Pardo Bazán and naturalism

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Authors Senob, Alice

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Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553113 Par do Bazan and Naturalism.

by

Alice Sonob

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

.•"Master.' :ofv"Art s x ’ > - /" c: ..V /i ; in the College ef Letters, Arts, and Soienees, of the

University of Arizona

1 9 3 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

Definitions ...... 1 - 10

/ ^ A Short History of Naturalism • . • . • 11 - 25

Naturalism in the Works of Pardo Bazan. . • 26 - 73

The Difference Between the Naturalism of

Zola and that of Pardo Bazan . . . . 74 - 87

^ /Conclusion ...... 88 - 93

Notes ...... 94 - 111

Bibliography ...... 112 - 114

798«3 - 1 -

Definitions of ilnturalisra

What is naturalism? Is it something comparatively new, an original discovery with Zola and other nineteenth century novelists*or is it something old, known in the days of

Aristophanes or earlier? Of what does it consist? What are its principles? How shall one define it?

Many definitions have been made and are yet b’eing made, for although naturalism is no longer such an intensely "pal­ pitating question" as it was in the days of Pardo-Bazan and

Zola, it is still with us.

Zola, who by the consent of the learned is usually desig­ nated as the chief of the naturalistic school, defines natural­ ism as the "experimental method", applying observation and ex­ perience to literature.^ He makes this clear by repeating the point until one is weary, in faot one might be tempted to say that if Joubert wished to compress a book into one page and that one page into a line; Zola must have wished to expand one line into a page and that page into a book. Perhaps, like Matthew Arnold, he was afraid his readers would not under­ stand or remember what he said the first time, so he admin­ istered several doses. After reading Zola1s book on natural­ ism, one knows that he believes naturalism in letters is e- qually a return to nature and to man, direct observation, exact anatomy, the acoeptanoe and painting of things as they are 2 •* 2 —

Wordsworth onoe defined poetry seven times in one essay, eaoh definition being fairly distinct from the other. For example, "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feel­ ings"3 and "poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge"4, are not the same. But Zola's definitions of naturalism are very little different. A naturalistic novel, for him, is simply an inquest of nature, beings and things.5

The Gonoourt brothers have very rauoh the same idea as

Zola: declaring that a novel must be founded on nature, that as the historians are the relators of the past, the novelists are the relators of the present.6

Brunetiere defines naturalism as "an art which saori- * floes form to matter, design to color, sentiment to sensa­ tion, the ideal to the real".7 He adds that: "There are al­ ways insignificant and low details."®

Martino states that naturalism is a method of intellec­ tual work directly borrowed from science.9

Pellissier declares "the fundamental doctrine of Natural- 10 ism is to portray reality taken from actuality". Blanoo-Garoin states that contemporary naturalism is a conjunction of two elements: ••pessimistic negation in the con­ tent and absolute nakedness in the forms." It amounts to a sad and exact representation of a decadent period, a docu­ mentary history of vice.12

Croce tells us that naturalism Is the experimental method of the natural sciences applied to literature.13 «** J5 <*•

With his usual cleverness Saintsbury declares: " % e am­ bition of the Naturalist, briefly described without epigram or flippancy, but as he himself would say scientifically, is to mention the unmentionable with as much fullness of detail as possible. .

The Encyclopaedia Britannloa contributes this to the subject:

"Naturalism, in philosophy, is the view which maintains that all explanation should keep within the reala of what is natural and avoid all recourse to the supernatural. Thinkers may be agreed about this even if they differ on many other points. Thus, for example, materialism, pantheism, posi­ tivism are all naturalistic; but it is absurd to equate them for that reason.1,15

Although dictionary definitions are usually not accept­ able, it may be pertinent to see how Webster defines natural­ ism:

"1. A state of nature, action, inclination

or thought based on natural desires and instincts

alone.

8. Theol. The doctrine that religious truth

is derived from nature and not from revelation:

the denial of the miraculous and supernatural

(that is, of anything not explainable by natural

law) in religion.

3. Philos. The doctrine that physical laws

give, or may be expected to give, an adequate - 4 • account of all phenomena; and asserts that the

conceptions of the natural sciences furnish the

only possible explanation of reality; loosely,.

materialism or positivism."

