiyiduosj que cada Municipio tenga su autonomia,
que cada hombre viva eomo quiera sin molestar a
los deattte'. Hosotros no queremos wets que organ!=
zar la masa social y dar forma practice a la
aspiracidn de todos, de vivir mejor.^O
Much more alluring and less to he feared than socialism, the theory
of anarchism has always held a powerful attraction for Baroja.
Nearly all
his hooks carry some reference to it, especially Aurora roja. La dama; erramte,
and La ciudad de la niebla. However, in these novels his purpose has not
been to express sympathy with its ideas, but, instead, to point out the
various kinds of anarchists and their beliefs. Actually, he ridicules an­
archists, not only for their futile and unsettled creed and for their
stupid destruction of life and property, but also for their generally des­
picable personal qualities, their cowardice, their fanaticism, their ego­
tistic vanity and - when professional propagandists - their sordidly per­
sonal interests„ He is critical not only of the theory of anarchism but
of its tactics.
He believes that as a dogma it.carries within its own
dissolution; as it preaches rebellion against all other dogma, it ends by
'
■
:
;
:
45
rebelling against itself and. so splits up into smaller and smaller sec­
tions, whose radicalism gradually defeats its purpose.
However, in, so
.
far as it implies a negative criticism of society and politics, a phil­
osophy of freedom and an aspiration toward social change, Baroja is in
sympathy with it.^^
He distinguishes hetween the four distinct types of anarchists who
appear in Aurora ro.ja. First he describes the philosophical anarchist,
El Lihertario^ who, is irked by authority,
El anarquismo del Libertario era el individualismo
■ rebelde, foseo. y huranbj de mi ear^cter mas filosofico que praetico.^-32
His protest is entirely personal and egoistic; to him, the principal fac­
tor in anarchism is the individual against the state; the economic problem
is secondary.
El mo queria obedecerj qtierfa que si el se asociaba
con alguien fuese por su volumtad, no por la fuerza
de la ley. Afirmaba tambldn qme las ideas de bien
y de m l tenlan que transformarse por complete y
eon elias la del deber y de la yirtud.135
1
The second type is the humanitarian anarchist, represented by one of
the main characters, Juan, an artist. He is motivated by the belief in
the innate goodness of man, if released from the shackles of authority.
He is sincerely sympathetic with the misery and suffering of the poor and
oppressed.
According to him, progress is the direct result of rebellion
against authority by free minds.
ing: '-
■
:
He sums up his whole idea in the follow­
; -
■ -;
La autorldad era todo lo maloj la rebeldfa fodo lo
buenoj. la autorldad era la imposiciGn, la ley% la
f^miuia, el dogma, la restriccimj la rebeldia era
el amor, la libre inclinacio^i, la simpatla, el
k6
:
altruismo> la "bondad. « „
La anarqui^a
amor | el deseaiaa
del yugo de toda
: por la fuerza de
'
no era odio, era carlno, era
que loe hombres se libertaeeii
autoridad, sin vlqlencia, 8^.0
la razol*-. , „ .
til querla qme el Estado desapareciera^ por- '
que el letado no sirre ms's que para extraei el
dinero y la fuerza que el supone, de las manos
del trabajador y llevarlo al bolslllo de unos
,
cuantoe pardsitos,
■
^
■
:
til querla. que desapareciese la ley, porque
la ley.y el Estado era,n la maldieida para el ' ■
Indlvidud, y ambbe perpetuaban la Iniquidad
sobre la tierra.
til querla que desapareciese el juez, el
militar y el cura, cuervos que driven de sangre
humana, mlcroblos de la human!bad.
til afiraaba que el hombre es bueno y libre
por naturaleza, y^.que nadle tiene derecho de
mandar a otro„ til no querfa una organizaoim
comunlsta y reglamentada, que fuera enajenando^
la libertad a los hombres, slno la organizaeldn
libre basado en el parenteseo,espiritual y en
:el amor .
■ ■■
.
.:
til prefer!a el hambfe y la miserla con la
libertad a la hartura en la esclaTitud,135
To Juan any terroristic of destructive methods are acceptable as long
as they further his dream of an altruistic, completely free society.
1^6
The third type is the anarchist with parliamentary inclinations, more
of a Republican than an anarchist, who wants to formalize the anarchist
meetings-. % .
.
:
'
The fourth type is the wildly destructive anarchist whose aim is an­
nihilation, Without any fixed p h i l o s o p h y . H e advocates a program of
terror and violence which Baroja censures strongly.
A terrible and
hi
realistic picture is given of one of the anarchist bomb outrages in a
Mreelom theater in which forty or fifty people are killed..
Manuel, the novel’s principal character, vacillates between the two
political philosophies - socialism and anarchy.
Of the two, anarchy
attracts him more, but he realizes that, although acceptable as a theory
or even a religion, it would be impossible to carry it into practice as
a political social system.
He refuses to sympathize with the endless
discussions which lead nowhere. If, however, a change were effected
quickly, and each man given the means to have a home of his own with a
.
garden and a few hours of work each day, he would be in favor of it.
Otherwise, he prefers to remain a printer.
139
One more classification of anarchists might be mentioned -the spir­
itual anarchist, such as Hurtado in El arbol de la eieneia. Concerned
with the injustice of society, he realizes that all reform of a humanitarian
nature must come through political channels. Recognizing the hopelessness
of this, he feels himself inclining toward a spiritual anarchism based upon
good will and pity, but lacking in a practical solution.
Even as a stu­
dent, he fears that politics, particularly in Spain, is a' "scoundrel’s aft,"
Baroja, speaking through Hurtado, Bays:
Bealmente, la polftica espaSbla nunca habfa sido
nada alto ni nada noblej no era, pues, diffcil
persuadirme de que no debia tener confianza en
ella ..
'
,:
La inaccidn, la sospecha de la inanidad y
de la impureza de todo me arrastraban cada vez
mas a sentirme pesimista . . . La vida era una
corriente tumultuoea e inconseiente, donde los
actores representaban una eomedia que no comprendlan, y los hombres llegados a un estado de
claridad inteleetual contemplaban la escena con
una mirada compasiva y piadosa.^®
48
His distrust of the two historial political parties is confirmed,
during M s stay in the Manchegan Tillage of Alcolea, where both the Lib­
eral and GonserratiTe caciques are mere bandits.
Both bosses are barbar­
ous ruffians who rob the populace without eyem dissimulating their thiev­
ery., Apparently* the people of Alcolea are so accustomed to the division
of spoils between the two parties that they are indifferent* and. even
consider them necessary elements of their s o c i e t y . H e feels there is
no justice in life nor ever had been.
Dr. Iturrios echoes this belief of
the seeming injustice in life* by giving a striking panorama of the ruth­
lessness even in. nature..
. . . la vida es una lueha constants* una cacerfa.
cruel en que nos vamos devorando loe unos a los
otros. Plahtas* mierobios* animales . .
La jusficia es una ilusidn humanaj en el
fondo todo es destruir* todo es crear.■ Cazar,
guerrear* digerir* respirar* son formas- de
ereacion. y de destruccion al mi'smo tiempo. .
v
:
He goes on to show how the hyena* the spider and the tree* all of which
draw their nourishment from the earth* are engaged in the same process.
In Aurora roja„ Salvadora* IBnuells wife* is also indignant against
the injustice in the world.
Particularly is she vehement in her criticism
of a government that protects the rich against the poor* the men against ,
the women* and adults against children.
She resents a society that con­
demns a counterfeiter to twenty years in prison and lets a murderer go
scot-free provided he can prevail upon the sympathies of the jury
In la dama errantea the plot evolve® around Marians and her father’s
escape from Madrid after being innocently involved in an attempt to murder
the king*Alfonso kill* on his wedding day.
The anarchisticperpetrator
of theassault* a casual friend of Dr. Aracil* is Hilo Brull* a vain*
-■ h9
pedantic lover of phrases,1^ with a persecution complex and a flare for
the spectacular
Baroja's most general discussion of anarchy is found in this novel
through the opinions of Dr. Iturrioz.
He dwells on the ridiculous utopian­
ism of the anarchists, but adds that anarchy does serve one purpose -that
of awakening Spanish life, which today is like "una momia enwelta en
vemdas," The best method, according to him, is individual struggle, thrust ■ ■■■■■■
'
'
147
ing aside the old moral code, religion, state, and honor.
When asked his opinion on the anarchy of the "dinamitero, *' he asserts
that a bomb used for the sake of vengeance is a b s u r d . T h e duties of
anarchism are based on the destructive and creative power of ideas alone.
He is convinced that the individual will always be right against the
masses and that an anarchy must be created, an aristocracy of individual­
ists, new, brutal, strong, harsh, and violeUg% which will arouse society,
14q
and which will be destroyed as soon as it begins to decay.
In Los visionaries, Fermfn also respects the critical function of
anarchism.' He says;
11 anarquismo en Espana es la mfstlea de la revolu-
cidn. En su aspecto crftico tiene indudablemente
valorj ahora en su aspecto eonstruetivo, a miT me
parece una utopia mas.^O
Manuel, weighing the merits of anarchism and socialism, likewise
finds.anarchism useful in the necessary campaign to change outmoded value
patterns. Modern anarchists, in a lesser degree, remind him of the eritical philosophes of the eighteenth century.
El libertarlo, the semi-Bepublican of Aurora roja, echoes the need to
change antiquated social and moral values.
He says;
50
Lo que se slente es la necesidad del cambiOj,
la necesldad de u m vlda nueva „ Todos sentlmos que esta organizaelon social no respon&e a las neceeidades de hoy. Estatodo
varlandO; evolucionando, con una. rapidez
.„
enorae, no solo varla la diencia sino las
ideas de moral| lo que ayer pasaba por
Idgico hoy se tiene cozbq injusto. Se esta^
Terifieando un eamMo ccmpleto en las ideas,
en los mlores morales, y en medio de esta
transformacion la ley sigue imperterrita,, , y'
rfgida.^-52
;
•>
,
Baroja adds to these political vievrpoints of his characters in three
pf M s autobiographical works.
ernment.
He also gives his idea of. the ideal gov­
As agnostic politically as he is about morals or religion, he
says that he has always been a liberal radical. Individualist and anar151
chist.
However, in a later work, he denies the accusation that he is
/
-
a thebretical anarchist, as that implies an illusozy optimism which he
does not possess.
He does not believe in the innate goodness of man like
Eousseau, but, on the contrary, believes man to be dangerous, cruel and
treacherous.
:
He has never sympathized with the communistic theories nor the dogma
of socialism. .Heither has he accepted the constructive side of anarchism,
except in a critical aspect, half literary, half Christian.
He advocates a system of government that is the extreme opposite of
anarchism.
A nation should be rum, he says, like a factory or a mining
company, although he admits this would be difficult to achieve, since it is
not accomplished by political systems, but by race, culture, experience and
science - not depending on a utopia, a form of government, or a constitution
Baroja repeatedly proposes as an ideal state the little Republic of
Bidasoa, with the slogan, "no flies, priests or soldiers."
He explains:
Este program fl . , mo tuvo exito^ y sin •
embargo, mo creo que sea m^s estupido que
los prograjnas de las- otrae Bepublicaa o
- \
Momar<3.mfas. Un pueblo sin moscaa quiere
: decir que es tin pueblo li^io, un pueblo
«:
sin' frailes;revela 'que tiene bueri sentido;
'
y un pueblo sin carabineros indica que su .
Estado no iiene fuerzas x_cosas todas que .
;;
v:v
.:
me parecea exGelentes,
^
:. ,
•
.
•
•
'
=
"V-, :
'■ V';.'-.:*''
,He advocates a political dictatorship. - not socialistic - for Spain
in Paradox, rey, Paradox says, "To encmentro lo mas apropiado para Uganga
urn goblerno p
a
t
e
r
n
a
l
.
-
Haroja proposes a benevolent dictatorship in Huevo tablado de-Arlequfn.
■
: '■"[ •
» un minimum de ley y
a.un maximum
..v-'..".;-"
• ;v-.-
.,-v de antoridad . . . La:gran ventaja que tiene
el gobiermo por uno, euando ese uno es bueno,
es que puede eomocer a los hombres^ lo que
nunca conoce una asamblea, y ademas que
:puede obrar fuera de la ley euando conyenga.
:" ■
y-
;
\:
v
. . . Si (el pais ) neceeita un buen tirano.
busqu€mo8la0-!-59
'
-
:
;:
7;':
;■
He repeats that this type of government is.best for Spain, in whose
-
population he sees a strong.African element. For him the only solution
is a strong dictatorial government - a progressive despotism.
Boberto Says:
- Figurate tu un dictador que dijera: voy a
.
suprimir los toros., y los suprimieraj vcy a
suprimir la midad del clero, y la suprimiera,
y pusiera un impueato grande s©hre la renta,
: y mandara haeer carreteras y ferrocarriles, y
metiera en presidio a los caciques que se insubordinan, y mandara explotar las mines, y
,/•_
obligara a Ids paebios avplantar arboles „ „ .
.
5.
; .
-' •
.
;
He- has faith not in the humanitarian illusions of fraternity/ but only
in the ability of the strong and wise to impose themselves on the stupid
masses.
He continues:
■
;-■. v - .
fvv
Para mif la autoridad es. me^or que la ley. La
■
ley es rigida, estable, sin matiz/ la autoridad
.
■
;
■ . '■ ■■■■■■■
- . ' . :.
- 52
'
puede eer mas oportuno y en el fondo mas Justa
To preflero obedecer a la rauche&umbre que a ua
dogma. La tiranfa de las ideas y de las masse
es para mi la ma's repuls iva.
.
. .'
Bsroja, moved %y an ifistruetire rebellion against the principle of
established authority^ accepts this anarchistic philosophy, based on the
two factors of its idealogy with which he is in sympathys
the desire for
individual liberty, and the destruction of existing institutions.
Liberty is almost a keynote in the writings of our author.
Speaking
of it in regard to. anarchy, Boberto says, ” . . . la anarqufa para todos
no es nada.
Para un© sf^ es la libertad."^^ % .this he means to say a %
personal independence, freedom of thought and movement, unrestricted by
any human institution. ' :
'
•.
'
v'
Fermin expresses Baroja?s individualistic reaction toward the new,
growing Communist movement in Spain.
He professes to belong to the gen­
eration which regarded Dostoievski, Ifietzsche, Ibsen and Schopenhauer as
their spiritual fathers. Their analytical and critical ideal was in sharp
contrast to the growing importance of the mass man.
The fear of assump­
tion of power by the masses made them, as individualists, cling more
closely to their scale of values, which included the widest liberty of
the individual and an aristocracy of culture.^ 3
Baroja laments the tendency which has arisen in the past fifty years
to submerge the individual, and overplay the importance of the group.
Bussia, which has lived under Communism for the past thirty years, has
produced no great writers, whereas before Communism, there were many.
The same has been true of Fascist Italy and Hazi Germaxy,
53
He is frankly pessimistic about vulgarising culture to any great
extent and says that science, morality and art must, always be the property .
of the m i n o r i t y . He lays part of the"blame for this on the interna­
tionalization of sports and fashions, which helps to bring About a state
of.uniformity. Radio and, particularly, the movies have been the "most
levelling forces on present day society, replacing the more salutary in­
fluence of literatureo
Years ago a city like Madrid or Barcelona sold
two thousand copies of a popular book a year; today, a movie.- attracts' ten
times that many people a day.
These factors which suppressindividualism
and tendto emphasize am ■inferior culture of the masses he believes to be
detrimental to the regional and national Spirit. "Se ve q,ue estamos ea
un momento de baja, de parada de la civilizacion."^
He continues in the words of his protagonist, Ferrafn, to declare:
..
la lueha, el odio, la violencia, hasta la
envidial-o . . todo ello me gusta mas que la
manada„ Para nosotros, por encima de todo esta^
la conciencia y la libertad . .. V La libertad
nos interesa mds que Lenin . . . Ho queremos
salvacion eommii ni tutela politica.^T
These ideas are shared by other heroes in Baroja’s novels, Hurtado
holds the idea of liberty above all others:
-
11 hombre de, verdad busea antes que nada su
-independenciaj■
■s@ necesita ser un pobre diablo
o tener alma de perro para encontrar mala la
. libertad. ^Que no es posible? jQue el hombre no
puede ser independiente como una estrella de
otra? A esto no se puede decir ma^ sino que es
verdad, desgraciadamente.
And in la sensualidad pervertIda, Luis Murgui-a claims that every
dream of personal happiness and well-being must necessarily spring from
’’spiritual autonomy „
,\
54
Bsroja upholds the Hletzschean thesis for human redemption through
struggle, believing that destruction is necessary for constructive change.
.It is his yiew that in Spain, s®.anywhere, the most useful step toward
the emancipation of thought is criticism.
Before desirable changes can
come, it is necessary to produce a state of intranquility and unrest.
The old, traditional ideas must; in part, be destroyed in order to make
way for progress„ In reality, to destroy is only to change.
He ridicules people who avoid change for fear of public opinion and
believes this to be one of the lowest forms of slavery.
In Juventud„
egolatrm, he goes on to say;
Cambiemos todo lo que podamos. Mi ideal seria
cambiar constantemeate de wida.de casa, de
alimentacion j hasta de piel.^fO
In Paradox, rey he illustrates the relationship of destroy and change,
Destruir es cambiar; nada mas. la la destruecion
esta la necesidad de la creacldm. En la destruccidSt estd^el pensamiento de lo que anhela Uegar
a ser. -
'
V*
. . . . Palidas imageries del pensar humano, brutales ezplosionea de la materia inertes sols
igualmente destruetoras, sois igualmente creadoras.
.
'
Destruir es cambiar. Ho, algo mas. Destruir
.es erear.^-71
He repeats this idea in jfuevo tablado de Arlequin;
La mision de la intelectualidad burguesa no es
otra: destrair. Hay que destruir tenazmente,
implaeablemente»3-72
•
There is an allegory which describes the various reactions of the
different types of people to ideas of this nature in Paradox,rey.
The
Church is indignant and tries to reinstate bdlief by force.;thestupid
55
resent having their eyes opened and their peace disturbed! the predatory
curse those who want to end their depredationsj the vicious want to lynch
them! the pedants are scandalized! the frivolous are indifferent and do
not care one way or the other,173
;,
Baroja respects the scientific method}, as a result of his early ■:
medical training, and proposes its use as an aetiye force in the new
order that would result from destruction.
Like Hurtado, he hopes it is
possible; to build a better world on: a scientific basis.
But, like
Iturrioz, also, he agrees that society is never changed by a scientific
evaluation, but only by illusory promises' of happiness, flattering to
the ego.
He believes egoism to be the great evil of s o c i e t y . B a r o j a
says;
-
'
Ho eneontrando el rondo heeho a nuestro gusto, lo
.' descomponemos y 1 © rehacemos a nuestra imagen y
seme janza, Gada uno ve en el sitio donde esta lo
que le interesa, y sdlo lo que 1© interesa . . .
