dona perecta-第1章

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Dona　Perecta

By　Benito　Perez　Galdos

Translated　by　　Mary　J。　Serrano










INTRODUCTION


The　very　acute　and　lively　Spanish　critic　who　signs　himself　Clarin；　and　is　known　personally　as　Don　Leopoldo　Alas；　says　the　present　Spanish　novel　has　no　yesterday；　but　only　a　day…before…yesterday。　It　does　not　derive　from　the　romantic　novel　which　immediately　preceded　that：　the　novel；　large　or　little；　as　it　was　with　Cervantes；　Hurtado　de　Mendoza；　Quevedo；　and　the　masters　of　picaresque　fiction。

Clarin　dates　its　renascence　from　the　political　revolution　of　1868；　which　gave　Spanish　literature　the　freedom　necessary　to　the　fiction　that　studies　to　reflect　modern　life；　actual　ideas；　and　current　aspirations；　and　though　its　authors　were　few　at　first；　〃they　have　never　been　adventurous　spirits；　friends　of　Utopia；　revolutionists；　or　impatient　progressists　and　reformers。〃　He　thinks　that　the　most　daring；　the　most　advanced；　of　the　new　Spanish　novelists；　and　the　best　by　far；　is　Don　Benito　Perez　Galdos。

I　should　myself　have　made　my　little　exception　in　favor　of　Don　Armando　Palacio　Valdes；　but　Clarin　speaks　with　infinitely　more　authority；　and　I　am　certainly　ready　to　submit　when　he　goes　on　to　say　that　Galdos　is　not　a　social　or　literary　insurgent；　that　he　has　no　political　or　religious　prejudices；　that　he　shuns　extremes；　and　is　charmed　with　prudence；　that　his　novels　do　not　attack　the　Catholic　dogmasthough　they　deal　so　severely　with　Catholic　bigotrybut　the　customs　and　ideas　cherished　by　secular　fanaticism　to　the　injury　of　the　Church。　Because　this　is　so　evident；　our　critic　holds；　his　novels　are　〃found　in　the　bosom　of　families　in　every　corner　of　Spain。〃　Their　popularity　among　all　classes　in　Catholic　and　prejudiced　Spain；　and　not　among　free…　thinking　students　merely；　bears　testimony　to　the　fact　that　his　aim　and　motive　are　understood　and　appreciated；　although　his　stories　are　apparently　so　often　anti…Catholic。






I

Dona　Perfecta　is；　first　of　all；　a　story；　and　a　great　story；　but　it　is　certainly　also　a　story　that　must　appear　at　times　potently；　and　even　bitterly；　anti…Catholic。　Yet　it　would　be　a　pity　and　an　error　to　read　it　with　the　preoccupation　that　it　was　an　anti…Catholic　tract；　for　really　it　is　not　that。　If　the　persons　were　changed　in　name　and　place；　and　modified　in　passion　to　fit　a　cooler　air；　it　might　equally　seem　an　anti…Presbyterian　or　anti…Baptist　tract；　for　what　it　shows　in　the　light　of　their　own　hatefulness　and　cruelty　are　perversions　of　any　religion；　any　creed。　It　is　not；　however；　a　tract　at　all；　it　deals　in　artistic　largeness　with　the　passion　of　bigotry；　as　it　deals　with　the　passion　of　love；　the　passion　of　ambition；　the　passion　of　revenge。　But　Galdos　is　Spanish　and　Catholic；　and　for　him　the　bigotry　wears　a　Spanish　and　Catholic　face。　That　is　all。

Up　to　a　certain　time；　I　believe；　Galdos　wrote　romantic　or　idealistic　novels；　and　one　of　these　I　have　read；　and　it　tired　me　very　much。　It　was　called　〃Marianela；〃　and　it　surprised　me　the　more　because　I　was　already　acquainted　with　his　later　work；　which　is　all　realistic。　But　one　does　not　turn　realist　in　a　single　night；　and　although　the　change　in　Galdos　was　rapid　it　was　not　quite　a　lightning　change；　perhaps　because　it　was　not　merely　an　outward　change；　but　artistically　a　change　of　heart。　His　acceptance　in　his　quality　of　realist　was　much　more　instant　than　his　conversion；　and　vastly　wider；　for　we　are　told　by　the　critic　whom　I　have　been　quoting　that　Galdos's　earlier　efforts；　which　he　called　/Episodios　Nacionales/；　never　had　the　vogue　which　his　realistic　novels　have　enjoyed。