4a. The theory that art or literature

should conform to nature, realism; also the

quality, rendering or expression of art or

literature executed according to this theory.

b. Specif., the principle and charac­

teristics professed or represented by a 19th

century school of realistic writers, notably

by Zola and Maupassant, who aimed to give a

literal transcription of reality, and laid

special stress on the analytic study of charac­

ter, and on the scientific and experimental

nature of their observation of life."

Naturalism professes to be an experimental method, it professes to be representation without idealization, and it believes that physical laws give or may be expected to give

an adequate account of all phenomena; - : and it asserts that

natural sciences furnish the only possible explanation of reality. It also denies the existence of free will.

Naturalism is more than realism carried to an extreme de­

gree. As Pardo-Bazan points out: "Someter el pensealento y

la pasion a las miamas leyes que determinan la ca{da de la

piedra; considerar exclusivamente las Influenoins ffsioo qul-

micas, preaoindiendo hasta de la espontaneidad individual, es lo que s© propone el naturalism y lo qua Zola llama en

otro pasaje de suo obras ’mostror y poner do realoe la bestia

humana*• For logioa oonaeouenola, natural!smo se oblige a no

reaplrar alno del lado de la materia; a oxplioar ol drama de

la vida humane por medio del Instinto oiego y la oonoupleoen-

oia desenfrenada, She again points out a distinction when she says! *31 ea real ouanto tiene existenoia verdadera y efectiva, el realla- m en el arte nos ofreoe una teorfa mas anoha, ooiq>leta y per- feota que el naturalism. Conq>rende y aborca lo natural y lo

espiritual, el ouepo y el alma, y ooncilia y reduce a unldad

la exposioion del naturalismo y del idealismo radons!. In el realism cabe todo, memos las exageraelones y desvarios de dos

esouelas extremes y, por preoisa oonseouenoia, exolusivistas.

Of course it is understood that all realistic writers are

not alike, nor are all naturalistic writers alike. Each real­

istic or naturalistic writer has personal traits which dis­

tinguish him from other writers of the some general school to

which he belongs, be it realistic or naturalistic. Maupassant,

for instance, is a naturalistic writer, although his natural­

ism is somewhat different from that of Zola. But the fact re­

mains that both are naturalistic writers, not realistic writers

like Jane Austen or Thackeray.

Perhaps a comparison between two works on the same general

theme will show this difference between realism and naturalism

more clearly than a general discussion of the terms. George - 6 —

LlllotS'Tho London Merchant is realistic, vrlille Theodore

Dreiser's An American Tragedy is aaturalietio# .

Barnwell, the hero of The London Merchant, gives us the impression that he was master of his own fate, that he oould have thrown off the influence of Millwood if he had really wanted to do so.. Clyde Griffiths, the hero, if one may call him that, of An American Tragedy, gives us the impression that he was not the master of his fate. He was extremely weak, it is true| but we are given the Impression that,be really oould- n't help doing what he did because destiny willed it so.

The very beginning of Lillo's play shows that lie thinks

Barnwell is capable of doing whatever he wishes} he possesses every virtue until he meets the "fallen” woman, and then he proceeds to lose a virtue in every scene. The expressed moral of the play shows that Lillo, the realist, believes wo are masters of our fate because he tells us that Barnwell is an ex­ ample of what not to d o . ^ In other words, if one really knows a thing is evil and that such and such a course of action will lead to the gallows, one will avoid it.

On the other hand, Clyde sees the•harm sexual indulgence does to his sister and yet he pursues the same course of action himself. Dreiser makes us feel that the final tragedy is in­ evitable because Clyde is what he is, and having no free will, cannot change himself. This is one of the greatest character­ istics of naturalism, and the characteristic which most sharply distinguishes it from realism. - 7 -

Both Barnwell and Clyde are represented as being typi­ cal, One Immediately accepts Barnwell as a typical charac­ ter, but the first few pages of An American Tragedy makes ^ one think that Clyde is not typical. However, the remaining pages of Dreiser*s lengthy novel dissipate that thought.