Esta limitaeion, '.esto de ver el rando eon ore jeras,
como los eaballo® enganehados, es general . . .
[Egotismol /IgotismoJ . . . Este me parece al fondo
de toda obra humsna.^75
This tendency to see things from a predetermined point of view is
not exclusively Spanish, says &roja, but it is more accentuated in the
176
peoples of backward countries.
This is expressed by a character in
'
Camino de perfeecion. who says.;
,
.
Gada uno ve el mumdo a su manera. Uno lo ve de
color de rosa, y otro, negro. VYaya usted a saber
com© seraI Es posible que no. sea tambidn mas que
una mentira, una figuracic^ nuestra, de todos.^77
Science appeals to Baroja because it is above controversy.
ligion, morals and sociology, all m y be fantasy.
in science.^®
In re­
There are no heretics
56
He deplores the Indifference of Spain to scientific progress and
declares that stimulation of invention and the erection of laboratories
are among Spain's most urgent needs.
in El arbol de la cieacia,
An example of this is brought out
A friend of Hurtado's is forced to go to an­
other country in order to carry a scientific experiment to its conclusion,
since in Spain there are no means to do so,^^’
:
Sin duda faltaban lahoratorios, talleres para
■ segair el proceso evolutive de mna rama de la
eienclai sohraha tambiem un poeo de sol, un
poco de ignorancia, y bastante de la protecci m del Santo Padre, que generalmente es muy
util para el alma, pero muy pefiudieial para
la cieneia y para la industrial®®
'
As opposed to the eighteenth Century philosophes, x-fho believed that
scientific and mechanical progress were stepping-stones t© man's conquest
of his environment, Baroja is of the opinion that material and scientific
progress will achieve nothing as long as moral, progress is at a stand-
/
stillo^^l Some of Silvestre Paradox's ideas reflect Baroja!@ own on this
point,
'
..
Silvestre reeonocfa el progreso y la civilisaeion
.y se entusiasmaba con sus perfeccionamientos materiales, pero no le pasaba los mismo respect© a
la evolucioS moral5 vefa en el porvenir el domimio
de los fuertes^ y la fuersa le paree^., eomo cualquier jefarquia social, una injusfieia de la Watu'' raleza,
aQue^van a hacer el debil, el impotent© en una
sociedad complicada eomo la que se presenta> en
una sociedad basada en la lucha por la vida, no
.una iucha brutal de sangre„ pero no por ser imtelectual aenos terrible
His pessimism in regard to moral progress in the modern world was '
intensified by the World War,
It indicated not only that man is still as
57
fierce as the Cro-Magnon man,hut also that he is as dogmatic and fanati­
cal as the zealots of the Middle Ages.
.
'.
Larranaga, thetypical disillusioned, protagonist of Las valeidades
de la. fortuna, .saysr1' ' . . '
:
.- :- :
: - :
Se avanza en la civilizacion; pero no en todos loe
sentidoe, Lo que se gana enunadireecion, se
.. .pierde en otra, Cuando: se hace el balance de. una
■; dpoca, no se ve que se haya me jorado iritegramente,
sino que se ha avanzado en una direecion, y se ha
:;
retrocedido en otra„l8^ '
.
":
v r '
•-
:
-• . :
.:
The character of Samuel DotWell in one ofBaroja’s earlier novels,
11 mayorazgo de Labraz3 typifies the author 's general attitude, and that Sf
the whole "generation of ‘98»11 Bothwll says;
.
-
.
El prdgreso material no ha hecho ads que debilitarnos; ha sustitui'do lae fuerzas individuales con las
'^]^eaeyg^aeisaca^h■'■.die'^lav8atel*iae■. Manana no m e ' c e s l - . •
.taram.los homhres eximar., porque sumara' u».a maquina; ^
:
■ no neceaitara'n escrihir, porque escribir^' una maf- ■
:
quina; no necesitarah.masticar> ni digerir, porque
‘ masticara y di^erireT uma ma'quinaj la maquina penaara^
hahlara y hara cuadros eon eseindecente Invento que
se llama .el daguerreotipo. /Y un dia desaparecera' la ; •
Humanidad y le sustituira' la Maquinidad funcionando
por medio de un sistema maquinal.185
This idea is brought out again inBaroja's "Divagaciones de autocritica."
'.He says;
.:
.
.
. \
.ry-%
/
: '.
Asif se> le-ye tender a la desvalorizacion de todos ' •
ilos 1deales humanos ; al desden por. la cultura
,
■ ■^"
general, a la tendencia a la espeeialidad, al ;
.
:
sport y a'la intensifieacion del mecanismo de la
vida, hasta tal puhto, que parece que las cosas
ellas mlsijjas tenden a sustituir las inquietudes
espirituales por el puro movimiento automKtico
y mecanieo. La ciencia, que es, hoy por hoy, lo
unico con aire religioso que hog queda, nos
._ .
aplasta; con su frialdad.^°.^
,:■
--:-
r
;
-
•
■ : _
58
ICOIOMC COEDITIONB
Bie s*bateiaeat has."been made earlier is this thesis that the agrar­
ian situation constituted the most serious problem in Spain.
More than seventy percent of the population depended on agriculture
for their livelihood, and yet rural economic conditions were in a d@'
187
:■
^
plprable state„
The situation was worst in Castile, Extremadura, La
Mancha, and especially, Andalusia, where misery, poverty and illiteracy
were the rule among the agricultural laborers. In the other provinces,
land was distributed more equally, with an enormous number of tenant and
owner farmers.
188 ;
But in Andalusia, the rich, southern part of Spain,
whole provinces belonged to about 100 men whose families had held them
since feudal times,^ 9
The problem had several aspects. The government believed in follow­
ing the ancient Castilian tradition which favored cattle-raising at the
expense of agriculture, so that cultivation of the soil was faced with
extraordinary difficultiesTogether with this was the still primi­
tive way in which agriculture was carried on, without benefit of new,
scientific methods.. But the most serious problem was that of land tenure.^91
There is no rural middle class in Spain, "*"92 and much of the best land was
in the hands of a few.
This was true especially in the south and west
sections of the country, where the latifundia p r e v a i l e d . T h e landown­
ers were, practically without exception, absentee landlords who took
little or no interest in the best use of the land, leaving it either un­
cultivated or in the hands of tenants while they travelled or led a gay
life in M a d r i d , S p a i n is a nation in which one percent of the land­
owners possesses fifty percent of the land, and where more than fifty
percent of the peasant population has no land at all, working as day
■
195
laborers at starvation wages. ^
.
Although none of Baroja*s novels deal directly with peasant life
and its problems in Spain, most of them relating to urban conditions,
he recognizes the gravity of the agricultural situation in his native
land and refers to it frequently.
In' la dama errante, as Marfa Araeil and her father are fleeing from
the police, they encounter on the road a young Spanish hidalgo who ex­
plains the sad condition of Spanish agriculture. According to him, the
8landowners fence off for themselves fields and mountains, close roads
for their own advantage, and do nothing for the people.
They keep large
areas of land uncultivated for hunting and cattle grazing;
They have
no sense of duty toward the countryside and take no interest in sanita­
tion or reforestation.: They, ally themselves with the Civil Guard and
hand over the peasants who try to steal a few grapes or firewood.
As a result, all the able-bodied Spaniards emigrate, leaving only the.
weak and the crafty, who go to Madrid and there corrupt the people more. 197
Paradoxically, the.people were better off when the land was in the
hands of the Church, before they were expropriated during the nineteenth
century.
The friars, at least, made use of the lands and helped the
peasants as best they could.
But the lands were turned over, not to the
village, which would have been just, but to rich, ’’Christian" owners, who
turned out to be more despotic and hostile to the people than the friars!*
60
A priest whom they meet on the road Joins the others in condemning
the rich land proprietors:
Siij este esta&o de cosas no puede aubaistir,, To
tam'bie'n estoy con usted y eon la gente del campo,
" Soy hi jo de lahrador,, y, la verdad, ya no se
. . ; . puede vivir en Espana
Kferfa and her father meet an old pem, outside a great estate, cast
off because of sickness and left to die on a heap of stones„ Dr, Aracil
pays mock homage to the property sign on the wall, exclaiming, "Sacred
property!
I salute you,
Shanks to you, the Spaniards who don't emigrate,
die of hunger and fever along the roadside„"200
Ferffiin resumes the same trend of thought in Los visionarios, . He
refers to the.deplorable conditions of the Andalusian agricultural work­
ers;
'
.
.
Los segadores trahajan de sol a sol, y entre el
sudor y el polvo se les pone la camisa como si
fuera de yeso , „ » Is que la gente vive mal y ;
no ve mds que lo inmediato, lo del dia, dQue
criterio van a tener estos pohree hraeeros?
Las familias no ganaa lo auficiente y matan el
hambre eri algun&s temporadas con higos chmabos,
vino male y tabaco detestable „
.
He discusses further the miserable state of the peasants, in the
rich districts as well as in the poor.
He deplores the accumulation of
wealth and also intelligence in the cities, which leaves the villages
bereft of material, intellectual and moral resources.
Like a parasite,
the city lives off the country, vampirishly sucking its life-blood. As
a solution to this problem, he says, that the owners of the land should be;
202
required to live on their property of else relinquish it,
Hurtado, in 11 arbol de la eieneia, shares M s observations with
Fermih,
She progressive evolution of the rich at the expense of the poor
61
Is obviouso
From a physical standpoint^ the difference in stature of
the ones who are undernourished and live in cramped quarters with poor
sanitation is apparent„ Pi^rsical strength and even intelligence are
203
inferior in the poor villagers as compared with the moneyed class„
Baroja is pessimistic about the underlying spirit of slavery among
the poor« Hature, not content with a division of the fortunate and unfor»
tunate, the rich and the poor, also gives to each a corresponding spirit0
He illustrates this point by comparing society with the bees„ The larvae
of the worker bees are put into a small space with not enough food.
They
develop incompletely and become the proletariat, possessing an equally
pok
inferior spirit of submission.
.However, he places the greater part of the blame on the social in­
justice of our civilization.
Modern civilization is only for the rich.
Previously there was not much difference between the rich and the poor!
both shared common d i s c o m f o r t s T o d a y the rich are separated from the
poor and live indifferent to their needs and sufferings.
He brings in
this idea in a discussion between two slum-dwellers of Madrid in Mala
hierba.
Jesus;
la ciwilizacion es may buern para el
rice,{le que es para el pobre!
Alonso;
la luz ele'ctricaf $1 los vaporesf
^y el teldgrafof
Jesus;
^Pero usted los utiliza?
Alonso;
Ho, pero los he utilizado.
Jesus;
Cuando tenfa usted dinero.
La eivilizacion
•
62,
■
•
.
eeta. hecha para ei q.ue tiese dinero,
j el que no lo tiene q.ue se imera.
Antes el rico j el pbbre se alumbraban .
con mi candil parecldoi hoy el pobre
sign© eon el candil y el rico altmfbra
su casa con luz eld6trica| antes si el
pohre iha a pie# el rico iha a caballo;
hoy el pohre eieue andando a pie y el
rico va en antomovil; antes el rico
■ tenia, que viTir entre los pobres ^ hoy
vive aparte, se ha hecho ana muralla
de algodon y no
nada, Qtae los
pohres Chilian^ el no oyej que se _ ,
mneren de haiabre, el no se entera.
Although Baroja does not advocate democracy, he feels that the aris­
tocracy contribute® nothing and is superfluous to Spanish society.
Areelu, his mouthpiece in El mundo es ansi^ criticizes an aristocracy
that is linked to the latifuhdia system, that keeps vast lands for it®
own pleasure, that sanctions bullfighting, hypocrisy and political graft
all that is associated with the degeneration of the people who progress
sively become poorer and more wretched,.
The following is a mild expression of his hostility toward its uselessnessi and futility,
/
Funangue, one of the African natives in Paradox,
rey„ eloquently praises his country and its nobility to Paradox.
Funangue: El pueblo bastante tiene con la honra de
trabajar para que viyan el rey y su faa-ilia, yo, los magos, los nobles y los
soldados. la constitueion. del reino .de
TJganga es la me jor del mumdo,
Paradox,
los nobles, no trabajan?
, Funangue:
Ho, son criaturas demasiad© perfectas
para eomprometer su honor.en vile®
menesteres, Elios cazan, montan sobre
sus camellos, cobran sub rentas.
Paradox:
que^meritos tienen para vivir asi?
Funangue:
Que son hijos de sus padres.
■
63
.Paradox: .JTodos?
Funangue: Algunos quiza no seas.
208
'
Bardja •ironieaily coimaents on the laypocrisy of the Spanish arlstocracy im Camino de gerfeccion.
'
_
-- :
-
:
z
^
:
:■
■
■
Esta sociedad aristoer^ica esta'muy bien organizada. Es la. tmica que tlene "buen sentldo y teen
gusto. Eos jaaridoB andan golfeando con una y otra^
de aca-para all^j, de casa de Lucfa a casa de Mer­
cedes, y de esta a casa de Marta„ Lae pobrecitas
de las im jeres ad qmedan abandomdas, y se las ve
vacliar durante mucho tieiapo y pasear con los ojos
tristes. Hasta que un dfa se declden, y hacen
teen, toman un queridito, y a vivlr alegremente.
A1 entrar en la calle Ifeyor, los dos. prlmos saludaban a doe macfcadtias
y a una senora que pasaron en un eoehe.
“El padre de estas," di-jo el primo filosofo, "es un
.Gatolico fwibundo. Es de los que van a los jubi­
lees com cirlosj en cambio, las chicas andan de
teatrucbo en teatrucbo, escoltadas, rie^dose y
charlando eon sus amigos. Is una sociedad muy
amable esta itedrilem."
“Ya te habras fijado en el aspecto mfstlco que tlene
la mayor de las hermanas," dijo el primo jovial.
"Bicen que tiene ese aspecto tan espiritual desde
que se acostaba con un o b i s p o . "209
Baroja holds the aristocracy responsible for the social injustice and
inequality of present-day society.
It is society that is to be blamed for
the social outcasts and misfits that abound.
Toward these people, the
downtrodden, the poor, and the unfortunate, he professes a profound sym­
pathy and pity, together with a desire to free them from exploitation and
suffering which is far more disturbing than their sine. He does not ser­
monize or attempt to reform, but accepts them as they are. What he does
protest against is the institutions that constitute the basic evil, the
remains of a feudal and medieval civilization, particularly the unjust dietribution of wealth and power that make poverty and crime inevitable.
210
6k
His sympathetic attitude toward beggars, golfos,, prostitutes, coun­
terfeiters, blackmailers, thieves, etc,, indicates that he recognizes this
riffraff to be largely the fruit of a miserable enyironment,^^"
La lucha por la vida, his picaresque trilogy, draws a detailed and
naturalistic picture, as forceful as it is disagreeable, of the sufferihg
and hopelessness in the slums of Madrid,
It is a haunting, bitter picture
of life among the people society rejects.
Their only stimulation is drink
and the unattainable dream® of grandeur which come with intoxication,
Baroja paints a starkly realistic description of the repugnant tene­
ments where Manuel, the protagonist, finds lodging with relatives.
Hallabase el patio siempre saeioj en un angulo se
levantaba un montm de trastos inservibles eubierto
.de chapas de cincj se vefan telas puercas y tablas
carcomidas, escombfos, ladrillos, tejas y cestoej
un revolt!jo de mil diablos. Todas las tardes algunoe yeeinos lavaban en el patio y cuando termimaban su faena vaciaban los lebrillos en el suelo, y
los grande® chareos, al secarse, dejaban manchas
blaacas y regueros azules del agua de anil. Solfan
echar tambien los vecinos eualquier parte la basura,
y cuando llovia, como se obturaba casi siempre la
boca del sumidero, se producfa una pestilencia insoportable de la corrupcion del agua negra que inund a b a el patio y sobre la eual nadaban hojas de
col y papeles pringosos.
„ „ , no se versa mas que ropas sucias, colgadas
en las barrandillas, cortinas hechas con esteras,
colchas llenas de remiendos de abigarrados colores,
harapos negruzcos puestos sobre mangos de escobas
o tendidos- en cuerdas atadas de un pilar a otro para
interceptar mas atm la luz y el aire.212
The "Corrala" is a little world in itself, harboring every specimen
of riffraff known to society.
..
Era la Corrala un mundo en pequ^o, agitado y febril,
que bullfa como una gusanera. Alii' se trabajaba, se
holgaba, se bebla, se ayunaba, se morfa de hambre3
65
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allf' se construiuan muebles^ se fals ificaban
antiguedades, se zwc£an bordadoa antigaos^ se
fabrieaban biMielos, se;;ecmponrfan pdreelanas
rotas, se coneertabaa rdbos} se prostituian
majeres , ■Era la Corrala ‘an microcosmos „ . «
alii' habfe, hombres que lo eran todo y no eran
nadas medio sabips, medio iaerreros, medio carpinteros ^ medio albaniles, medio comerciantes,
medio ladroiieSc '
fV
Era, en general, toda la gente que allf
habitaba gente deseentradaf que Tivia en el
continue aplanamiento producido por la eterma
e irremediable miseriaf muchos cambiaban de
oficio, comp un reptil de piel . .. , Gasi todos
ellos. Si se terciaba, robaban lo que podiani
todo® presentaban el laismo aspecto de miseria y
de consunciof . . , Vivfam como hundidos en las
sombras de un sueno profundo/ sin foraarse idea
clara de su vida, sin aspiraciones ni planes, ni
prcgrectos, ni nada.2^?
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Manuel and M s companions sleep in emvents, asylums, barracks wherever they can find shelter for a night.
Once they stumble upon a
vacant house, which they occupy for several.days until they are forced
to leave.
. /
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Entraron en una callejuela. Los pies se hundfan
en el barro y e n los charcos, Yieron una casucha,
c m la puerta abierta y entraron. 11 Hombre Boa
encendi<f m a cerilla. La ea@a tenfa doe euartos
de un par de metros en cuadro. Las paredes de
aquellos cuartuchos destilaban humedad y mugre| el
suelo, de tierra apisonada, eetaba agujereado por
las goteras y lleno de charcos'. La cocina era un
.foco de infeccidn; habA, en medio un monton de
basura y de excrementps5 -en los rineones, cucarachas muertas y secas.
.
•
Be describes the people he sees on the streets in that particular
district.
Y
Era gente astrosa; algtmos, traperosj otros, mendigos; otros, muertps de hambrej casi todos de
facha repulsiva. Peor aspecto que los hombres
m
tenlaB aun laa mujeres sueias, desgremdas, hara- .
poaae« Bra una basura humam, enwelta en guina ip.jas, entwecida por el fr£o y la humedad,^ la que
vomitabaaqtiel barrio infecto. Ira la herpe, la
l&era, el color amarillo de la terciam, el parpado retrafdoy todos loa estigmas de la enfermedad y de la miserla.