These　were；　indeed；　tendencious；　if　I　may　Anglicize　a　very　necessary　word　from　the　Spanish　/tendencioso/。　That　is；　they　dealt　with　very　obvious　problems；　and　had　very　distinct　and　poignant　significations；　at　least　in　the　case　of　〃Dona　Perfecta；〃　〃Leon　Roch；〃　and　〃Gloria。〃　In　still　later　novels；　Emilia　Pardo…Bazan　thinks；　he　has　comprehended　that　〃the　novel　of　to…day　must　take　note　of　the　ambient　truth；　and　realize　the　beautiful　with　freedom　and　independence。〃　This　valiant　lady；　in　the　campaign　for　realism　which　she　made　under　the　title　of　〃La　Cuestion　Palpitante〃one　of　the　best　and　strongest　books　on　the　subjectcounts　him　first　among　Spanish　realists；　as　Clarin　counts　him　first　among　Spanish　novelists。　〃With　a　certain　fundamental　humanity；〃　she　says；　〃a　certain　magisterial　simplicity　in　his　creations；　with　the　natural　tendency　of　his　clear　intelligence　toward　the　truth；　and　with　the　frankness　of　his　observation；　the　great　novelist　was　always　disposed　to　pass　over　to　realism　with　arms　and　munitions；　but　his　aesthetic　inclinations　were　idealistic；　and　only　in　his　latest　works　has　he　adopted　the　method　of　the　modern　novel；　fathomed　more　and　more　the　human　heart；　and　broken　once　for　all　with　the　picturesque　and　with　the　typical　personages；　to　embrace　the　earth　we　tread。〃

For　her；　as　I　confess　for　me；　〃Dona　Perfecta〃　is　not　realistic　enough　realistic　as　it　is；　for　realism　at　its　best　is　not　tendencious。　It　does　not　seek　to　grapple　with　human　problems；　but　is　richly　content　with　portraying　human　experiences；　and　I　think　Senora　Pardo…Bazan　is　right　in　regarding　〃Dona　Perfecta〃　as　transitional；　and　of　a　period　when　the　author　had　not　yet　assimilated　in　its　fullest　meaning　the　faith　he　had　imbibed。


II

Yet　it　is　a　great　novel；　as　I　said；　and　perhaps　because　it　is　transitional　it　will　please　the　greater　number　who　never　really　arrive　anywhere；　and　who　like　to　find　themselves　in　good　company　/en　route/。　It　is　so　far　like　life　that　it　is　full　of　significations　which　pass　beyond　the　persons　and　actions　involved；　and　envelop　the　reader；　as　if　he　too　were　a　character　of　the　book；　or　rather　as　if　its　persons　were　men　and　women　of　this　thinking；　feeling；　and　breathing　world；　and　he　must　recognize　their　experiences　as　veritable　facts。　From　the　first　moment　to　the　last　it　is　like　some　passage　of　actual　events　in　which　you　cannot　withhold　your　compassion；　your　abhorrence；　your　admiration；　any　more　than　if　they　took　place　within　your　personal　knowledge。　Where　they　transcend　all　facts　of　your　personal　knowledge；　you　do　not　accuse　them　of　improbability；　for　you　feel　their　potentiality　in　yourself；　and　easily　account　for　them　in　the　alien　circumstance。　I　am　not　saying　that　the　story　has　no　faults；　it　has　several。　There　are　tags　of　romanticism　fluttering　about　it　here　and　there；　and　at　times　the　author　permits　himself　certain　old…fashioned　literary　airs　and　poses　and　artifices；　which　you　simply　wonder　at。　It　is　in　spite　of　these；　and　with　all　these　defects；　that　it　is　so　great　and　beautiful　a　book。


III

What　seems　to　be　so　very　admirable　in　the　management　of　the　story　is　the　author's　success　in　keeping　his　own　counsel。　This　may　seem　a　very　easy　thing；　but；　if　the　reader　will　think　over　the　novelists　of　his　acquaintance；　he　will　find　that　it　is　at　least　very　uncommon。　They　mostly　give　themselves　away　almost　from　the　beginning；　either　by　their　anxiety　to　hide　what　is　coming；　or　their　vanity　in　hinting　what　great　things　they　have　in　store　for　the　reader。　Galdos　does　neither　the　one　nor　the　other。　He　makes　it　his　business　to　tell　the　story　as　it　grows；　to　let　the　characters　unfold　themselves　in　speech　and　action；　to　permit　the　events　to　happen　unheralded。　He　does　not　prophesy　their　course；　he　does　not　forecast　the　weather　even　for　twenty…four　hours；　the　atmosphere　becomes　slowly；　slowly；　but　with　occasional　lifts　and　reliefs；　of　such　a　brooding　breathlessness；　of　such　a　deepening　density；　that　you　feel　the　wild　passion…storm　nearer　and　nearer　at　hand；　till　it　bursts　at　last；　and　then　you　are　astonished　that　you　had　not　foreseen　it　yourself　from　the　first　moment。