Dreiser gives the idea that nothing can be done about Clyde's ease, even though the environment were changed he would still • be the eame; despite the stress that Dreiser puts on the pecu­ liar training and education that Clyde received. The analytic study of environment and its influence on character is a- nother markedly naturalistic trait. Although Lillo gives some credit to environment and its influence on character, he doesn't make it all important, Barnwell has a free will which he could exercise in a different environment if he chose,

Clyde would be very much the same in any environment $ be­ cause he hasn't any free will, he is not the controller of himself. He is impelled by something outside himself, by

some providence or destln;y that shapes his end. Barnwell la not presented as being impelled by fate but by himself.

Lillo, the realist, believes one can remedy one's situa­

tion, work out one's salvation, be the controlling force in

one's life, Dreiser, the naturalist, believes one cannot remedy one's situation, work out one's salvation, be the con­

trolling force in one's life.

In both The London Merchant and An American Tragedy there

is a gradual degeneration until finally murder is committed; — 8 — but after Barnwell oommits murder he Immediately repents, whereas Clyde does not rep^ent until the latter part of the second lengthy volume. One thinks then that It was not con­ sol enoe, but fear of the gallows that made him repent at all.

Both Llllo and Dreiser are sentimental, which Is a trait that oannot be classed as being the sole property of either real­ ists or naturalists. Llllo is really more honest and. frank

In his sentimentality than Dreiser, who strives to be above such emotions. He doesn't succeed, Clyde Is portrayed as a mere mechanism for a long time, but after his trial he loses hie— shall I say "hard-boiled"?— attitude and one Is left with the impression that he repudiates his former thoughts, and like persons holding religious convictions, hopes for eternal salvation. Dreiser despises religion In the beginning of the book, tries to define it as a snare and a delusion, "religionism"; yet in the end he oannot keep this tone. Dreiser finally praises the religious minister and Clyde's mother, whose face portrays "fighting faith In wisdom and mercy of the definite over-ruling and watchful and merciful power" of Cod. Naturalists, one might say, are more prone to Inconsistencies than realists.

Neither The London Merchant nor An American Tragedy has the great and noble characters which Aristotle prescribes for tragedy. Lower class characters are used by both real- istists and naturalists, whereas classicists employ charac­ ters of "high fame and flourishing prosperity", following Aristotle's judgment.

Thus on® sees that while realism and naturalism have some traits in common, such as observation, sentimentality and low oharaoters, naturalism has more detailed and intri­ cate study of phenomena. Naturalism denies the existence of a free will, whereas realism does not. Naturalism believes man is solely the product of his environment, realism does not. Naturalism takes one phase of existence and examines it so minutely that all else is unseen. Realism, on the con­ trary, while equally observant, is not blind to the fact that there are many different phases of Ilfs.

Naturalism professes not to select, realism admits it selects. In the phrase of Paul Elmer More, naturalists are the victims of "the demon of the absolute", while realists are not.

Sainte-Beuve remarks that nothing resembles a hollow so much as a swelling. Similarly one might say that nothing re­ sembles romanticism as much as naturalism. Naturalism is romanticism going on all fours. Valera has the same idea, declaring that naturalism is a deviation or degradation of romanticlam.He believes furthermore that romanticism was as a liquid in the period of tumultuous fermentation, natural­ ism the dregs that are found in the bottom of the glass as a result of the fermentation.20

Pardo-Bazah also believes "that contemporary realism, and even naturalism itself, are founded and take their origin in - 10 - principles proclaimed by the Romantic school".21

"The real marks of the naturalist", says Bell, "is that he observes systematically and accurately but in a cold scientific way, without personal interest and imagines that the notes thus accumulated will interest the reader*"22 One may conclude, then, that naturalism^may be.defined as the experimental, coldly analytic method of the natural sciences applied to literature, giving a literal transcrip­ tion of reality and denying the existence of a free will and supernatural power. — XX —'

A iihort. History-of Naturalism .