,
One night they decide to go to the "Asilo de las Beliclas,"
Iban entrando mendigos, apoderandose de las tarimas,
colocadas en medio y junto a las eolumnas. De jaban
los que entraban en el suelo sus abrlgos, capas
llena® de remiendos, elastieas sueias, montones de
guinapos, y al mismo tiezapo, latas llenas de colillas,
pucheros y eestas.
. o . Manuel paseo^la vista por la sala. Cerca de
el, un Tiejo alto, de barba blanea, con eara de apds.tol, embebido en sus pensamientos, apcyaba la espalda
en uno de los pilares . . , En el rineon ocupado por
los golfos descarados y fanfarrones, se destaeaba la
silueta de un hombre vestid© de negro, tipo de cesante
« » o Todos los demas eras, de faeha brutalj mendigos
con aspecto de bandolerospcojos y tullidos que andaban
por la ealle aostrando sus defor®idades| obreros sin
trabajo, acosttmibrados a la holganza, y ehtre estos
algtm tipo de hombre caido, con la barba larga y las
guedejas grasientas, al cual le quedaba en su aspect©
y en;.su. traje, con euello, corbata y punos aunque any
sueios, algo de distinction^ un palido reflejo del
esplendor de la vida pasada,
• la, atmdsfera se calded' pronto en la sala, y el
aire, izspregnado de ©lor de tabae© y de miseria, se
hlzo nauseabundo.215
The next night they spent at a place called "la Casa Negra," in which
there lived gypsy bands and several beggars all together.
’ .
Eniraron . . » en la casucha. Cruzaron el patio, saltando por eneiiaa de eecombros, tejas, maderas podridas'
y mcntone® de caseote . „ „ Algunos hablan hecho sus
camas eon paja y trapos; otros dormian apoyandose
sobre euerdas'de esparto, sujetas a las parades „ » .
11 suelo era hmedo, de tierraj quedaban algunos
tabiques de la casa en pie; los agujeros del techo
estaban obturados eon haces de cana, cogidoe en el
rib, y pedazos d© estera „ » , Desperto/Manuel al
amneceri la.'luz del alba entraba por los agujeroe
del cdmizo qtae hacfa 4e techo, j eon agae.Ha. lass
p^lida el interior de la Casa Begra ofrecla un
aspecto siniestro.
Dormian todos mezelados, arremolinados en un
amontonamiento de Barapos y de papeles d© perid&ieoa
,
Ceres de Manuel, una rmjer con aspecto de
idiotisnie y .de miseria orga'niea, eueia y llena de
harapoa# mecia un nino en los brazes,216
Once, they even try to sleep in a church, but are caught and thrown
into jail.
They are forced in with sick, diseased and filthy creatures
who should have been-put. into a hospital instead of a prison,
The same ;;
night they are imprisoned, thirty prostitutes are hauled into jail and
locked in the next cell,
Manuel manages to get out of jail and on the
way out recognizes two girls he had known several year® before,
Salio/Manuel, paso^por delante de la jaula en donde
©staban encerradas las mujeres, vio a la Chata y a
la Babanitos en un grape de viejas prostltutas, entre
las gue habia una aegra, todae horribles, y subio/de
prisa la escalerilla hasta la sala en donde dormia el
■reten de'guardias, El sargento abrid'el postigo,
cogid'' a.Manhel de un brazo, le arreo'' un nuntapie eon
toda.su fuerza y lo puso en la calle.2lT
•
Through the help of his cousin, Vidal, he becomes involved in a
highly organized vice ring, and earns easy money in a gambling house.
describes the people who; work there s
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He
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Habia mucha gente empleada alia; varios croupiers
muy atildados eon las manos iimpias y perfumadas;
unos cuantos matones, otros medio® ganchos, otros
• que vigilaban a los que entraban y a los ganchos.
Iran todos tipos sin sentido moral," a quienes, a
unos la miseria y la mala vida, a otros la inelina. - eioS a 1© irregular, habia [email protected] empanado la
coneiencia y roto el resort© de la voluntad.^
Vidal is murdered by el lizeo, and Eaauel, suspected of being an
accomplice, is arrested.
He later is released on the condition that he
•
68
help find el Bizco.
His conscience rebels against this, however, for,
though he had never liked Bizeo, he, nevertheless, had associated with
him.
He appeals to el Maestro, one of the ringleaders of the gambling
racket, and is released from his promise.
On one occasion Manuel and Eoherto Hastings visit la "Doctrima," a
gathering place for all the beggars and other social outcasts, who, oh
certain days, receive religious instruction and occasionally gifts of
sheets and clothing from charitable ladies of wealth.
A compelling pic­
ture. is drawn of the wretched state of these unfortunate®.
•
Las mujeres ocupaban casi tcdo el patio; en un
eztremo, cerea de una eapilla, se amoatonaban los
hombres; ho se veian mas queearas hinehadas, de
esttSpida aparieneia, aarices inflamadas y boeas
torcidas, viejas gordas y pesadae como ballenas
melancolicas; viejezuelao esqueleticas de boea
huadida y nariz de ave rapas; mendlgos vergomzantes con la barba wernigosa, llena de pelos, y
la mirada entre irdniea y huraSa; mujeres jdvenes,
flacas y estemuadas, desmelenadas y negras; y
todas, viejas y jdvenee, envueltas en trajes
raidos, remendados, zurcidos y vueltos a remendar
hasta no dejar una pulgada sin su remedio . . .
Entre los mendlgos, un gran mumero lo formaban
10® ciegoa; habfa lisiadqs, cojos, mamcos; unos
Meraticos, sileneiosos y graves; otros movedizos.^^9
One of the concomitant factors of poverty is prostitution.
Hurtado,
as a clinical doctor in the squalid sections of Madrid, comes into daily
contact with the sordid and base side of life.
He discusses the abject
conditions in which the people he treats exist, among whom are prostitutes.
He describes the life of these unfortunate women who no longer have a
name or social status ,in society -and who are treated like animals. iChey
cannot escape because they are indebted to the procuress, who is protec­
ted by the police, "fomada por chulos y per crlados de politicos.” She
brothel, like an octopus, subjects these women with its tentacles; if
they try to escape they are jailed as thieves and are condemned by
everyone.
220
•
The disheartening part of it is that there is no remedy.
Any au­
thority, whether the bishop dr the Director of the Aca&eny of Moral
and Political Sciences, would justify its existence as being a necessary
evil that must be accepted submissively along with the other inheritances
from their ancestor
i'i'eHAREEE I I I :-V
BAEOJA M D HIS CEABACIERS ■
Baroja makes two groupings of M s novels - "uiios, los he escrito
com mas trahajo que gus.toj otros, los he escrito eon mas gusto que
trahajo."
-
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:
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Els major characters also fall imto two types: those.which are
■thinly:disguised portraits of himself/ and which helong in the first
category above # and those which represent the idealized embodiment of
his o w yearning for; spiritual and physical freedom.
It is with this / ;:
first group of characters that we shall be eomeermed. as it is ia this
group .of novels that'he displays his:acute psychological insight to its -.I
utmost. However, in order to demonstrate more fully their author?s dual
or paradoxical persQuality, the characters belonging to the second group
will be referred to in order to provide cohtrast with the former.
These figures stand out.against a myriad of minor characters, seen
in rapid succession^, almost always picturesque, eccentric or even gro­
tesque types. who serve as background and help produce the effect of
free and natural movement which, gives to his novels their realistic
It is impossible to pick out ■one book which is representative of
Barojaj it is necessary to read his works in their entirety to appreciate
■ fully the personality of the author.
;
It has been shown in Chapter I that Spain/ as a nation^ suffers from
71
abulia, or lack of. will.
This lealady, .
•as Iferoja sees -it, afflicts the
individual-as.veil, and M s characters are typical of a country cursed with
a. diseased will power. He presents to us types of Spaniards who are lack­
ing in an active, energetic will, which go to'make up a composite picture
of ”una raza cansada,.de eseasa vitalidad.
His.heroes aspire to an ex­
alted life of action, but carry within themselves the source of their own
failures. From this- incapacity to solve their problems and to live, in con"
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-6
formity with their environment they fail, not grandly, but miserably.
His most typical character -is an adventurer, a physical or spiritual
vagabond, who, especially in M s earlier novels, wanders through life
pondering it® dark philosophies and seeking to orient himself in an ironi­
cal "civilization,,
Escape from this existence is found in nature, as
does Ossorio in Camino de perfeccion, in work, as with lanuel in the La I
lucha trilogy, or, as in the case of Hurtado in El arbol de la ciencia
even in suicide.
The recurring theme is "no es placer vivirj es una necesidad, uma
triste y cansada necesidad," In order to make life bearable, it is neces­
sary to intoxicate oneself, in some way, either with drink, or with science,
art, action, et cetera.
Some recourse must be found to make up for the
'v
Q
"
one element which reality lacks - that of happiness,
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" X
Sacha expresses this idea in 11 mundo es ansu
Vive una ya sin esperanza, y para simular la
energia que no ee tiene, para hacernos la
ilusio£ de abarcar un radio de aceio£ que no
abarcamos, estazi @1 arte y la musiea y los
iibros que son un poeo de opio en nuestra
vida, 9
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: ‘
Since these characters are motivated to action by disgust with their
environment and lack of adjustment to it? this implies a criticism of
the society in which they live*
The mala reason for their action is to
criticize, attack and destroy the unjust conventions and institutions of
their society» Like their author, their protest and revolt, is partly a
moral and ethical reaction and partly a means of asserting their indivi‘ i '
*10 "
,
dmlism and independence „
;.•
,Ln contrast with these passive characters. Baroja’s ideal is constantly the man of action, energetic and strong-willed„
Action becomes
ah escape valve for these sturdier types, usually Basques, who find an outlet for their driving energies through adventure, leaving them little
time for thought, as with Aviraneta of Memoriae de un hoiabre de accion
or Zalacam in Zalacam, el aventurero „
That is why there is so little
idealogy in the novels of this group, with the ezeeption of that of Para­
dox in Paradox's rey.
.In his works., Baroja refers continually to the two writers and phil- ;
osophere who have influenced, him most
Schopenhauer and.Zietzeehe
"
Bar©ja’® conception of the will in the Schopenhauerian sense of the
word is the vital instinct in man which is unappeasable desire.
This pessi­
mistic philosophy is brought out in Camino de perfeccim in a conversation
between the protagonist and a minor character, Hieolas. Polentinos.
Polentinos;
Ossorlo:
Toda® las vidas son mlas „
. Per© la del que sufre es peor
que la del que goza,
Polentinos: |6 ozarI iY quiAi es el que goza en
la vidaf „ «.« To creo, que euanto
mas se tiene mas ®@ desea, y nmiea
se eacuentra uno saticfecho.
Ossorlo:
S.jz,. eso es cierto,
.. ,
*
.
P©lemtjLa©ss E@ gue la vids, Sespmes de todos
a© @s aadBo AX fia j al cabo; X©
mism© da ser potee giae eer rice.
f&ie force ^ wMch he believes t© te hack ©f the whole miverse^
pervades the world with suffering from which there is a® relief except
ia ascetic denial =, Sufferlag is atteadaat mpem modern, individualism aai, is ■portrayed ia Baroja*® character®,
fhis pMXesop^r leads aot
to effortj, hmt to pessimism.-3
With the hegiaaiag of the tweatieth ceatery^ the eoacepte of Fried­
rich lietffehs became the vogue in Spain.
Baroja began to imitate his :
critical method and the theory that all things commonly accepted need
opposition and, contradiction.^ Baroja 's devotion t© the dyaasd.e and
heroic life is based upon that element which causes man te aspire to
something beyond himself, that element which lieteseh© formulated a® the
idea ©f the. S
u p e r m a n
.^5 x® lietzseh® and Schopenhauer both, will is the
messed at last ty the wistful individual Into action which has no end
El hom^re ,de aceion @s, pu#s, 1© qme, com© tal
hembr®, Bareja a® e®, sin© 1© cue huhiera guerid®
®er . . Si -Baroja fuese @1 hombre de voluatad y
de aeeioS, .el. hero© gue a eada pas© estamos a pra­
te t® ene©atrm° ea sue aovelas, posible @s gu© no
httMera ©@©mit® miaguma de ©iacueata y tantas gu@
■hast®■'Is: fecha lleva publiead© (19313)» La suert®
ne 1© ha guerM® aa£^, y al a© quererl©' asf^ ha
querido la ©©Bseeuencia logieas qu© ea v©s de
eseriMr Bar©ja, de eseriMr algo, la novela viVila, teaga que eoatentarse con vivlr la novela
eserita j esto. porque 1 qu© Baroja ©s ant® tod© '
.
®
7%
y solbre tot©,, es hombre de pensamiento, no
de aecio^o Su accioSj, a falta de impulses
eficaeeSj, ha deMdo agotarse en escribir
mowelas y m s nofelae.
. t
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He adds that Baroja is a pure artist who does not write for fame or money,
or even as a contribution to literary art, but that he searches for the
spectacular, the adventurous, and derives pleasure ffcm intervening in .
■the human daily, drama.
Barja goes on to say that like his close friend, Azorfn, Baroja is a
man of thought and a victim of reflection.
However, he does not reduce
life to a lyrical basis, but, on the contrary, uses action and will or
'
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1A
lack of will as the principal theme of.his novels, ■ His fondness for
action stems, at least partially, from his own incapacity for action which
iq
M s peaceful, sedentary life reveals, y. .
Salaverria quotes Baroja as saying, "To soy urn kombre de accioa que
ha debido, em su fracas©, conteatarse eon hacer novelas por lo que s*
aproximan a la vida aventurera," He adds, that although his literary out­
put has been tremendous, all of M s projects have been developed, not from
an active personal life, but somewhere between the Bank of Spain and the
Puerta del Sol,. Forceful action is restricted to the pages of hie novels.
Occasionally, he journeys outside of Madrid, but always returns quickly
to the friendly and consoling warmth of his -own fireside, like a penitent
= a
t .20
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Jose"Balseiro quotes Baroja also as saying, "yo no soy ni he sido ua
tipo fuerte.y durd, de voluntad energica, sino mas M e n flojo y un tanto
desvaido, mas un tipo de final de raza que de comienzo,"^
continues;
,
Balseiro
751
Baroja ha sido un pendulo oscilante entre la/
ansiedad de Tivir y el fastldio de la imccion.
La
vino a salvarlov Porque las \
■hazaSuEi que hdbleraa podido interesarle como
hozobre, pero ain eondiclones pereomles para
reallzarlas „ se las M z o ylvir a los seres de
su invencion literaria, El encuentro entre
la vida y las aspiraciones de Baroja - entre
■", i.:
.• el anaia de hacer y el.fraeaso.de no-hater
''
hech© en funcion ejeeutivo - produce la ironia ■
de caraeter introspective. profundamente psi- .
coldgiea, personalisime22
A, B„ Pastor, in M s article on Spain in Contemporary Movements in
European Literature, eays that Baroja dreams of an adventurous, varied
existence, but the truth is he is rheumatic and dyspeptic and therefore
admires the activities of his heroes.who suffer from no such complaints.
He sees action as a means of escape, not only from oneself, but also
from the mediocrity of middle class life and from false
p r e t e n s i o n s .
^3
Baroja, himself, in his duvemtud, egolatrla„ which he wrote as an
:■
"exercise of mental hygiene," says that like everyone else who has a
sneaking faith in doctors8 remedies, he has a remedy also for the disease
of living - action.
This remedy is as old as.the world and is at the
same time as useful as any other and as useless as all the others - which
is to say it is not really a remedy.
He explains this paradoxical state­
ment by adding that our only source of action is in ourselves, in the vi­
tality which we have inherited from our parents.
He who has it employs
it whenever he wishes| he who does not have it will search for it in vain.
Baroja distinguishes between the man of action and the man of inaction.
El hombre eapas de aecidn, no siente curiosidades
inuiiles y piensa de los demds Id neceasrio, y con
esto aeaba por deshacer todo lo autentico y verdadero. El que ti@ne:euriosidad es poco practice,
seSdla lo bueno y lo malo en el prd^imo y con esto
da uma sensaeion de cinicismo y de misantropia.
■■ •
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i£
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De ahjf*results que el tipo maqulavelico y an.
poco false parece meho mas amable a la geate
y ilia's capaz de simpatfa, atin que no la tenga,
que el hombre tm poco sincero y algo mlsaStropoo2^
He continues in this trend of thought, referring to people in general.
La eordialidad, la generosidad, la caridad, la
filantropia, todo es muy flojo y muy poco vivo
en el hombre. La mayeria de las veces esta'
solo en las palabras . . .^o yQ la falsedad
no le puedo soportar. La not© en seguida y me
produce una gran repulsion. Prefiero con mucho
el mal humor y la rudeza que la falsedad.27
-
Our "Caballero de Terdad,"as Madariaga calls Baroja, prefers the cynic to
the hypocrite.
■
He explains;
:
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Ahora que teago admiracion por la persona que
aiente de verdad los sentimientos earitativos
y piadosos, pero las gentes que los fingen y
que ereem que urns cuantas frasecitas retdricas son iguales a los sentimientos profundos,
esas me dan r i s a .28
In La caverna del humorismo, he maintains that the. man of thought
frequently does not recognize himself for what he is.
He goes on to say;
. . . el hombre de voluntad se encuentra siempre
consecuente cuando se mira en sue acciones o
euando se mira en un espejo, De una manera o de
otra se dice, "Assoy yo, no puedo ser de otro
modo." En cambio, los hombres de poca voluntad
nos negamos a nosotros mismos, ffsica y moralmente.
Speaking through one of his characters. Dr. Guezartegui, he continues;
To cuando por casualidad me.encuentro reflejado
en un espejo, me suelo decir a veces, "Ah, canalla;
tienes cara de hombre "honrado, y, sin embargo, eres
■ un farsante." ^9
Beflecting on the difficulty of foreseeing the future, he observes
the paradox that those who appear destined to a brilliant future often
^
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•
%
come to naught, while others who from all indications will amount to
nothing distinguish themselves in some manner.
’V
A personal inference may
be drawn from the latter statement with regard to Baroja.
From early-
'
childhood he had been firmly convinced that he would never amount to any-.;,
thing.
He remarks that his classmates in medical school would have been
incredulous had they known that he was to become an important figure in the
literary world.
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■jEste que va a ser conociddl eeguramente hubieran
pensado. (Ca! *iEs impdsible i30
Even after reading Xa lucha por la vida, a relative, when asked M s
opinion, declined to admit that the author was anything but a "senorito",
and not a great writer.
He says of Manuel, its protagonist:
personaje es un hombre de pueblo, falsificado.
Is como til, que no puedes ser mas que un senorito.
Hagas lo que quierae, te vistas de. anarquista, de
socialists o de golfo, no eres adfs que un senorito.