Next　to　this　excellent　method；　which　I　count　the　supreme　characteristic　of　the　book　merely　because　it　represents　the　whole；　and　the　other　facts　are　in　the　nature　of　parts；　is　the　masterly　conception　of　the　characters。　They　are　each　typical　of　a　certain　side　of　human　nature；　as　most　of　our　personal　friends　and　enemies　are；　but　not　exclusively　of　this　side　or　that。　They　are　each　of　mixed　motives；　mixed　qualities；　none　of　them　is　quite　a　monster；　though　those　who　are　badly　mixed　do　such　monstrous　things。

Pepe　Rey；　who　is　such　a　good　fellowso　kind；　and　brave；　and　upright；　and　generous；　so　fine　a　mind；　and　so　high　a　soulis　tactless　and　imprudent；　he　even　condescends　to　the　thought　of　intrigue；　and　though　he　rejects　his　plots　at　last；　his　nature　has　once　harbored　deceit。　Don　Inocencio；　the　priest；　whose　control　of　Dona　Perfecta's　conscience　has　vitiated　the　very　springs　of　goodness　in　her；　is　by　no　means　bad；　aside　from　his　purposes。　He　loves　his　sister　and　her　son　tenderly；　and　wishes　to　provide　for　them　by　the　marriage　which　Pepe's　presence　threatens　to　prevent。　The　nephew；　though　selfish　and　little；　has　moments　of　almost　being　a　good　fellow；　the　sister；　though　she　is　really　such　a　lamb　of　meekness；　becomes　a　cat；　and　scratches　Don　Inocencio　dreadfully　when　he　weakens　in　his　design　against　Pepe。

Rosario；　one　of　the　sweetest　and　purest　images　of　girlhood　that　I　know　in　fiction；　abandons　herself　with　equal　passion　to　the　love　she　feels　for　her　cousin　Pepe；　and　to　the　love　she　feels　for　her　mother；　Dona　Perfecta。　She　is　ready　to　fly　with　him；　and　yet　she　betrays　him　to　her　mother's　pitiless　hate。

But　it　is　Dona　Perfecta　herself　who　is　the　transcendent　figure；　the　most　powerful　creation　of　the　book。　In　her；　bigotry　and　its　fellow…　vice；　hypocrisy；　have　done　their　perfect　work；　until　she　comes　near　to　being　a　devil；　and　really　does　some　devil's　deeds。　Yet　even　she　is　not　without　some　extenuating　traits。　Her　bigotry　springs　from　her　conscience；　and　she　is　truly　devoted　to　her　daughter's　eternal　welfare；　she　is　of　such　a　native　frankness　that　at　a　certain　point　she　tears　aside　her　mask　of　dissimulation　and　lets　Pepe　see　all　the　ugliness　of　her　perverted　soul。　She　is　wonderfully　managed。　At　what　moment　does　she　begin　to　hate　him；　and　to　wish　to　undo　her　own　work　in　making　a　match　between　him　and　her　daughter？　I　could　defy　anyone　to　say。　All　one　knows　is　that　at　one　moment　she　adores　her　brother's　son；　and　at　another　she　abhors　him；　and　has　already　subtly　entered　upon　her　efforts　to　thwart　the　affection　she　has　invited　in　him　for　her　daughter。

Caballuco；　what　shall　I　say　of　Caballuco？　He　seems　altogether　bad；　but　the　author　lets　one　imagine　that　this　cruel；　this　ruthless　brute　must　have　somewhere　about　him　traits　of　lovableness；　of　leniency；　though　he　never　lets　one　see　them。　His　gratitude　to　Dona　Perfecta；　even　his　murderous　devotion；　is　not　altogether　bad；　and　he　is　certainly　worse　than　nature　made　him；　when　wrought　upon　by　her　fury　and　the　suggestion　of　Don　Inocencio。　The　scene　where　they　work　him　up　to　rebellion　and　assassination　is　a　compendium　of　the　history　of　intolerance；　as　the　mean　little　conceited　city　of　Orbajosas　is　the　microcosm　of　bigoted　and　reactionary　Spain。


IV

I　have　called；　or　half…called；　this　book　tendencious；　but　in　a　certain　larger　view　it　is　not　so。　It　is　the　eternal　interest　of　passion　working　upon　passion；　not　the　temporary　interest　of　condition　antagonizing　condition；　which　renders　〃Dona　Perfecta〃　so　poignantly　interesting；　and　which　makes　its　tragedy　immense。　But　there　is　hope　as　well　as　despair　in　such　a　tragedy。　There　is　the　strange　suppo