Professor Irving Babbitt teXXs us that earXy Taoism was a movement that attempted to work out naturaXistio e~ quivalents of humanistic or religious insight. It flour­ ished about 560 B.C. to 800 B,0.23 There may have been earlier naturalistic movements, but so for as I have.been able to ascertain, this is the earliest manifestation of it. Certain it Is that many ancient writers used the naturalistic method, that is to say, they used accurate and close observation.

As Pardo-Bazan observes: this naturalistic method has existed from the very beginning of letters, poetry, and art.

In the Bible, in ancient Indian poems, and in Homer, one finds a naturalistic vigor that amazes. Pardo-Bazan speci­ fically mentions Vergil and Moliere as naturalistic writers.2*

It is true that writers in ancient, medieval and com­ paratively modern times have used keen observation. This along, as we have seen, does not constitute naturalism. For the beginning of what we call naturalism we must look to the ideologists of 1820. Martino states that from the ideologists of 1880 to the positivists of 1860 and to the naturalists of

1880 there is a firmly connected chain.85 Furthermore, It is

Comte who has given the name of positivism to the old oney- olopedistio spirit, enriched with a new philosophy of the sciences.86 Other pure positivists were Llttre and Berthelot.27

Balzac, called by Zola and the Oonoourt brothers their ancestor in naturalism, is not, properly speaking, a naturalist. - IS

Undoubtedly the vast plan of his work and the process of ooapoeltlon, the tiresome aeoumulation of detail, descrip­ tion without truce and pretention to technical accuracy ally him to our modern naturalists; but one must add that he transformed reality. He knew that art did not consist in a slavish imitation of actuality. He knew that for the novel­ ist, as well as for the painter, the necessary study of a living model is no more than the means, and not the end. In spite of this statement of Brunetiere, one would need to be a professional accountant or lawyer to read some of the highly technical passages in Balzac's novels. On the whole, though, Balzac is more an idealist than a realist. • His idealism is, in some oases, peculiar. For instance, his descriptions of the city of Paris are not in entire accord with reality. Paris must have been much less vivid than he pictured It. A® Leslie Stephen^phrases it, for Balzac

Paris is hell, but then hell is the only place worth living in.

Balzac, however, had this in common with the naturalists: he worked heroically on details and descriptions. One might be tempted to wish, after reading several novels of the

Gomedie huiaaine. that he had slept more, instead of keeping himself awake for fourteen hours or so by the aid of black coffee. The work that he produced is generally more realis­ tic than naturalistic.

Zola and other naturalists claim Stendhal as another ancestor. Undoubtedly Stendhal contributed something to the pessimism that prevailed about 1865. Like Nietzsche, he has the idea of the superman. In Rouge et noir Julian 3orel,th@ hero, is supposed to be a superman.

Interested in many things, Stendhal had a keen sense of observation. He could penetrate men's motives and was a good

Judge of psychological reactions. Stendhal is on the whole more realistic than naturalistic.

Claude Bernard and Tains had more influence over the naturalists than Balzac and Stendhal. In fact it was upon the physiology of Bernard that the naturalists founded their psychology. Zola, in the preface of the Rounon-Macouart series, gives a proof of the prominence of physiology:

"Physlologiqueaent, lea Rougon-Macquart aont la lente succes­ sion dee accidents nerveux qui ee declarant dans une race a la suite d'une premiere lesion organlque, et qui deteralnent, selon le milieu, che* chaoun des indlvidua do oette race, les sentiments, lea deslrs, les passions, toutes lea mani­ festations humaines, naturelles et instinotives, dont les produits prennent les noma oonvenus de vertus et de vices."

Tains has been, in effect, the true philosopher of realism and its theorist. It is he who has given, says

Martino, the formula of positivism to literary matter. Tains definitely persuaded his contemporaries of the truth of what the ideologists and Auguste Comte taught long before: to know that psychology is nothing but a chapter of physiology; 14

that the study of characters was that of temperaments, that physical environment Influences on all sides our destiny;

that the history of individuals, like that of nations, is

subject to vigorous determinism,29 Thus wrote Martino» but, with all due respect to his perspicacity, we are bound to recall that Taine’s own position does not seem always to warrant an interpretation that would make of him a realist.