However, Baroja consoles himself with the observation that this "senor i t Ismo'' that he is reproached with is a characteristic common to almost all
Spanish writers. There has never been one who, he believes, has truly cap­
tured the soul of the people - Galdos merely makes them talk, Azorih des­
cribes villages of Castille, and Blaseo Ibanez paints vivid descriptions of
the.Yalencians. It would take a great artist and writer to do this, and there
have been none.31
-
.
In the first issue of the El espectador, Ortega y Gasset made the
statement that Baroja amounts to nothing and he presumes he will never
amount to anything.
Baroja agrees with this statement, saying that every­
one he had ever known had shared this belief. He explains the reasons why
this idea had become so firmly rooted in his mind.
;Cuando fux por primera vez a la escuela, en San
Se"bas;t|aii,, yo tenfa,duatro anos - ya ha llovido
•desde entqmGesj - el maestro^ don
Sanchez y
Calle ja, qda tenia la costuznbre de pegarnos con
.un puntero muy duro (las venerandas tradiciones
de nusstros antepasados)me miro'y dljo: 'late
cMco ya a ser tan cazurro como au hermano»
Htmca eer^ nada,-'
/ ,v.;-:
..tv.-. ..
::
v::
Estudiaba en Pamplona, en el Instituto, con ;
■doh Gregorio Pano, q.ue nos enaena.ba inatematica®|
::
y este anciano, que parecfa el Comendador del
Tenorio por eu eara helada y su perilla blanca,
,vtt
me: decfa con sn^oz-sepnlcrali ■ ’No eerd' usted
ihgeniero como su padre, Usted no aersfnunca
nada.1 . '
.
'
'' •
A1 cursar terapeutica con don Benito Hernando,.,
en San Carlos« don Benito se plantaba deiante de
.mf', y me deefa.s ‘Esa sonrisita „ . „ esa sonrisita
• c es una impertinencia „ A nvf ho me viene usted..
eon sonrisas satfricas, tJsted no serd* nunca nada
:mis qtie;uh hegadOr inu^il .1' .
.v-‘t;:'
•
y-i© me. encogfa de hombros «
./'- ■
.v
:t:v :■ i
Las muieres que he eomocido me han asegmrado:
' W no serds nunca nada,'
i."
/ "
-...-
■
Y un amigo que se marchaba al nuew mundo indi-; .
cabat ’Cuando vuelva, dentro de veinte o treinta
anbs, encontrare a todos loa conociclos. en distihta ;.
poeicidn^ tzno se habrdf ®nrip.uecidG, el otro se
habrdf arruinado, eSte habra llegado a ministro,
aquel habra desaparecido en una aldeaj tu seguiras .
como ahora, viviras igual y tendrae dos pesetas'en
el bolsiilOv : ie.paeare^'^
:.
v -■ •
la.' idea de que no sere nunca nada esta. ya muy
arraigado en mi. espfrith; :Esta' visto: 'no serd' diputado, ni academico, ni caballero de Isabel la
Catdiica, hi caballero. de industria, ni coneejal,
hi chanchullero, ni tendre/ una buena ropa negra „ „ .
Y, ain embargo, cuando sepasan los cuarenta anos,
cuando el vientre empieza a Mncharse de te jiao adiposo y .de ambicion, el hombre quiere ser algo, tener
un tftulo, llevar un cintajo, vestirse con una levita
negra y un. chaleco bianco; pero a ini'me estan vedadas
estas ambiciones, Los profesores de la'infaneia y de
la juventud se levantan ante mis ojos ccmo la sombra
de Banquo, -y;me, dieeh s Baroja, tu no seras nunca nada
Cnaai.© vqf a la orilla del m&rs. la® ©las que
s@ agitaa a mis pi@® mmrmwaa: lar©ja,
a© sera®
mrnea naSa, la leete^a ®aMa? qTie por la® Boelaes
'
t# a© seras numea nsda^ j testa los euervos qua
tsirttSMaa e l e iele: euelett gritame desi,© arrites ter©”
ja , tu a© @era@ mrnea aada e- ■<, ,.-T y© estegr .cem»a^
eido de; qae/ao ■ser«f'igmca .aa&a.*2
H© believe® M s ©aly specialty te Tbe that of M s isslg&t iat© aea’s
character«. H® admits M ® ability t© discern the g©©d from the bad^, the
first aemaiataac©» Sever tee he argsaei with a frieafi^ simply teeaase he kmew what eeald te expected from
' 33
with a- mere ©r less super­
ficial reeegnitien of will or lack of will in the alcohol victims of I
casa de Aizgorri. ,fh© following is:a e©aversation between the doctor^
Don Julian^ and Luis of the house of Aizgorri« & e former is
work as a stimulus for the will= . ■ Julian;
. „ „ vais a teaer que penear em
dirigir vmestros asuntos. Tendreis
Julian; .Sfv Ahora en estos eaeoe, se res. los
hprnbre.So fu ya 1© eres . . . tieses
energ£a.
Luisi
^Yof
Julians i
jlaho* La situaei©^ ttya y la Se tu
hermana soa j>ara abatir a cualquierai
per© ya veras cuando empieees a trabajar5 cofflo te sieates fuerte y energico.
Julians
hombre; porque a ti te haee falta
eeo, una ©eupaeloa^ teaer quebraderos
de cabeaa.
.
In the conversation below, his sister. Agueda, discusses vith the ,
doctor the fear's that assail' her when she is alone .at night.
" -
Julian: JHo puedes domina,r esas impresiones?
;i
.
.
: '-i >
:
;
Agueda; ■Ho„ Las domino a- veces por un esfuerzo
:
de voluntad, perovuelven a renaceri
■ Ahora rnlamo, cualquier cosa ee me ^
V
\
figura que puede tener influencia en mi
\
vida| una estrella que corre, una luz
i
que se;apaga. Lucho contra todas esas
'
'
'
ideas, pero temo, ahora mas que znmca,.
. quedar vencida, y que, en un momento de
. ; '^terror, me envuelvan completamente esas
''.alas -negras „
"
-
■' . '
Julian: Eo, Agueda, no.
;v;.'<
•
"
' : •V ' yi
A-gaedat;-■•'^cha'S' -.yeqes'. ee'''^:;.'oonrre':,^J3sar .que' \ /'-'v:.:
:v.:
v>-'::'' -Serfa mejor, niejor que vivir en esta :
lucha de esa sombra, que me atrae, y
la vqluntad, que me detierie, entregarme
con los ojos cerrados y vagar, vagar y
--yagar-Jiqr -esos espacios infinitoe,. ' '-'iv
Julianr Wo, Agueda.
'vv -;-
Se fuerte.
""
■•
;qt;
Sen ■volimtad.'??
From this novel, he :goes to a more detailed study of abulia in
Silvestre Paradox, a character study of an intellectual vagabond and his
penurious existence in a Madrid attic.
In this partially autobiographi­
cal, work, Paradox is quite as paradoxical as his author -a.disillusioned
man who gives little hint of hie.sentimentality and tenderness.^ All
alone, except for his"prized collection of stuffed animals, he feels.re-V >
, 'morse at times for M s purposeless existence and cowardice in mot having
married and reared a family.
.
.
'iSe sentla solo, yie^O, y triste. Iba a euimplir
los cuarenta y cuatro en aquel ano. Para otro
^ : aquella :edad:era' easi, M; juy^
para el la .
vejez, y la vejez decrepita.
, -
; , -.
"i.q "
--'V;
His spirit becomes fatigued by its conception of the incessant
struggle for life.
He sees nothing 'beyond "el cansaneio eterno &e la
eteraaiBibeclliaad ;iie v i v i r H e begins by not leaving the house j
he
ends by not leaving M s bed. He believes every society shouldhave-"un
matadero de hombres."
-:
Alla/ irian .los fracasadoS; las perdidas desesper-ad.a Sy los vencidoe, a que la piedad de los demas
les elimihara de urn mundo para el cual no tienen
cpndicioB@s. El mtadero se imponia; un matadero
.que' fuese un eden en donde se saborearan en una
kora todas las voluptttosidadess todos los refinamientos de la vida, y se entrara despues eh la
rauerte con el alma saciada de un emperador romano
. de la decadencia.3?
■
:
'
Paradox has a lively and ingenious mind# but no will, depending on
his good friend,"Avelino Diz, also-an inventor, to compensate for this
deficiency.
-
Con sus terquedades y su inteligencia pesada, Diz
era; indispensable para el esplritu de Paradox.
Este tenia, esa oseilacio6de ideas de los que viven
en un medio exclusivamente intelectual, le faltaba
voluntad y degaba muchas eoeas sin eoncluir.3®
Finally, after participation in many enterprises, by sheer force
of action, and through the help of Diz, he succeeds in escaping from his
cramped surroundings, bent on a new project of installing electricity in
■■ ■ ■/
' '
go
:
Burjasot and becoming rich. ^
'On the other hand, Ossorio, of Gamlno de perfeecionv has an inheritance of hysteria to add to M s hypersensitivity, and is capable of a refine­
ment' of suffering quite beyond Paradox.
H® endeavors to escape, not only
from society and its institutions which thwart self-expression, but from
himself as well.
:.
:
Life holds nothing for him; he is weighted down by a physical and
mental lethargy which undermines all M s forces.
He expresses it this way:
82
.. .
V
Siento la Tida ceB^pletamemte vacfa$ me acueeto
tarde# me levamto tarde^ y al lerantarine ya
estoy cansado; como que me.tiendo en un sillon >
y espero la hora de eenar y de acostarae „ „ .
Estcy tan cemsado, tan cansado.^l
And again:
;
:\
-
','4-- '
-v;.::,
iAh.I fSi yo supiera para que slrvol Porque yp,
qulslera hacer algo, Jsabea? pero no sd* qu^*. ^
Hot worried financially, he is aMe to live with a certain Indepen-
dence, 'but "como no tenia deseoe, ni voluntad, ni fuerzas .para nada, .se: dejo^llevar por la corriente/'^
.
Life repels Fernando rather than fatigues him, as with ParaddK.
' :> . „ el mundo de afuera no exlstej tiene la
realidad que yo le qulero da,r. T sin embargo, {que
vida es'ta maS asquerosa!^ '
'v /■v - ;
'':'
•
Hia solution is to renounce life, full of "ascos," and he is cured,'
not by action, but by the calming influence of Nature»
i
:i'V.r -V .. Iba sintiendo por dfas una gran, laxitud, un .
-- ; t) /' '
olvido de todas sus preocupaciones . „ „ "Como
1
las lagarti jas eehan cola nueva,n se decia, ’Vo
L
- debo estar echando eerebro nuevo„" Si deapuSs . ' ■
V.;, '
de hacer un gran esfuerzo imginativo reeordaba,
•
el reeuerdg le era indif©rente y no quedaba nada
,
/;
como resultado de 6 ; eentia la peea consisteheia
" -.0'
de sus antiguas preoeupaeiones . „ „ Al ponerse
:
.
en contacto con la tiei-ra, esta le bacla entrar
'
ea la realidad.^5
: ‘r
V-V;
./ ; .
:
;
His German companlon sums up the two points which exemplify the ■■spirit
of all of Barbja’s therapeutics
. t
;
;
To tuve una excitacion nervlpsa, y me cure/andahdo
mucho.y leyendo a ; N i e t z s c h e :
: ;
Finding at last repose of spirit and body through travel and through
nature,, he resolves to bring up his own son apart from the damning aspects
of civilization which had tortured him - schools, teachers, religion, etc.
83
Fernando mira'ba a su mujer, a su hi jo; de vez
@n cixando tendia la mirada por aquellae heredades sixyas recien sera'brada,s unas, otras en
donde ardfan montones ds rastrojos y de hojas
secas, j
. Eeeordaba su vida; „ . sue deseos y
veleidades por "rolyer a la corte# lenbamente
la costtsabre adquirid© de irivir. en el eampo^
el amor a la tierra, la aparieidn ene!rgica
del deseo de poseer y poco a poco la" reinte- _
gracidn vigoroaa de todos los instintos,
naturales, salvajea,
T como coronando sm fortaleza, el aijao
aquel sonrosado, fuerte, que dormfa en la cuna
eon los ojos cerrados y los ptSbs tambiem eerra:dd s, como un pequeSo luchador que se aprestaba
para la pelea „ „ „
Y pensaha que hakfa de tener cuidado c m el,
apartandole de ideas perturbadoras, tetricas, de
arte y de religion.
11 le dejarfa vivir en el seno de la Haturale2 a-; el le dejarfa saborear el jug© del placer y
de la fuerza en la ubr© repleta de. la vida, la
vida que para su hijo no tendrfa. misterioso dolor ©sino serenidades i n e f a b l e s . ^ 8
11 mayorazgo de Labraz is a character study, or, rather, a group of
character studies, of the impoverished nobility Of a small Basque village.
She Middle Age© have not yet passed in Labraz, nor have the medieval con­
ceptions of chivalry and gentleness ceased to exist in the blind Mayorazgo.
Through the passionate will of Ramiro, his gypsy stepbrother, he is forced
to seek a new life in nature and on the open road.
Ramiro's acts are, ac­
cording to society’s standards, immoral, yet they show a quickening force
that Baroja covets for the -older
b r o t h e r .
50 However, since he is limited
to obeying only M s brute Instincts he cannot be called a true man of
action.
After the gentle Mayorazgo suffers the misfortunes of the theft of
valuable jewelry by M s ungrateful brother, and the death of his only
daughter - he become© violently angry when, as a final blow, the town
magistrate and his associates cast as$®rsions on his character.
.
•
„ ..vosofros me.habeas vtielto locoj vosotrqs,
que sole capaces de todas lasinfamiasj vosotroe '
que querdls entrar a saco eh'la concieneia y en
'la propiedad ajenaso Pero estd se ha. aeabada ya. .
He cobrado'mi voluntad muerta. Si', se ha acabada
yao Yo soy Sansohy yo hare pedazos vuestros
tempios lienos de infames idolos; yo destruire/
vuestrae eiudades, que son mdrigueras de monstruos. Yo embestire, eomo un toro f■arioso,
. contra todo, :el aparato de vuestras mentiras.
In a furious protest against that accursed city, he hurls a lighted
torch into the granary, thereby destroying all of that year’s grain.
I’Que brairie el, huracanl” grito/el Mayorazgo con voz
de truenoy fQue el rayo lo imeiemdie y lo aniquile
todo! $Los campos y los. bosques y las casas J
iQue todo quede ahogado y extennlaad© en este pueblo
maldito!"
.
Y la gente se habfa dado cuenta del incendio.
Sonaban las caiapanas a rebato, se habfan abierto
las puertas de la eiudad, y hombres y mujeres •.
salian despavoridos de Labraz.
El Mayorazgo cruzo/el pueblo, atraveso'la
puerta de la maralla, y en 1$ obscuridadde la
noche se psrdio'de v i s t a .52
The most thorough preaching of the will is done by an Englishman,
Eoberto Hastings, in the trilo^r. La lucha por la vida, and directed to
the unambitious Bfenuel, who rises gradually from the misery and degrada­
tion of Madrid’s slums to a respectable place in society.
This is the
closest Baroja comes to moralizing in his novels, as he shows how through
perseverance and hard work an individual can find M s own niche in the
world.
.
"
In the first novel of this trilogy. La busca, Manuel Alcazar is
represented as a typical golfo of the city with a sensitivity and strength
of human feeling considerably heyond his environment,
From the very
beginning, like Baroja himself, he develops a sense of inferiority and a
defeatist attitude.
This stems partly from the indifferent treatment he
has received from his uncle with whom he lived before joining his widowed
mother in Madrid, and partly from hie own indolent disposition, which
makes him prefer to roam the countryside instead of going to'school.
He
is assured by his teacher that he is nothing more than "ua holgazan aventurero y vagabundo que no podfa acabar bien."
When he goes to live with his mother, a servant in a boarding house,
he falls in with bad company.
Later, he realizes M s mistake and desper- ,
ately wishes to escape, but finds it hard to make the break.
A Manuel no le gustaba la companfa del Bizcoj este
no queria reunirse ma'S que con ladrones. Era ua
bruto, uaa.alimetSa digna de exterminio.
To no sirvo para estoj ni soy un salvaje como
el Bisco, ni un desahogado como Tidal. ^T que"hacer?
Ideo’mil cosas, la mayorfa irrealizable; ioagino'proyectos complicados. In su interior lucha-.
ba n obscuramente la tendencia de su mdre, de
respeto a todo lo establecido, con su instinto
antisocial de. vagabundo, aumentado por su class
de vida.57 /
The two things he wants moat in the world, money and love, he dis­
covers are most easily obtained by illicit methods, and for these he has
•a deepaversion.
His one experience with
robbery in whichhe and
his two
companions break into a vacant-house only to discover there isnothing
worth carrying off, convinces him that both materially and spiritually the
results are not worth the effort. This ironical experience proves to
Un serfor @e laaeatato del a'baadoao ©a qu® ee 1@@
d.eja/ba a los eMeos^, j 4@efa qae 'ea otros palses
8?
„ » „ Despues # eoatradicieMose, pens o'
que quiza's era malo
ea eee. caso, no teaia
mas remedlo que corr&girse y hacerse me jor»
•
At the end of the novel, Manuel watehes the "trasnochadores" on
their way home from a might ofrevel just as the laborers are beginning
their day of toil and realizes that his place is with the latter«
■
..
Aquella transieion del bullicio febril de la
noche a la actividad serena y tranquila de la
manam, le hizo pensar a $fanuel largamente,
Comprendfa que ©ran las de los.noetaSabulos y
las de loe trabajadores vidas paralelas queno llegaban ni un momento a emcontrarse. Para
10s uno® el placer, el vicio, la noche1 para ,
los ©tros el trabajo, la fatiga, el sol. - T
pensaba tambien que dl debia s@r de estos, de
loS que trabajan al sol^ no de lo® que buscan
el placer e h l a sombra.®^ '
:
Throughout Manuel's wandering® through the three novels, he is
advised by Boberto from time to time that the possession of a strong will
-is a matter of duty.
is. missing in his
Like Paradox of Paradox, rey, the word "impossible"
dictionary.^
He says to Manuel;
Baztee caso, porque es la verdad. 8i quiere®'
hacer algo en la vida, no creas en la palabra
imposible. Hada hay imposible para una volun■ tad energies. Si tratas de disparar una flecha,
apunta nmy alto, 1© mds alto que puedasj cuaht©
mas alto apuntes mas lejos irC.^
:/
/
He proposes a course of mental gymnastics to develop his will in
the petty details of life. '
;;
;
Hay que buscar una ocaeion y u n fin, para emaciparse de esta exiatencia ■raezquina, y si no
lansafse a la-vida tr%ica . ^
*8e necesita
mas voluhtad>* me dije, 8para veneer los detalles que apareeen a cada instant© que no para
hacer un gran saerificio o para tener un momento
de a b n e g a c i o n . ,
.■
:-
: : :;
In Mala hierba, second of the trilogy, Manuel takes a firm resolu­
tion to stop drifting and decides to look for something constructive to do.
88
However, he quickly 'becomes discouraged when he fails to find work, and
seeks out Boberto for moral aid. Boberto advisee him:
Pues, hijo, para vivir no hay mas remedio y es
lo que debes haeer tu, buscar, preguntar, correr,
trotar, algo encontrarae.
But Mahuel thinks that even if he were promised a kingdom, he would
beincapable of following such a strenuous plan.
Boberto points out
that work is always available if a person really wants to find it.
strong desire is the keynote of success.
A.
He explains:
Saber desear con fuerza es lo
primero que sedebe
aprender. Tu me dirds que modeseas mas que vegetar de eualquier modo - , pues, ni eso conseguiras.
. . . Cuand© urn hombre no puede ccaaprender nada en'
serio, cuando no tiene voluntad, ni corazon, ni
sentimientos altos, ni idea de justicia ni de equidad, es eapaz de todo . . . Ahora la actividad para
ti es un esfuerzoi haz algo^ repite lo que hagas,
Meta que la actividad sea para ti una costumbre.
Convierte tu vida estdtica en
vida dinamiea.<;Ho
me entiendes? Quiero decirte que te.ngas voluntad.
•
This advice takes effect on Manuel, and after much diligent search­
ing, he secures a position in a printing shop.
However, shortly after­
wards, he is abandoned by his sweetheart, and once again despondently
questions the value of work.
iCuantos buenos proyectos, cuaatos planes acaricciados en la mente no habfan fracasado en su alma!
Estaba al princlpio de la vida y se sentfa sin
fuerzas para la lucha. Hi una esperanza, ni una
ilusion le sonrefa. 11 trabajo,j para qu&? Componer
y compomer columnas de letras de molde, ir y venir a
casa, comer, dormir, <ipara que? Hb tenia un plan, una
idea, una a@piracion.°°
In the third novel, Aurora roja, we see Manuel on the read to system­
atizing his business and his life.
The transition is complete when he
acquires his own printing establishment and with his marriage to Salvadora
whose name is symbolic, he is able to bridge the gap and achieve full re­
spectability.
The gospel of work as a rehabilitating force is preached by Boberto
Bp to' the very end.
.
;
'. r
La. aecion es todo, la rida,, el placer. Convertir
la vida esta^ica en Vida dinamicai este es el
„; La lucha siempre, hasta el ultimo mo-
..
Thelove-interest in Baroja’s novels has always been slight.
It
is
our author’s opinion that love, since it subjects us to a person or a
thing, clashes with the liberty of the spirit in which a man of action
needs to live. It becomes an obstacle, a cause of disaster.
It can
never be an ideal nor a motive for action.Hurtado, the protagonist of
El arbol de la clencia, whom we shall discuss at length presently, brings
out theauthor’s ideas of love, which, he says,
biological hoax, luring the
is nothing more than a
unsuspecting lovers into its trap.
That ex­
plains why marriages of convenience produce less disillusionment and fewer
disappointments than those based on love . This seems to be the reason why
the author himself never married.
Bather than be deceived and suffer, he
preferred to avoid any possible misery.
The critic, Salaverrfa, expresses it this ways
Le intimida la aecion, sin duda porque su instlnto
le dice que, @b ©1 fondo, la aeei«^r siempre supone
un dolor. T Plo Baroja es el hombre que mas ae
amedrenta frente al dolor. Su miedo al dolor. . .
cae de lo enfermizo. Pero, ipor cobardia? Mejor
seria decir que por exceso de imagined dh. Una
aensibilidad .■exagerada,.imaginativa, presta a su
;:
persona como un to^o de inhibicitA para el.acto.7-*lurtado explains this theory fully in a discussion with Lulu:
Hurtado:
El instlnto sexual empuja el hombre a
la mujer y la mujer al hombre, indistintamente, pero el hombre que tiene
un poder de fantasear, dice: eea mujer.
.!
90'
y. la mujer dice; eee hombre. Agaf
eropieza el instinto fetichistaj sobre
el cuerpe de la persona elegida porque
sl^, se forja otra mas heraoeo y se le
adoyna y se le embellece, y se con­
venes une de one el idole forjado por
la imagiaacion e@ la misrna verdad. Un
hombre que ama a una mujer la ve en su
interior deformada, y a la mujer que
quiere al hombre le pasa lo misiao, lo deforma, A traves de una nube brillante
y falsa? se ven loa amantes el uno al
.ofero, yen. la obscuridad rie el.antiguo
diablo, que no es mda que la especie.
'
.
Lulu:
'|La especiej
la especie?
.
que' tiene que ver ahi'
Hurtado:
.
11 instinto de la especie es la volumtad
de tener M jos^, de tener descendencia.
La principal idea de la mujer es el hijo. .
La mujer instintiTamente quiere primero
el hijo; pero la naturaleza necesita
vestir este deseo con otra forma i^s
poeticBj, mas sugestiva, y crea esas men’ tiras; @808 velos que constituyen el
amor.
■
Luluf
Hurtado:
Si? es un engano como la misma vida; por
■eso algunb ha dicho, con razon: una
mujer es tan buena como otra y a vecee .
mas| lo mismo se puede deeir del hombre:
un hombre es tan bueno como otro y a
veees mas.
Lulu:
.Eso sera'para la persona que no quiere.
• ■
■v
JDe manera que el amor en el fondo es un
engano?
Hurtado:
Claro, para el que no @stay'iluslonado#
enganado . . . lor eso sucede que los
matrimonies de amor producen mas dolores
y disilusiones que los de c o m r e n i @ n c i a ‘.72
.
Maria Araeil of La dama errahte and La cjudad de la niebla aspires
to an active and independent life.
-
Aspira'ba a ver las cosas proximas tales como
©ran, sin dejar por eso de ser una muchacha, .-, , ,
• sin termij^r eft orgnIIosa> satfrica ni pe#
.datifee^ni aspirar tampoco a catalogarse entre ':
• ej .ilust^e grupo de esas niu^eronas literaias,
intelectnalds., con sentimientos de cocinera,
:.
? q.ue homraii las leiras espanblas ,73
v.
^^ ■
.
.. / ■
Left alone in London in a prison-like boarding schoolj, she manages
to escape and to earn her o W means of livelihood, without having to
accept the money given to her fcgr her stepmother. -
i
‘ .
-v:Typense" seguir adeXante en el camino recto:•
trahajandoy luchando, sin buscar el atajo
:
que pudiera llevar a la rigueza o al placer, .
pr-OTcimos a la indlgnidad.T^",
:./v':-' :;
;;
•:
i
She finds it very difficult t© secure employment in London, hut does : .
not repent her decision.
.
:i
j
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•
LasVgestiones diarias que iha haciendp constitulan para I4arfa un duro aprendizajej en' todas
partes end©ntraha gente aspera, malhufflorada y
hosca, que la tratahan sin consideracion alguna.
Muchas veces salia ..a -la dalle con las lagrimas: '
eh :
;lps -ogosv; 1'ufica huhiera sospechadq. que la'; . ^
yida del trahajo tuTiera tantas ^ejaclohes y
.•
tamta amargura. Sin embargo, no se arrepentfa.75
.. :: :;
Marfa pensd^si su trida^ si su idea de '
mafchar siempre en 1'Inea recta no seria una ' ;‘/
tonterfa Insignifidante. Sentia,un gran can\ , sancio y uns, profunda tristeza.
s
'
'
/
:
Sintlo . . . una congoja, la impresion del .
: ahandono y de la: sqledad^ una ixmiensa laxitud,
, un deseo de renunciar a la lucha, y luego, ha- 'ciendo' un esfuerzo sobre sf* mls'ma, se tranquil! °
zvo y corrio hacia su easa. ''
-
'' 'v’*??
Maria’s father# upon learning that she has left school, begins sending,
■her a sum of money each month, which enables her to live without working.
■However, she decides to accept a secretarial position and save the. money
her father sends her in order to build up enough capital:to enable her to
■
return to Spain and open a shop, even though she no longer needs to work.
La resultaha heroica su decision de no dejar el
empleo, porque el ir a la oficina no tenia para
ella nada de agradahle. Ho se acostmabraba
a estar tantas horas, quieta y: encerrada, ni al .
■
frfo, ni a la gente adusta y poco c p m u n i c a t i v a . 7 8
.
.
She finds herself falling in love with a young Polish syndicalist,
Vladimir Ovolenski, who fascinates and repels her at the same time.
.
. . . la mirada de Vladimir la persegufa y \la
obsesionaba. Por un fendnieno de fe absurds,
frecuente en los enamorados, se fignraba que en
aquella noche, en el momento de cruzar con el
la mirada, habfa descubierto la manera de ser
fntima del joven revolucionario . . . Era sin
duda un hombre exaltado, ardiente, que iba a
arrastrarle a ella a una vida dolorosa, mas.
grande, mas intensa que la vida vulgar, pero
llena de intranquilidades y de zozobras. Le
parecia que Vladimir serla capaz de poner su
vida en cualquler locura, y esto la horror1zaba; pero mas que horrbrizarla, la atraia.79
She attempts to analyze her feeling of fear that she has for him, but he
remains as much of an enigma as ever.
Bo cierto era que su amistad no hacia, mas que
ehtristecer y perturbar a Bfaria. Esta esperaba
con ansiedad que llegara el sabado siguiente
para ^yer si la situacidn se aclaraba> y llegaba
el sabMo yMfetrfa quedaba mas confusa y perpleja'.
^Por que/ no habla?’ - se preguntaba. - Por que
no dice lo que le ocurre ?1 T pensando solueiones
' para su enigma, Maria se pasaba muchas horas en
un insomnio febril.^O
Later she learns that he is going to marry another girl who has a
large dowry, and realizes that her suspicions were justified.
Very much
disheartened, she appeals to her friend. Dr. Iturrioz, for advice, feel­
ing that all;:her hopes and plans have collapsed.
He tells her that there
is no way to reconcile independence with morality. She must choose either
93
freedom with its struggle against the elements, or submission and a
moral life.
The two,are diametrically opposed to each other, and she
must'choose one or the other.
-
He says:
:
quieres tu? ,lTener una personalidad y s.er
:, ,•
feliz como las que no la tienen? ^Discurrir
libremente, gozar del espectaculo de la propia
dignidad y ademhs ser protegida? dSer nlha y mujer al
miamo tierapo? Ho, Marla. Eso es imposible. Hay
.
que elegir. jQuieres ser el pajaro salvaje que
busca solo su comida y su nido? Pues hay que lu=
char contra el viento y contra las tempestades.
Adem^s, quieres depender de ti misma? Tienes
que abandonar una moral buena para una senbrita
de proFincia . . . ^Ttf quieres ser libre? Tienes
que ser inmoral. . . = Delante de ti tienes dos
aoluciones: una la vida independiente, otra la
sumisim! yivir libre. o tomar un amoy no hay otro
camino. la vida libre te llevara* probablemente al
fracaso, te convertira' en un harapo, en una mujer
vieja y medio loca a lbs treinta aSbs; no tendras'
hogar,. pasaraa el final de tu vida en una casa de
hu^spedes frla, con cams' extranas.
He advises her that the lesser of the two evils would be to submit her­
self, notwithstanding the fact that marriage, as a rule, is a barbarous
and brutal institution.
She could return to Spain and to her cousin,
Venancio, who had always had a father’s love for her.
It wouldn’t be the
ecstatic existence she had dreamed ofwith Vladimir, but he hadbrought
her only unhappiness.
Venancio would
be good to her, and herlifewould
be tranquil and respectable.
Bferla estuvo pensativa y despuis dijo sonriendo
entre lagrimas, ’’Wo ee si a usted le pareeera'mal,
. Iturrioz, pero creo que me voy a someter;" y des­
puds anadio^grac ioaamente, "Ho tengo fuerzas para
ser inmoral.
.
In the Epflogo feliz, cast triste. Bareja writes that several months
later, Marla marries her cousin in Madrid, and one year later has a child.
94
Y Ifar^ pasea por la calls „ „ eon su hi jo.
Ha engrosado un poco y es una senora sedentaria
j tranqnila
' -
Jose Ignacio Arcelu, a minor character in El mdndo es aasi^ repre­
sents. Baroja's doetrine of .action -- in reverse. He is a faithful por­
trait of the author, even to his physical appearance„ Baroja describes.
: him beloWs
Arcelu es alto, flaco, encorvadoj w vestido de
una manera extfaTagante , „ , A1 terle por pri­
mera V8Z sorprende por su tipo raro „ . „ es enormeme nt;.e calvo, va todo afeitado y tiene eanas
en las sienes. ., >83
■
Arcelu raira sonriendo con su cara de .vie jo .
decryptta j lamentable„ Tiene este hcmbre una
risa que llora. En cada arruga de su cara parece
que hay un dolor que se ha hecho una mueca amable.
Es una ruina hmsana de la que sale una palabra
" ; jovial
..
-
Arcelu is possessed of many admirable qualities and is one of Baroja's
most likeable meno
Juan,- Saeha6® husband, persuades M m to stay at the
same hotel as they, in order to be campaqy for M s
wife, who prefers to
stay there with her little girl than to spend her time roaming the streets
and going to theaters and parties as her husband does,; She says;
Aunque sea por egoismo, me alegro de que Arcelu
este en el hotel, porque es un hombre muy amble
y muy aiento conmigo.
Juan is indifferent to his wife’s needs and feelings, and it is
Arcelu who thoughtfully brings a heater to her room when she is
c o l d .
8$
When she and Juan are invitedto visit in his home> Arcelu8s kind­
ness and unselfishness are evident in many ways.
Arcelu esta cada dia mas amable conmigo, tiene una
serie de atencioaes delieadas que eonmueven, Aparentemente no se ocupa apenas de mf, pero yo veo
su mano en una porcitm de detalles
>
.
;
95
He describes M s lack of will to Sacha^ the protagonist, explaining
that this has prevented his carrying out M e innate destructive instincts.
Sachas
Es usted un hombre extraordinario. -
Areelu;
Wo; no lo crea usted. Ho lo soy, y
tampoco quisiera serlo. Lo que si he
tenido siempre ee coino una tendeneia
de aeabar. Me gustarl® ser un© de esos
obreros ingleses que trabajan tdda la
semna y el sSbado se emborrachah h&sta
que caen como muertos.
Sacha:
Pues, jvaya un plan'
Aroelus
Tamble'n me gustarfa la vida de esas gemtes
q,ue tienen un odio fuerte contra un cacique
o un capataz, y que uh dfa se sublevan y
lo degdellan.
Sacha i Pero usted no tiene m s que ideas de destruccidn.
Areelu:
sf, es verdad; tengo un instinto de destruccioS grande; ahora que, como no tengo
voluntad ni perseveraneia, no lo he podido
realizar nunca. Si hmbiera sido uno de
esos hombres que tienen papel en el mundo,
ere© que mis u^ieas pasiones hubieran sido
la gloria y el extermino„
Sacha:
Es usted fsntaseador.
: .
Areelu: Sf, es poslble, pero hay algo de verdad en
lo que digo. Me huMera gustado vivir en
u m socieiad inmoral, ©ntre hombres corrompidos por el poder, en el seno de la violencia y dejar mi nombre um tanto execrado,
Sacha:
^Que le pasa a usted?
voluntad?
iTieme usted poca
Areelu:
Hinguna. Para mf.todas las cosas estdm como
detras de una serie de obstaeuloei, El mas
insignificante details de la vida practice me
produce una gran turbacidn . . . Rusted sabe
cudfl es en el cerebro el centro" de la volieim?
Sacha;
Ho.
Ho se si exists.
.
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96
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Areela:
■
..
Porque ese centre yo lo dei)o tener
atrofiado. Mi ^oluntad es taaa gro.teeea que-iad me Sice mi me ordema
naSa. Cualquier eosa qne otro
resnelve inetintivameate^ yo temgo .
que resolver por razommiento„
Desde ponerme los ,pan.taloneB. hasta ' ^
sallr a la calle,.he de ir calculando todoe; los dias si seria mejor
hacer o no hacer.
-^
He speaks of his disillusions as a child - more with MmSeif t h m
with others - and his gradual development „of a sense of inferiority,
Arcelu; De peque"no5 una eosa que me preocupaba
era el Carnaval^ erefa que bastaba po-r
netse la- careta para que uno se sintiera
vivo, ingeniosa, lleno de gracia, Uh
doming© de Carnaval, . „ , me vestf de
maacara y saliva la ealle„ ¥i pasar a
un amigo y me acerque'a 6l dispuesto a
embromarle, /AdiosI /Adios! le dije, y
no pudesalir de ahf, Avergonsado, fuif
al paseo de la Victoria, me quite'-la
careta, me sente^en un banco y casi e@tuve a puato de romper a llorar„
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Sacha;
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Vaaoe, la desilusion no era may grande»
Arcelu;
A mif me parecicf enorme, Otra v©z estaba
en Madrid; tenfa dieeisiete © diecioch© •
anos, y querfa tener novia, Un dfa, eon
un amigo nos aeereamos a dos xmachachitas
y las acompanamoSo To querla demostrar
que; era un hombre ingeniosd, ameno, y estuve hablando con la muchacha hasta eerca
de su casa, Ya em el portal, se volvio''
la ehiquitla, me miro'y me di jo; .^Es usted
catedratico?' To me quede’avergonzado. Fuex
mi segunda gran desilusion.
Sachas
Pues tampoco me parece tan grande.
Arceius
.
^ .
Era el convencimiento de mi falta de ^acia,
, de inters^, de ameaidad, Creo que mi ter=
cera desilusion importaate la tuve coao
jugador de billar „ To erela que eabla, jugar
Men. TJn dla me encontre eon Juanitb Diaz,
un condiseipulo del Puerto.
juegas al
'
97
•
.
V-.V
Mllar?1 me dijo. ’Sdf, juego testante
...^biea, ‘ le eohtesto
fTo5 no| yo juego
poeo'? dijo ei, '^Quieres que juguemos ?"
"Bueno, 8 Jugamos y me ge.no tres veeee
seguMas, Si juga"ba poco, per© yo no y
.. juga'ba nada, Fue' ml tercera desilusion .
grand® . AsI' ee que cuand© yo bigo declr
a la genie: Se tienen muehas deslluslones
.con las personae, yo suelo contestars lo,
; eon qulen se tienen deslluslones es eon
uno mismo. 7
/
All hie life has'been an attempt to eaeape from himself and from M s
environment.
.... soy tm- vagabundo sin rafces de nimguna parte.
Mi temdencia ha sido siempre huir y destruir. Esta
tendencia destructora en un hombre sin fuerza como
yo, es una dosa. emiica. To soy como esos animal®s
mal construihos que parece qua alguno los ha hecho
por entretenimiento . . . In mi vida, no he hecho
mas que huir de todo, de-e-er andaluz, de ser vaseo,
de ser espasol, de ser rieo, de ser hueno, de ser
. mal.
If death were not so definitive, he might have tried if as a means of
escape.
'
/
Sacha: Areelu, es usted un pobre hombre.
Arcelu: SiT, es 'verdadj un. pobre hombre eompleto.
■ Sacha: ^Zo quiere usted desear nada? ’ • ■
Areelu: Ho, no.
Sacha: ili protestar de nada?
Arcelu: Ho,epara que?
'
'
.
Sacha: dli competlr con nadie?
Arcelu: Con nadie,
Sacha: Per© e@o le haee a usted dano,.
Areelu: Ho, ahora no. Antes.sif me eseoeia, p@ro
me he ido acostumbrando.””
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.
This inability to develop an intense desire for something, while at
the same time powerless to renounce it, results in his losing touch with Satiha.
He lacks confidence in himself, thus preventing his ever taking the dec!#sive step of telling her his true feelings.
Disillusioned once more, he seek® refuge in an active journalistic
career in China.^
The next two characters to he discussed, Hurtado of 11 arbol de la
ciencia and Murguia of La senaualidad perrertida are almost spiritual
autobiographies of.the author„ They express in their struggles and meditatiohs Baroja8a own efforts to see a confused world clearly, Andres
Hurtado looks on life in general and particularly his own as "urn coss
fea, turbia, dolorosa e indomimble 0”
In his classes at medical school, in discussions with his friends,
and at home, he is impressed with a feeling of sadness and bitterness„^0
His first visit to one of the hospitals in the tenement districts of
Madrid only accentuates his already disagreeable impression of life.
He
begins to agree with the pessimistic Schopenhauer that the world is a
mixture of. an insane asylum and a hospital; to possess intelligence is a
disgrace, and happiness can only come from unconsciousness and madness«,
He gives- us a lurid description of the hospital and its inmates below;
Para un hombre excitado e iaquiet© como Andres, @1
.espectaculo tenia que ser deprimiente„ Las enfermas
eran de lo mas cafdo y miserable» Her tanta desdichada sin hogar, abamdonada, en una sala negra, en
- un estercolero hximano; comprobar y evideneiar la
p o d r e d u m b r e que envenena la vida sexual, le hizo a
Andres una angustiosa impresion,
:
11 hospital aquel, ya derruido por fortuna, era
un edificio inmundo, sucio, mal clients| las ventanas
de las salas daban a la; calle de.-Atoeha y tenian,
adema'S de las re jas, uhas alambrefas para que las
mujeres recluidas no se asomaran y escanddlizaran.
De este modo no entraba alljf'el sol ni el aire.
.11 medico de la sala „ „ ", era un ve jete
ridicule, con unas largas patillas blancas» 11
hombre, aunque no sabia gran cosa, querfa darse
.
"99
aire d@ catedrCtieo,, lo eual a nadie podia pareeer
on crimen? lo miserable, lo eanalXeseo era que
■
tratalaa eon usaacrueldad iniltll a aqmellas .deedlctodae
acogidas alll'y las m A W W B a de palabra y de oTbra«91
T&ra. 'with, a desire to remedy Inbamas situations suck as the ahove,
and the realization of M s
impoteacy to do so in a 'society seemingly
impervious to change, he is eoatinually in a state of mental and nervous
•turmoil o
Ista falta de plan y de freno, le llevahan a Andres
al mayor desconcierto, a xma sohreexcita.ei^t cere­
bral eontinua e ini^il.^
;
Hurtado endeavors to formulate an. intellectual philosophy based on
science and truth as opposed to those who "cantan la vida cruel, eanalla,
infame, la vida sin finalidad, sin dbjeto, sin principio y sin
moral.
"93
However, he finally decides against the tree of knowledge (ciencia) as an­
tagonistic to the tree of life.
than truth.
For living, illusion is far more necessary
He says:
/
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,
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A mas comprender, correeponde, menos desear. Isto ;
es logica, y ademas se eoz^rueha en la realidad.
La apetencia por eonocer se despierta en los individuos al final de una evolucio^, euando el instinto de vivir languidece. .HI hombre, cuya meeesidad es eonocer, es como la mriposa que romp®
la crisMida para morir. HI individuo sano, vivo,
fuerte no ve las cosas como son, porque no le convieae. Estdf dentro de una alucinacidS. . . . El
Instinto vital aecesita de la ficcio^ para afir■ marse.
■
■Science, then has only ©me objects
"la eamtidad de mentira que es neces-.
aria para la vida.”9^
He. is appointed doctor of the smll village of Aleolea, and at first
is satisfied with his life there. Gradually, and without his knowing why,
a feeling of resentment and hostility towards him becomes evident, and he
decides to isolate himself from the social life of the village.
Utw* Qf Arimria Library
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100
Los dfas ifean eocedledSoee a los d£as y cada uno
trafa la mlssaa desesperanza, la seguridad de no /
saber que hacez% la seguridad de sentir y de iaspirar antipatia# en el fondo sin motive,,, por'
rnia mala inteiigencia.
He forces himself into seclusion with only M s books for Compaq - not
because he believes reading td.'be a' substitute for life, but because he
feels incapable of living,
lut how quickly would he have closed his books
if there had been something important to do, like setting fire to the vil­
lage -or, perhaps, reconstructing itI
La inaccio^ le irritaba, Be haber caza zmyor, le
hubiera gustado marcharse al campo; per© para
matar conejos, preferla quedarse en casa.95
He decides to stop reading works on philosophy, as this leads only to
depressing thoughts, and turns to history and
the
then astronomy, but finds
first a waste of time, and the second too difficult.
He next tries writing, but does not know
where.i© start,and lacks
ability to express himself well.
:
-
Todos los sistemas que discurria para encauzar su
vida dejaban precipitados insolubles, que demostraban el error inieial de sus sistemas. Comeazaba a sentir una irritacidn profunda contra todo.
After several months of inaction, he toys with the idea of marriage,
but abandons it Immediately upon reflecting that it would mean the loss of
his freedom and independence.
Si queria vivir cm. una mujer temia que casarse,
someterse. Es decir, dar por una cosa de la vida
toda .su:."independencla espiritualy resignarse a
cumpllr obligaciones y deberes soqiales, a guardar consideraciones a un suegro, a una suegra, a
un ct^doj cosa que le horforizaba.
$hen, too, among those girls whom he sees only on Sundays, on their
way to church dressed like parrots, he does not know how to meet one whom
101
he could like„
.'
Era casi Imposihle hahlar c m ellas» Solaaaente
el marldo podrfa llegar a aaher su maaera de ser
y de seatlr, Andrea se huMera easado. con eualquiera, con una muehacha seneIliaj pero no sabfa
donde encontrarla«96
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The one choice left to him; that of promiscuity; would be offensive
to Ms' pride,
■
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■
"•
^Que" msSs triunfo para la burguesfa local y ms's
. derrota para su personalidad si se hubiesen
contado sus devaneos?
-
In order to achieve tranquillity of mind and body; he decides to regi­
ment M s diet; by avoiding meat; wine and coffee; and taking frequent walks
.
.
El odi© contra el espiritu del pueblo lo sostenia
en su lucha secrets;, era uno de esos odios pro-,
fundos.; qua llegaa a dar serenidad al que lo
siente; un desprecio epico y altivo, Para el no
habfa burlaS; todas resbalaban por su cdraza de
impasibilidad,
Algunas veces pensaba queesta
actltud no era logics , {Un hombre que queria ser
de ciencia j s e incomodaba porque las cosas no
eran como el hubiese deseado! Era absurd©, la,
tierra all^'era seca; no habla drboleS; el clima
era doro, la gente tenia que ser dura tambie^.
After a month of this new regia©; he is much improved.
1
His diet;
■
limited to.vegetables; together with exercise in the open air; has im- :
proved his outlook, on life to the extent that he no longer feels hatred or
anger toward anyone,^7
Eventually Andres gives up M s post im Aleelea and returns to Ifedrid •
to work as a clinical doctor among the poor and the destitute.
However;
his antisocial and misanthropic attitude asserts itself once more; and he
realizes how unsuited he. is for that position.
-
102
Su instlnto antisocial se iba amnentando, se iba
coiwirtiendo en odio contra el rieo, sin tener
simpatfa por el pobre.'."To gne siento eete 4eepreei® por la sociedad^" se decfa a sf^mlsmo,
I'teniendo que reconocer y dar patentes a las
pros.titutas I /To que me alegraria que cada una
de ellas llevara una toxina que envenenara a
doselentos hijos de familial”
Hecontinues working there, partly for curiosity and
partly in order
not to be thought unstable, although that environment was slowly undermin­
ing his spirit.
Ya no habla en eu vida nada sonriente,. nada amablej
se encontraba como un hoabre desnudo que tuviera
que andar atravesando sarzas, Lo® dos polos de su
alma eran un estado de amargura, de sequedad, de
acritud, y un gentimiento de depresion y de tris- '
teza.yo
Wild ideas of destruction pass through his mind.
Especially on
Sunday® when he chances to cross the paths of the people returning from
the bullfights, does he feel an inordinate urge to place half a dozen
machine guns at each street intersection, and not leave one person remain­
ing of those who had been tp that stupid and bloody exhibition.
His only respite from his preoccupations is the time he spends with Lulu}
a girl he had known while still in school.^ He finally decides to marry
her, but first asks his uncle. Dr. Iturrioz, the advisability of such a
step.
He describes himself as "todavfa joven, pero hombre artrftico, mer-
vioso, (que) tiene una ncvia . . . debil y algo histerica.”
^ :
Dr. Iturrioz definitely opposes it on the grounds that it would be
unfair to any children born from such a union.
He disagrees with Calderon,
who says .that man’s greatest mistake is having been born, but rather it is •
in the propagation of the race, and particularly under such inauspicious
103
conditions» He explains:
Para sidf el criterio es e^te." Si tienen hijos
sanos a fuienes se les da un hogar/ proteccion,
edueacidtt, cuidados „ . „ podemos otorgar la
aiDSolncidn a los padresj si tienen hijos enfer= .
aos, ttibereulosoe, sifilfticos, neurastenicoa,
considereiaos crimlnales a los padres
. . solo
el peligrO; sol® la posiTbilidad d.e engenfirar
^ ''
u m prole enfera!za, debia bastar al hoiabre
para no testerla. El perpetuar el dolor en el
m u n d o me pa r e e e u n c r i m e n . ^-00
'
,
..
His final admonition is, if be marries, not to have any children.
'
;
.v
: ,;
101
At first, after his marriage to Lulu, life takes on meaning and pur­
pose for the first time.
Andres estaba cada vez mas encantado de su mnjer;
de sn vida y de su casa. Cada vez trabajaba con
mds gusto.
.
Graduallyj, though, he begins to be obsessed by the fear that an exis­
tence as perfect as theirs is doomed to be short-lived.
It seems as
though his life is a window on the edge of an abyss, ready to open at each
moment and engulf him in its maw.
Andres se encontraba tan bien, que sentia temores.
Podia durar esta vida tranquila? Habria llegado
a fuerza de ensayos a una. existencia, no solo soportable, sino agradable y sensata? Su pesimismo le
haefa pensar que la calm no iba a ser duradera.
MAlgo va a venir el mejor dfa," pensaba, "que va a
descomponer este bello e q u i l i b r i o . ,'l-02
After a year of marriage. Lulu becomes melancholy and nervous, and.
confesses to Andres her deep longing for a child and her fear that he
doesn't want one.
He is incapable of telling his wife the truth and, with
many misgivings, gives in to her wishes.
Era lo que temfa Andres . . .^Que aetitud tomar ante
un dolor seme jante? ^Ccmo deeir a aquella mujer, que
el se considerate: como tm producto envenemdo y
podrido, que no debfa tener descendencia? Aadres '
intento consolarla^ expliearse „ „ . Era imposiMe.
Lulu lloraba, le abrazaba^ le besaba con la cara
H e m de lagrimas. ^'Sea lo que seal'1 murimro'
Andrei „ ..
'
Two months later^ •when he learns she is to have a child, his life
'becomes one of constant anguish. Unable to sleep or to go about M s
everyday affairs, he begins to take doses of morphine.
Su cerebro estaba en una-tension demasiado grande,
y las emociones que cualquiera podia sentir en la
vida normalj, a el le desequilibrabah . . . Ho
podia dormir, y despuds de ensayar varies hipnoticos se decidio/ a tesaar morfina. Is. angustia le
mataba.
Pregnancy changes Lulu’s disposition completelyj her manner} hereto­
fore gay and carefree# becomes sad and morose. She changes also in her
" • . .'■■•v.
/
■
■'
V:'
attitude toward Andrea, never 'wanting to be left alone, and becoming un­
reasonably jealous at the slightest provocation. Although Andres is cog­
nizant of the fact that during this period hysterical symptoms are common
in women, he is aware that they are more apparent in Lultiu
'
■
’
• • '
,
' ■
La wentana que en SU vida se abna a aquel abismo
que le producia el vertigo, estaba de nuevo de
par en par .^3
V .
His fears are realized, for the child is born dead, and three days
later Lulu dies. Unable to face his own remorse and self-recrimination
which will haunt him the rest of his life, he calls on science once more
to extricate him from his afflictions^ and commits suicide by poison.
The fundamental aspect of Baroja’s character, which gives us the key
to an understanding of his personality, is his extreme sensitiveness. It
is with this characteristic that he is primarily concerned in the last
105
novel under discussion^ la sensualidad pervertida. By "sensualidad" the
author means the complete domination of the senses over the •will and in­
telligence . This sens itlvity, characteristic of Baroja as well as Buis
Murguia/ is shown by M e annoyance with all that is disagreeable^ in the
preference for all that is npequenb5 discrete^ intimo," in the need for
friendliness and understanding, in the deep pity for mankind, and also in
his susceptibility to the impact of the outside world which compels him
to withdraw into himself„
Accompanying this sensitivity is a desire to be looked up to, to
which his timidity is decidedly detrimental,- He feels within himself
forces which dernand'‘,fulfillment, but cannot find-the means to do so. From
this lack of correlation between desire and its consummation is born dis­
satisfaction, bitterness and fear. -Lacking means to assert M s indepen^
dence in society, he condemns himself to solitude, thus making himself
invulnerable to the trauma of life.^ 5
-
In a nature as sensitive as Murgufais, the disturbances and problems
common to youth become distorted and out of proportion.
This process,
described in La sensualidad pervertida, is of the greatest importance for
an intimacy with and knowledge of the character of Baroja.
Baroja says of Luis Murguia in the prologue to an imaginary editor
of 195% that nindudablement, no era ualiterato, ni siqulera un dilettanti
de la literatura, sino un curioso, un aficionado a la psicologfa y un
erftico de una soeiedad vieja, arcaica y rutinaria." He adds that:
..
. . . su libro bastante paradojico, pretende ser
un documento y dar una impresi^ exacts de la
(gociedad espanbla de a fines del siglo XIX y
;
- . ;.
y principios del siglo XX, socieaad regida todavia por- el capitalieriiQ, el teoGraeia.
" : ;;
;
:
Like M s author,. Hurgula is "un curloso de Hmehas cosas. un sentimental,
un cfnlco y un pequeno .huacador de aims „ » „ homire de un esplritu
crftleoy negative, melaneoilco y deseontentp,
He- descrihes .'-himself
as being more sensitive than the average person. He goes on to say that
while he has never possessed a great deal'of intelligence nor a forceful
will, nature M s endowed him with acute perceptory faculties.
plains his. sensitivity further:
He ex-:
•
"
- To no.me 8lento un Homo Sapiens, de Linneo, aino un .
Homo Sensualis, de Epicuro. Pieneo eh mi como tipo ;
: ■
- :
espiritual, y me flguro queno soy un vertebra&o ni
/ tm articulado, siho uha medusa de cuerpo blandp para
.
\ flotar libremente en la superficie del mar. ,Eh el
:': : '.
:
medld ambiehte en que yo me he. desarrollado, esta . -v. ■
blandura vagabunda y congeMta, esta sensi'bilidad, .■
;^ .;
con su agudeza de los sentidos, no podfa tener utili"\
dad y empleo, y se. pervirtld' y se convirtio^ con el
;
tiempo, eh una seneibleria, enun sentimentalismo
J .v -: perturbador . ..Ei sensibilidad era como un orgaho
:
■
sin revestimiento, sih pielj asi, el rim's pequeSb '
;
■
contacto con la aspereza de la vida espanolame
'
- .hacia'dauo- :
'
_
:
He has never been able to dominate his sensitivity, and only after
many years was he able, not to mitigate it, but to become ■insensitive.
He began by pretending to b® unfeeling as a defense.against the ridicu­
lous effusion he experienced for things and for pedple.
pretense became reality.^®
" "i : .. --'
Gradually, tMs
v
. Like Mroja, Murguia is approaching fifty, and decides to write the .
story Of,his youth intermingled with his reflections of the present time.
107
7 Soy uk hombre inutil, tth hoBibre ain fundamento,
- un hombre fracasado, ain -proyectos y sin planes, r ;7
La mayoria de mis amigos y conocidos creen que
el fracas© mfo es mi faltaj yo creo qua no, que.
es-la culpa de los demas, culpa de algo en donde
yo no he interrenido^ of por lo menoSj he intervenido muy poco„109 .
<■ ,v ;
-
7;:'■.
;V: '
:
:
■
-
. -y:'. ; ■- :^7--
/\
He reflects on the role that fate has played in his life. All the
incidents connected with his'life have tended to isolate him from other
people.
Ms
intentions to become a family man.turned out badly.
attempts to obtain s, position by work Or by effort failed also.
AllM s
At last
he was able to acquire a modest living by a stroke of luck and a little.
-•
: -
Alguien me podria decir que no puse en ello mucha
• . .
; energia; ciertamente, pero:esto de. no-.desear eon - -- . V;
fuerza> tambien .es destino .710
.
:-
His story is as follows; Luis, left an orphan, goes to live with his
grandmother. Here he is received with kindness and love. .However, When
he goei to’"fillazar to attend the.Institute he stays: with his Aunt Luisa,
in whose.home he is treated GLMte diffefently.
"
:
7-La vida en easa de mis tibs fue^ para m
i
"al principle
' 7
bastante desagradsble: de ser @1 ninb mimado de la:
famllia^ eomo en casa de mi abuela, pase^a ser el
■
■
;’■’
■v:-.Vv ultimo mono: me daban de comer el -^itixaoj el vino,^ .
el final de .la botella. y me escatimaban el postre.
;:v-
At the age of thirteeh he meets a.dandy who has been in England. H e ;
is greatly impressed by his tales and experiences ■and would like todolike-
:
■ v,: jComo bebi las palabras de aquel muchacho( jSaltar de
en medio de la rutim. de las,costumbres a otro am-'
'. '
’ MehtO! iDominar el medio soclali:Esta idea kalagaba
;
ml orgullo de una raanera terrible .
Coneplrar .0 , 7 ,
7 intrigar^ hacef grandes^jugadas de Bolsa o explorer . .
pafses desconocidos. Estas eran. las ocupaciones
digaas de un hombre partidario de lo dificil; no
7
:
;. .
,
.
■
;
:7
10#
envilecerse, jugaado ea uh cafe^ iafQcto con los
'/sargentos a la loterfa <, ,Pero> j.coiao dar el
salto de la zona gris, de sca&ra, en que yo
■;vlyfa, a la zona de luz ea que me hublera gostado vivir? iQue/cerrado el horlzonte’ Sentia,
' • :murallaa hasta en las nuMs.112
:
"
•His
aunt wants.to inctilcate in him the idea that he has a 'chance for'
a hrilliant future and he should choose a profession for
which hehas an
inclination. Except for impressing the girls and travelling, he has no
inclinations^ only curiosity for certain things. He expresses it thus:
•
To sentia curiosidades^ pero
defimltiva^ vocacion,
. 'clara y determiaada, htnguna» Fuera de que me hu> -•
■Meragustado tener exito con las mujeres y eorrerla
por el imindo, ^que isas hahfa en mf? Hada „ Yaeilacion. Oia hablar de n$arinos y me hublera gustado
erabarearae; hahlaban de pintura y. me parecfa un
oflcio muy bonito el de ser pintor5 le£a aventuras
de un viajero: y sdSaba con el desierto o con los
rfbs inexploradoSj, pero el ser medico, militar,
abogado o comerciante no me hac£a ningum gracia . . . ■
Despmes de largas reflexiones pense^que n o 'tenia
voeaeiola alguna y que era un joven perfectamente
inutll para la -rida corriente . , . En realidad, no
.era un jov.en inteligente, eino un jcrren de semtidos
pefspicaces, una vista admirable, un ofdo fino y un
olfato de perro.H3
He laments the fact that there is nothing Donjuanesque or %ronian
in his appearance, and is humiliated because he lacks a sinister counten­
ance.
.
A reves, era un tip© indeciso, vacilante, de aspecto
cansado. Hada de pajaro de press o de ave de rapina.
He attributes to this failing his lack of success with the opposite sex.
Hefinally settles, on a law career, but
many times is temptedto lose
caste and -learn a trade. He might have done so, if it were not for his
snobbish aunt,; who would have been horrified.
.
He encounters frustration and defeat every way he turns.
'
In todo lo que yo hacfa en ©sta ^poea, en cuanto
pensaba, no podia eneontrar la msdida. Era descomuml^ un poco energ&eno, sin propm^melo.
Be este instinto inarmonico, y de contrastarlo
con la tendencia ©quili'brada y mediocre de' I o b
demas, me naeia un impetu anarquico y destructor.
Si el mundo huMera sido una 'foola de eristalj,
muchas wees Id huMera roto de un punetazo © de
una patada.]^
He passes a girl, on the street and i® attracted "by her eyes. Quickly ...
he decides she is the one for which fate has destined him, and follow® her
home. He attributes his daring to his wearing a cape instead of the less
romantic overcoat.
He goes to the trouble of learning what her name is,
who her friends are, and what her family looks like, but after the mystery.
is dispelled he become® disillusioned.
El saber quien era mi dama fue para m# un principio
de decepcion. La ansiedad y la curiosidad por ella
desaparecieron . . . Is vela easi todos. lo® dfae nor .
la mananai ella parecia inclinada a mif, pero a m se
me iba marchando la ilueidn. Ademas me faltaba esa
petulaneia que las mujeres espanolas ezigen que tenga
el hombre para gallear y pararse en un escaparate.
He faltaba tambien la proteccion de la capa, porque
habia comenzado el buen tiempo y habia que ir a
cuerpo.11^
The idea of losing M s independence and submitting himself to a woman
and her family is obnoxious to him. Afraid of the consequences,he abandons
the pursuit o ■/ .
.
'
'
'
To si tuviera dinero y ^>udiera sacar a esa chiea de
entre su familia, quiza me casaria con ella, si ella
quisiera, pero yo no tengo un cuarto. Si me aeeptan
me van a aeeptar como por miserieordia, en vista de
que @1 genero esta unpoeo ajado, En @se easo habra'
que someteree al suegro, y hasta colaborar en los
chanehullos que le han dado la fortunej habra-que
adular a la madama gorda de la @megra| hablar con
extasis del rey y de la familia real y de la mortyila aristocratieai habra'que ir al teatro y tratar
a u m coleceion de imbeciles. Ho,, no. Esto hay que
dejarlo en seguida. . . . La cuesticm es ser independiente. Todo, menos convertirse en un animal domeStico,^-^
110
After M s studies are concluded^ he is examined for a diplomatic
post, hut fails.
'
Mi "brillante porvenir no aparecia por ningun
lado. Ho "xreia luz en ml caminoj obscuridad
completa a derecha e izguierda. ?
Luis becomes more' and more a believer in ascetic denial and in a
solitary and contemplative life, foregoing the usual pleasures of the
flesh. He explains his philosophy belows
. . . yo scy partidario de la espiritualldad y
de la verdura . . . es la liberacion de la vida .
social. Si quiere @er libre, hay que ser asceta. Hi el cura ni el milltar, ni el rey, ni
.el juez, ml el peluquero, ni el zapatero, ni la
medista, ni el cdmico influyen en
To scy
libre, todo lo libre que puedo . . .Para ml lo
triste es la esclavitud, la eiudad.^®
At the very last of the novel, Luis is asked why he never achieved.
■popularity with women. He explains it. very simply - for the lack of a
disdainful attitude and a black beard.
Ho me ha ido eompletamemte M e n con el gremio
femenino . . . Como decla antes, me ha faltaba
el deaden , . . y la barba negra.^19
.
-
CHAPIER IV
\ Y
\
■
C01CLUSI0M
_
It M s been the purpose of this thesis to show that Pxo Baroja is
pfimrily a costumbrista and a psychological novelist „ '
This M s "been proved.hy shewing:
, :v-
first, that Baroja possesses the
ability to portray. and descrihe soeial conditions in Spain during the
early part of this century, ahd> second, that lie possesses a keen in­
sight into the eMracter and personality of his fellow Spaniards „
His possession of the ability to depict existing conditions has
"been shown from the statements of the critics affirming such a possess-sion, from the author8s treatment of these conditions in M ® novels, and.
in his autobiographical works
It has been, shown that his novels cover
all types of Spanish life -and characters but revolve principally around
the social and intellectual problems of his country,
::
v
We have demonstrated that Baroja considers the real enemies, of r ;
society to be the smug bourgeoisie, the clergy, the army and the in- V
efficient government officials- whose hypocrisy, ignorance and futile .;
ineptitude he hates and deplores above all else.
Criticism of and re­
bellion against-the stupidity"of law. and custom are necessary for the
creation of a new society.
This iconoclastic attitude of destruction
instead of the preservation and creation-of values, M s been shown to.be
partially a result of Baroja is own sense of failure and his inability to
adjust to ils environment,
sensitiveness o :.
This, in "turn,' comes 'from his .own excessive
r-t - ■-
'
'
.
pamc 6a for the ills of the modern social world. He compares himself with
;
a doctor who can diagnose; eases but who. does not know what treatment to :.=... 5
„ prescribe.4 -
V
,'
...
He. has revealed the Spaniard to himself and to the world, his charac" .teristies. aM'iidiosyncracie®^: his idealsvaa^ aspirationS c^:r^" v - ' : %
• ' ■•
It has been shown that underlying his most bitter pictures of society
is a deep, fundamental lo^e and understanding of humanity^ which is sometimes mrerlooked by the casual reader of his worksvi His tenderness and
■.:.
eompassion can be summed up in a statement made by one of M s characters ; - /
.:,l o . i' if the.;happiness of the entire world could .be obtained by making
one innocent child cryand this power were in sy hands. I would hot do so
.
;
even though all the. men in .the world implored me on bended kneel" . . .
3
'
FGOmOEES
IZE?QDUC!ttCB: '
‘
:
George T. Horthnp, Introduetion to Spanish Literature, p. 336,
_
-2 ,: Eduard Fueter, World History ~ 1815.-1920, p.: 54, : ■
George T.■lortlmp, op. eit., pp. 336-37«
;
: 4 6 A. Eamds Oliveira, Politics, Ecoaomlca, and Men of Modern Spain
1808-1946, pp- 93-95*
:
i
,
: 5. George T, Morthup, op. eit., p. 337:. - :
'
■; '
.6 . Eneyclopedia Americana^ Vol. 25, p. 338.
John T, Reid, Modern Spain and Liberalism, p. 217
’ ; 7.
■
: : a.; Endyclopedia Anxericana, Vol. 25,tp. 339,
.
;,rrV
.p
■-■■■'V'O .r.. i:
V;: :
.V
': '9«’" G. P. Goooh, History of Our Time, pp. 45-46.
■
' 10* A. Ramos Oliveira, op, eit., p. 182. ■ ' .
":r v
'
i
11," Ineyelopedia Americana, Vol. 25, p. 339-340.
12* A. Ramos Oliveira^ op. eit., p. 339. \\
•.
7
-i , :=;6:Ail'■■!■:■ -:
14.
ibid.,'pi:265-66* '
■ 16 . Ibid., p. 225 ,.
:'7
: ■ .7 - 1
, ,/4
;
: :: ‘
13, Ibid,/P. 164. . . V i ; /V ::
15,
A
:
:.:-
:'
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/:
17, Helen S. licholson, Bie Hotel of Protest and the Spanish
Eepublic, p, 17
■'
. .
: - , '
.r*
18 . Encyelopedia Americana, Vol.
=
25, P, 341.
Helen S. Mlebolson, op. eit.-, pp. 16-17.
.
,
-
L
-
;
20, Pib Baroja, "Bivagaciones de autocrftiea," Reviata de Occidents,
Vol . 4, ■P.* .35• i■
:'
tv:
i 4 i
:.;:x;'',21. ;Jehm' T. Eeid, op. Git ., p/ 3 ., ,
22.
:x""
■ ; ''
George T, Worthup^ og, eit.. p. 419.
23. Aubrey F. G. Bell, Comtemporary 'Spaal# literature. p. 22.
..
24.: Beglmld F...'Brown; -"A Beader’s Hotea on the Contemporary
- Spanish lovel.” Bulletin of Spanish Studies, Vol. 14. p. US*
• 25. ■"Dlvagaeibnes Se antoerrbica,," og. eit., p. 45.
,
26. William A. Drake. Contemporary Ejgopean Writers, p. 123. >.
:
••-■■■
27.
John T. Eeid, op. eit., p. 4. :
28 .
Claude E„ Anihalj, Introduotlen to Paradox, rey, p« xlvl.
29 . Ibid., p. xiii.'::
'; '
;a:
v 7 :x
''
„
:c m p A 1 / : :■■■; : '-":k
'
:
7 1.- .'Pi® Baroja, Juvemtud, ©golatrla,-, :
p. l8l.
' -2. J. B. Trend, A Picture of Modern Spain, p. 58 .
:
',;
' :S. .Pfo Baroja>, Familia» infanela, y jwentud', p. 121.
4.
ibid., p. 182 .
9.
IMd. , P. 185.
:x
y/
.,
't
; ^.yyyy : ■
:
'
:
- •; .y
" 6 . Juyentnd,.egolatrfa, p. 215.
^ •
; 7 .■: iMd., p,/2i9 . yy
:::V8 .c;'^;|.p, '22i. .y:;y':
.yy ;:;
,
y;:^^
;'^/:y
.V;"
. 9 . "Bivagaelones de autocr-xtlea^11 op. eit., p. 4$.
10.
-'
J. B. Trend, 'op. eit., p. 63 .
;
1J.. Juyemtmd, egolatrA, p. 221. ' -
-'
hi2 .. ibid., pp^ :225-27.
7;
; /:y:
.
y
t' :,
y::; ;
y.
' ; _13* 1 "Dlvagaeioaes de autoei-xtieaj,e' og.elt.P p. 43.
v.
:
Ik „ Pfo Barojay El escrltor segun el ^ segaa loaer^tlcoep. 91.
. 15» J.
frend, op. clt^, pi, 76 . ,
• l^i Emilio Abreu Gomez. "Baroja y el prSmioHobel;,"Insula, p. 5•
CHAPIEB II ' V'
.
,■'
'
v\
.
1 . Aagal' del;Elo> HiBtorla de la literatura egpagola, p. 190.
2. Claude E. Anibal, Introduction to Paradox, rey, p. xlli.
3. Jose Balseiro, Blasco IbaSez-naamano-Valle-laoldSi-BarQ.la.
Cuatro indivlduallstas de Espdna, p. 202.
Angel del Elo, op. 0It., p„ l89«
:
.
:;
5 . Claude E. AnibalV op. cit., p. zllv.
Ibid., p. xlv.;
:
:
:
;
-
■
.
'
'
Po;:. X K X 1 ! ;:.;V;■ v::
; ; ^ : ..-'y
8 . Jose'iterla Balaverrla, Betratos, p. 8U. :
:I ?: Itld._, p. 62 .
;
/
,■
:; 10.. John T. Eeld, Modern. Spala and Liberalism9 p. 114. ■
^/ y '"'ElCesar Bar.ja. Libros y autores,.contemporaneos „ p. 306. '
12. John f. Beid, op. cit.} p. 114*
-'
IS.
C^sar Barja, op. cit■. p. 335.
■'v.
/ ■ .;
'.;l4*:''Juvemtud,:eAoIatr&;:''p. 74. 1
15.
Bomeneo Quaiise,, /’Bairoja, Azoriiij, y el final de una generacion,
AteBea. Vol. 109. pi ^6t.
16. -M. Bomera-lavarro, Historia de; la literature eapaaola, pp* 662
17. . Cesar Barja, &g. cit ., p. 334.
\
18 . Aubrey F . G. Bell, Contemporary Spanish Literature, pp. 118-19
19.
ppv YT-Ta.
Bafael Cansinos-Assens, La nueva literature, 1898-1900-1916.
;; iV..
^ ■, y .
T-; :
20* WllliamAp Drake,
Ewd^eam Writere, pp. 115-16/
:2IU.:
; "Divagaeiones ■de autoerftica^w ;op. eltv, pp0 33-34«
;
'
/22» . P f o ' :W m e W '^"blago de Arl@q%fa, pp. 7T-80q
.23o Pfb Baroja^ El arbol.de la cleneia, pp„ 274-76.
'
.
';
'V
.
24. ''"BlTagaeioaes 'I©. aut©er£tlea#" ©p. eit., pp.' 43=44. ,
", 2$. ' Paailla, iafaaeiaa:y jweatmd. pp. 206=07. .
"26:.:.;PI© Ea.ro.jas, La lama errante. .;pp. 74=75/
- .•
’v':
. ' '■ '
. ■,.. 27. Angel GaMfet^ Iteariim espaaol,,-pp. 163=64.
r ■28".'
p. 170:.':;" 4:;"''4';7;' '
: :
y :
,
EiBpamlqme»- Vol. 74, p. 595.
^ ;.
': y y:-.‘'■•: ;
:;•■■, y-
29 . B®^i@ K. Arj©m^; "La YolaataS aad A'bulia ia.©onteiaporary Spanish
■ 30; .Pfe'
,'
jay E w vlaiomarlm. p.' 23ir '
" 31. La Sana-er^aate, p. 2Q:i.'
'
:
y 4•'•;;/
: /': ■'
:;
:
;- -
':32.' Pfo lar©ja> $& ©imfeA a© la';ai©bla. p.. 76«■ -
: '.yv - y -' ■
: y i. 33. ■ Plo Baroja^ iHtuicioH y ©l.estilo.y.p. 92.
:
yy' 3 4 1 Pi© Barojaj, Camlao a© p©rf©GcioaV ’
p.94. './
:35-« ■El .ar’bol de la ci©acia, p. 292.
-I: yly'
y’y. ,,,,'
V
' ■360 ■"Blvagaeionee 4e aHtocrftiea/' ot. eit. „ pp.36-37.}- 1''
1
./
’37» Pf© Baroja, La easa, t© Aizgorrl, pp. ■91-93.
■ y,',
l.::11 ': ,c;;.> 4 ;;-.yy
38. 'P^o Baroja. El aayoraago de Lalbraz, p. 12.
' :3:9'.JOTeataay egolatrla, pp.: 3,81-82,
y
4Q. PjCo Baroja. Galerla de tipoa de la epoca, p. 40, . ■
41,. Pi©1Baroja; El cafe.O' de las tormeatas, p. 18.
. .; 42. El arbol de la elemola, pp. 231=32. - ■
: y.:
■
%3. Pfo Baro.ja, La sensualidad pervertida, pp., l6-17»
kko
la ciudad &e la niebla, pp. 272-73.
k5*
Ibid., pp» 78-79,
:v
•
46. Pxo Baroja, Aurora roja, p. 157°
■■■
47» P10 Baroja, Ms.la Merba, pp. 109-110.
48. La ciudad de la aieblat pp. 92-94.
49. La dama errante. p.77.
50o Ibid.t p.19.
51. Camino de perfeccioa, p. 236.
52. Aurora roja, p. 86.
53. Pfo laroja. El Mundo es ansf^ pp. 110-11.
'
54. Ibid., pp. 116-17.
55. Ibid.,p.
18.
56. Ibid., p. 119
. ■ :■
57. Ibid.. pp. 139-140.
58. Jdtm T. Eeid, og. cit., p. 117.
59. la dama errante„ p. 28.
60..1El escritor segm el j segu6 los critlcos, pp. 89-90.
61. El mundo es ansx', p. l4o.
62 . Ibid., p. 118.
63. La dama errant©p. 31.
64. luevo tablado de Arlequin, pp. 26-27.
65 . Camino de psrfeccim, p. 10.
66. La dama errante, p. 35,
67. La seneualidad pervertida, p. 55.
ili'A
'.68. Pfo. Baroja „-Vitrim .piatoreaca & p. 159°
Modera Spaia am&.LiWralism. p. 133«
-
Cited, by John T.Seid„
\
■ ■ ‘ .69. '-21 ^rbel' #e la Giemcia^ #. '766
> - -- ^
,.lp» La @®HSualidad pervertida. pp. 54-55.
- -.:7L.' &la hleAa, g. 23@» r.
■
:
^
72. El mayorazgo de Labraz. p. 122.
'■■;' 73,
7h.
im
€.0^ pv i g Q w m . ,-
-
;.v>
Caxaino de perfeeoioa. p.125.
'
;; '
'■
;
. 75. ''El arbol de Id cieacla, p. 302. .'■■:■■■
'
76. .Camiao de perfeccion, pp. 17^“175• '
77.
IMA., p. 179'
•
'--
•
'-4 - %
78. .El arbol de la elencia. p. 76.
79.
Camiao da'perfeccioa.'p. ■iW.
81.
Loa visioaarios. pp. 201-204.
82.
Javeatad, egolatria. pp. 194-195.
'
^
V
83. La ciudad de la niebla. p. 122.
8%.
La seRsaalidad perYertida. pp. 246-2^7.
■' v; 85 . :i^.,/p^ 20 .
86.
;;
I M d ., p. 119. •
87. i M d ./ P. 12i. :
V:-
:
v ':
v.rv
. .■ • ;; ;
y '
eit ,B p„ 36 .’
89 . Javeatad. egolatrfa. p. 205.
■
.v v
■:
: ■ ;88, ,^Mtagaeiemee ,de ,'a
; : ; :90o; :BM./'p^ 208 .
,
-■ '■ : .
: ;
i:-.v:- .■v;v;'
■ 91« '#1- ar&ol de 'la eieadia, pp. 14-15.
:
. '■
93 = El arbol de la cieiicia, p. 6 ,
9k*
•;
..
95 o Z
: 96.
JOTQntud a egolatrfa 9 pp„ 209-210 .
arbol de la cieHCia, p . 15 „ .
Ibid., p. 173.
_y ": V
97= 'IMd,, P=. 13.
•
>:■>;,
'
':
9o.
Camlno de perfeccion, pp. 10-11.- ,
99.
Ibid.o p. 191.' -
:100.
Ibid.. PP. 270-271.
: ,
..
•
.
.'
102. ;P_fo Baroja, Slivestre Paradox, pp. 28-29.
103i
Ibid.. pp. 120-122. :
'v
'' ,
10^.7 Jweatmd. egolatria. pp. 212-214.
105.
v
.
107=
El cabo de laa tormentaa. p. 85 . ,
108.
Paradox, rey, p. 93. :
:
: -V’
:
.
no.
iMd.^ p. 1 4 5 . • . ;r::■ ; ; v
;■111.
Juventud. egdlatria, p. 322=;: r
112.
Camino de.perfeccipa . p. 143.
113.
Los visiomrios, p. 128.
-
■■
;
:
'Av.
:;
-.f
v.
■; ■
El cabo de las tomenta's. p. 227. '
1 1 9 . I M d .s p. 2 3 0 .
:
;
"7:
•; 1 0 9 . Ibid.; p. 142. • .
v ll4.
'-'■V '
Pio Baroja. La familia de Errotacho. pp. 284-285.
;.106 . la, sensualidad pervertida, p.
■
" ;
'
101. 'la dama errante. pp. 5 7 -5 8 .
\
''
ll6 o via dama errante, p. 98 .
:U
'
V;:^.
V'..;..; .
\7;
C- ■, • ■, :A,';Ai:>
• 1 1 7 . .Arthur L. ^Owen, "Concerning the Idealo@r of Pfo Baroja,"
Hispania.. Vol. 15. v . 21.■ '
, 118.
'■
P 10 Baro.1aa las horas splitarias, ppa 336-337.
119.
Arthur:I.. Owen., op» cit,, p. 21.
120.
las horas Bolitarias, p. 336. ;
- 121.
122.
;’
-
Claude E. AniMl. op. cit., p. xlvli.
Camino de perfecclon,, p. 73.
v; -:
\
'
Paradox, .rey, p. ill.
125 . Ibid.. 109 .
■
--
■.
- ^
Aurora roja, p„ 336.
127.
Los YiBiooarios. p. 238 .
128.
Juventud, efiolatria. p. 303.
129.
Los visionaries, p. 129.
130.
Aurora roja, p. 236. ,
133.
;■ ,!
I
,/■ ’
- 3^- .
•• • 136.
Ibid., p. 328.
-137.
Ibid., p. 124.
y
V:- ^ y ^
ibid., p. 234 .
‘ 142.
Ibid.: P. 132.
3' '
■■■ ■ *:V5■ v - y'v "::';" ■
:;y.:>: ■\y::;/;.y >:'yy:-: y'y';yv -:
■■■■^/y
" -:-^y.'' ' y-'-y:^'.;,,■y-/^y>y
.y
'
; y ;.,y-r - ' .:yy
y.yyy
;
-
■iyy'.':'
\::;v y ;^ ;V v-yy:--
;
y, V
■
i .3,''
-
ET arbol de la ciebcla, p , 71.
. i4i.
:
■':''Vv^'.--'y'\;i.- ■ y;- ■
138 . Ibid.. pp. 183-184.
I b i d . , p. 117.
"I v;'
v'3:7.'
^
.135 . ibid., p. 281 .
140.
‘
\
134 . ibid., pp. 233-234 .
,139.
'
Ibid., P. 239-240.
Ibid.^ P,.ll4.
./
;
y;;';:'
4 3 2 i ^ d .,:p ,;i24'■^ ^ S i
.
^
:
126.
.y: ;i31.
: ’
.: r ■
; 123 . El cabo de las tormeatas, p. 285 .
124.
:
yVvyJ.- : ■;y^.- y
■
--yy- ■ :y-:y; / ^ -'y- c '-y;;
•
y' ;y'3 .yry-
' V
143 ’ i w . , P„ 33T*
'v;
-v
„ Aurora ro,iac p. 335 »
;J; ' . '
145 . L a dama erraate,pp. 86-87,
146 . Ibid., p. 150i
:
147.
ibid., 70-72.
^
""'
.
:r r
:;v
; :; 149.
l^O.
.
:
r ;;
Los visioharlds. p. 253 .
- y';::':':■ 152. ibia.; P . 306.
153 .
:l:> "
ibid.; p. n.;v ; ^ - y :
151 » Aurora roja, p. 237 .
:
t,
"
•v/' / : '
•
.
'■
y-'V^
\
JuTentud, egolatrfae p. 289.
154 ; El eacritor segian el gy aesua los critic os. p. 79
.
y
I59.
Eamilla, iafaacia, j juveatud. p. 263 .
•
I96.El eacritor segun el y aegim los erfticos, p. 86 .
157 .
>'
198.
"Divagaciones de autocrftica." op. eit., p. 59 .
Paradox, rey,p. 111 .
199. M u e v d
tabla d o d e
'
A r l e o u i m , p.
160, Aurora roja, pp. 1581199.
:
V 1 6 1.
i M d . ,
p.
336.
26.
'
; ^ y y y. :. y ; ; y y .., ; . . y y : : \
;
162.
:
1 6 3 . Los vialonar1oa, pp. 145-146.
164.
Ibid., P. 153. ;
'^ ^
J":;;
-/y:: ■■■■: .
y'-■; y 1 6 5 . -las boras.aoiltarlas, pp. •289-290. . V : •
166. Intuieion % el estilo; p. 73 .
los rlsioaarlos.pp. 146-147 .
168.
El arbol de la cieneia, p. 28 0.
'
.
--
Intttieicm y el, estilo. p. 72.
167 .
_
-
128
169*
La ssnsualidad perrertlda, p. 131 .
170 .
Juveatndc 'egolatrfa, p. 110 .
171 . Parados, raya pp. 100 -101 .
172 . Nuevo tablado de Arleqafa.p. 27 .
173 . Parados, rey3 pp. 104-105 .
174 .
11 etrbol de la
.oleAcla,
pp. 198-199 .
175 «
Pfo Baroja, -la.
cavema delhumorlsmo, pp. 43 -4 5 .
176 . Juventud, egolatrla, p. 78 °
177 . Caiaino de perfeceicm, p. 2.03 .
178 .
John T. Beid, op. elt..p. 67 .
179 .
11 arbol de la
cieneia,
p.291 .
180 . Ibid., p. 337 .■
181 .
John T. field, op. elt., p. 72 .
182 . Silvestre Parados, pv 102 .
■I83 , John T. field, op. elt.^ p. 84 i.
184 . Bio Baroja, las yeleldadea de fortnna, p. 203 . '
184 . 11 Hiayoraz^o de Lahraz, pp. 171-172 .
186 .
"PlTagaclones de autoerltica," op. cit-., p. 38 .
187 .
John T. field, c^. elt., p. 2 6 .
188 . A . Eamos 01lyeIra. op. cit., p. 219 . .
I89 . . Helen S. Nicholson, op. cit.,.p. 7 .
190 . Eduard Fueter, op. elt., p. 53 .
191 . John T. field, pp. cit., p. 26 .
192 . A. Bamos Oliveira, op. cit., p.. 235 .
193 .
John T. field, op. cit., p. 26 .
•
1$%.
A, Eamos Oliveira, eg. git./ p. 231.
195, IMd.,: P. 236. ;
: ,■
■196. La <iama errante, pp.
.S';/-
212-213.
19f. Ibid.. p. 216 .
.198, • Ibid.. p., 214.
199. "Ibid., p.' 213.
20.0.! Ibid., PP. 195:196.
201.
•:
'
Los visioaaribs. p. 155.
■
; 202 .■-PiMd., pp. 125-126 . p ■ :: v■ v': : ,:
263 .
El arbol de la eiencia,p. 303.
205 .
Jolm 1. Eeid, op. Git., p. 112,
:
'206 . Pfetla hierba, p. 225 .
207. ;El Bitmdo .es-'ami, -p. 138 .: . ;■pp
:208.:
v
v':.
-.;/'P: -i- r
209.
Caraino de parfeecldii,p. 30.
210.
ClaudeE. Anibal, op. cit,,"p. xxvi.
:-:2llt
2127
:Ibid,:,
p. xxyii.,■' ■P: .■ '.. Q ;;-
Bfo Baroja, La busca, pp. 84-85.
ajj3>;: IMS-, TO. 88-89 ..; ; ' ; .
214.
-m ;
- .9.
Mala hierba, p. 208 .
ibid., pp. 211 -213 .
216 .
Ibid,y pp. 222 -223 ;
217.
Ibid..pp. -234.
218,
Ibid..pp. 266-267.
219, La. busca, pp. 96-97.
:
j.
p p
:
220.
- 221.
El arbol de la clencia, pp. 308-311.
Ibid., p. 312.
'CHAEEEE III
1.
. 2.
■ :
Juventud, egolatria, p. 53.
Clatide E. Aaibal, op. cit.8 pp. xxiii-xxlv.
3.
Ibid., p. xxi.
4.
Hicolas Gonzalez Buiz, "to-roja y la Espana de Baroja
5.
,
' •
Cesar Barja, op. cit., p. 317.
■6 . Jose" Marfa Salaverria. op. cit.. pp. 80-81.
7.. Claude E. Anibal, op. cit., p. xxli.
8 . Cesar Barja, op. cit./ p. 331.
9«
El"mundo ee ans i^ p. 82.
10.
Cesar Barja^ op. cit., p. 306.
11.
Claude E. Anibal, op. cit., p. xlv.,
12 . Camino de perfeccion, p. 101 .
13.
Doris E. Arjoma, ot. cit,, p. 582 .
14.
John f . Beid^ op. cit., p. 62.
15. William A. Drake, op. cit., p. 119.
16.
Doris K. Arjona, op. cit.,.p. 665 .
17.
Ibid., p. 632.
18 . Cesar Barja, op. cit.. pp. 299-300.
19.
Ibid., p. 316.
'
20.
Jose^ Jferia Salaverria. op. cit., p. 61.
21 .
Josd^Balseiro,;op, sit., p. 198 ,
22.
Ibid.. p. 201..
23.
William Bose (Editor), Gontemporary Movements in European
Literature, p, 99. 'L.' Y'% 'L:: y :'V ::: --L
- T■
:
- 24,
JuYentud,egolatria, p,. 93.
; :■
25 . Qalerfa de tipos de la eppca, p. 24.
26,. Intuic.idn j_ el egtilo, p. 44.
: 27.
'
Ibid, p. 46. 1
'
28.
El escritor Begun6l g; segun los critlcos, p. 78:.
29 .
La caverna del humoriamo, p, 214.
;
30.
Eamilia, infancia, y juventud, p.200.
■
1 31.
.32-.
.Juyentud,
egolatria, p. 115.
Ibid,, pp. 70 -72 .
:
-7 ;
.. " -
33. Intuicion y el estilo, p. 249.
34.
La casa de Aizgorri, pp. 99-100.
:
35 ; ■;Ibid,:,-ip, 115 .
.
36.
-
■ 37.
'
.
, '!7';' ’'17'.:-i'■_
,'
.. ;
/’I
v,'; ■ .
'i " ".■” ^
Claude E ,Anlbal, bp, cit., pp. xxxvii-xxxviii.
Silyestre Paradox, pp. 107-1091
38. ;m
1;
./'p .;il5.;:;'7;:4:;;i
Doris
\
- i ;/ vVii;;:;,;'
V;: '39. '1^
. 40.
■
■.
K.
Arjona, op. cit., p. 625.
; :
.
v
:: 4L^ Camino de perfection, p.; 19 .
.42.
Ibid., p.17 .
: : ^-3' Ibid., p. 32 . . .
'7
y
"
J.i
.
4 5 . Ibid., p. 202. v V: ■
'
.
^8 . Doris K. Arjona, op, cit., p. 625.
7/'.
44. Ibid., p. il4.
47.
Camino de perfeccion, p. 82.
:
:'
-T ie' '3
' :; i. V;
i: •
;
;■
. : ; /v.c/v
;.
<
;
48. Tbid., pp. 269-270 .
'
;V;
• ; ■
'
■49.. ■:'WtilIiam A. Brake, op. cit., p.; 117 .
50. 'Doris K. Arjona^ op. cit,, p. 626 .
51 * El escritor segun el y segun los criticos, p. 313 .
52., ,?E1 mayorazgo de Labraz, pp. 230-231,
. 53.
Boris K. Arjom, qpv cit., p. 62-7.
■
-
'
- , 54 . William A. Brake, op. cit;,,p. 120.
55« La busca, p. 26.
%
,
'.
1 -;
:
■'
'■
v,;;
57 .
'
H i d ., p. 245 .
\
v:!-., .V
4 .;.;. '
■
•58 .% "Pfb Baroja, ■Spain,’s Novelist, pi". Pity." Clipping from Literary
Digest International Book Review, date unavailable.
. 59 . .La Busca^ pp. 278-277.
6 0 . Ibid./ p. 282 ..
:
. .\
y PP> 312r313 .•
62 . Ibid., p. 315 .
v
''
.
■. .
...
l;
.
; :
:
63 .
Paradox, rey, p. 99 .
64.
La Busca, p. 104„
>
'*
;■ 65 . rbid.,:; p. 230 . ■': :,..' ;:7 :..,:■■ ' : / >
66 .
Mala hierba, p. 19 .
• 67 . Ibli., .pp. 23 -25 .
/
•
-
';
v
... >/68 . -Ibid.,.p. 308 .;
'
'. 69 . ibid., p. 341 .
. 1.:70;. Besar Bar ja,
cit., p.331.
' 71. Josk’Marfa Salaverrfa, op. cit., p. 62 .
. ..7 2 .
,73.
El a^-bol,de la clencia. pp. 322-323.
La dama ..errante^ipp.33^34.,
7%., La cixxdad de.la hlebla, p. 127 .
' M ':
P. >42..
76. .I ^ . ,
:
I ’blij..
;
p. lLS. ,- 77':
77. Ibid. p . 148.
. 7 9 “.
L:7.
p.
:
7-87.
'V' '
'
r
79.' I M d ., p. :2$2 . ’"'; ’ ^
: 80. Ibid., pp. 256-257.
:
81. , Ibid., pp. 279-280.
'
;62.- : I M d .,;p. .283. ■
83.
El mundo es ansjf, pp. 121-122.
'8 ^'., :Ibid.,
85.
'.7 ::'"
p7 134.- ..;':;7
IMd. , p. 126.' -
';
:7 ;
786 ; I M d ., p. 151 .
"
87.
I M d ., p. 130M32.
88.
Ibid., pp. 133-134.
:
"90. lliiybol de la eiencia, p. 42.
91.: I M d ., p . 67 .
:7.7:';; 78 7 ^ , ;
92; ;iM^.,;,p.;7l.;:7-;'
.
■7 ■
'77
#.
I W . , p;,l8l.
95 .
iMd., pp. 251 -252 .:
— 7 7" 7,,
'7
ibid.,pp. 253 -254 . , - ' .:
96.
;:
V:
977': Ibid., pp. 255-256. ;
98#;
Ibid.',.pp. 300-301.
99.
Ibid,.pp. .314-315 .
^
’
' ■v
,7
•
;
,
12©
: .
'■ : - v
100.
T b i a , v p p . 3 29 - 3 3 0 .
101.
I b i d . , p. 332.
•
V;
.
103. I b i d ., pp. 3 # - 3 M .
''"'2':
^
^
; ;
' V '10 ^ . "
' ,
"
:
; 1 0 2 . I b i d . ^ -pp. -336-SS©..; : ^
V ,
V
:
y
-
,v ■■V'
■ l o g . , E l e s c r l t o r segun e l y seft-im lo s e r i t l c o ' s , p. 2 9 8 .
;
;
v
106.
I b i d . ; P. 3 0 0 . :
107.
La s ens'qalldad. p e r v e r t I d a ,, p p . 7-©. '
108.
I b i d . i Pp.: 1 1 - 1 2 .
: V,v 109.
no.
i b i d . , p. 3 8 .
p.
'
. :
7
:’
115.
:
:
:
'' " '''; -y" /'--I-:
- ,. -
w.-
'
_
-
•
', / Y:'
"
I b i d . , pp. 93-91.
v . ,
:
v
y
116V I b i d . 7 P. 195. .
7 ;:
; - 7 : - ;7V'';
v.^7; ;
..:
% ■/. :
7 7; 7; 77 • 1 .
:■
" Vj ' v
■
/
7 ■i -'r;
'
; 7:;
7;:?7^v l
C H A M IV
7
1 .xll
'
I b i d . , pp. 188 - 1 9 1 . ' • :
1 1 7 .' i b i d . , p. 2I 0 .
:
77 ' ,7 7
7
.
■; . .
■. i l l . ~ I b i d . , PP. 117—
119 *
'y 7' :
•
-
112.; . I b i d . , 'P. 8 ^ 8 7 / :
113.
., '
I b i d . , p.;r:1 6 V l :/ - ; : ; ; I l - : : \ ;;y '
'
7
:
^
,.7- 77-
7'7:;7:-7;7 ; l ' ^ > r
Jolm T. P e i d , o p 7 c i t p. 60. •, -: '
" 2 ' Clapde E . M i b a l .,- op. c i t . , p. .xryix.
3.
J o h n T . Be i d . , op. c i t . , p . 6g.
/:7':77: 7: -;7
'
7
,.
' Galerfa de tipos de la epoca, P- 67.
William A.. Drake, op. cit., p . 118.
Aurora roja, p „ 328.'
BIBLIOGEAPHI - CBITICXSM
BOOKS:
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