For instance, in his History of English Literature. Tains made such an analytic study of the heredity and environment of English writers that Zola and the Gonoourt brothers, with all their stress on documentation and physical factors, could have done no more* Only a naturalist would go to such ex­ tremes as Taine did in his study of environment. As much as

Zola or the Gonoourt brothers, Taine was a victim of "the demon of the absolute".

First in rank among the champions of naturalism, to credit them the position they would like to have, are the

Gonoourt brothers. They dealt for the most part with rather

grimy subjects, somewhat relieved by their style, which was

extremely laborious. They insisted on documentation, de­

claring, as we have already noted, that os the historians

are the relators of the past, the novelists are the relators of the present.

Saintsbury indicts their method in no uncertain termst

"The tedious tyranny of the •document1 and the ’note*, the deliberate preference of disquieting subjects (which is on

the face of it as inartistic as the deliberate ignoring of them) and the undigested prominence of mere observations, mere materials, supply a formidable indiotment against this work in matter and spirit*"30 .

The Gronoourt brothers often used their own adventures or those of their friends in order to write their documentary novels# Martino affirms: "Charles Demalllv. o'est 1'histolre de leurs debuts; Renee Mannerin est une arale d ’enfanoe;

Germlnie Laoerteux eat leur vlellle bonne; lame Gervalaals est une de leurs tantes."3^

. The lower classes, thought the Gronoourt brothers, had been too much neglected heretofore. In the. "Preface" of

Germinie Laoerteux they declare: "Vivant au xlx sibole, dans un temps de suffrage universe!, de demoorntie, de liberalism# nous nous soames demandie si oe qu’on appelle 1les bassos classes* n* avait pas droit au roman."

la Ranee Manner In the most striking feature is the study of pathological oases. Doctors in a medical clinic could be no more meticulous.

Whether Daudet should be Included in the naturalistic group is a problem. If he be included, there is usually a qualification attached, and some people think his connection is merely personal. Certainly his Lettrea de mon moulin and his immortal Tartarin are far removed from the gloomy writ­ ings of Zola. Daudet In these works showed such a gay spirit lively imagination and keen sense of humor that the lugu­ brious adherents of pure naturalism would deny him entrance ~ 16 -

Into their dark dungeon.

Baudot*s oonneotion with the naturalists Is, however, more than merely personal, as Habab shows. The Oonoourt brothers would have heartily subscribed to his use of real personages and events. Of course he throws a transparent veil over them. Nevertheless one can see that Le ITabab utilizes Baudot's experience with the Duo de Morny.

Flaubert is by some acclaimed as the incarnation of

French naturalism.32

Brunet1ere declares that a few phrases of Madame Bovarv sum up French naturalism: 'West le point culminant du drama.

V o i d de quels traits le ppete l*a marque:'Jamais Madame

Bovary no fut plus belle qu*a cette ipoque; elle avait cette inddflnlssable beaute qui remilte do la joie, do I'enthou- siasme, du suoobs et qui n'est quo 1'harmonie du temperament aveo les oiroonstanoes. Sea eonvoltlses, ses chagrins, 1*expe­ rience du plaisir et ses illusions touJours jounes, oomme font aux flours le fumier, la plule, les vents et le soldi,

1'avalant, par gradations, developpie, et elle s’epanouissait enfin dans la plantitude do sa nature.

"Peaez oes deux phrases: tiles sont tout le roman, tout le systeme, tout© 1'eoole, tout lo natural!sme.

Flaubert certainly had tho sal • and mournful outlook of the naturalists. Even in such a genial masterpiece as Don

■QulJote he could see little except tears. In one of his letters to George Sand he wrote: "I had in my youth a complete - 17 -

presentiment of life* It was like a sickly kitchen smell

escaping from a basement* window." Perhaps this is the reason why he tried to be impassive, and to dehumanize art* He made a fetish of form, refining hie technique to such a

point that it must have been a torture to produce. Yet he

was not satisfied. Sometimes his writing seemed to him a

mere nothing, which may account for his tone of disillusion­

ment. Fundamentally he craved some ideal. As Babbitt

phrases it, in his intensely analytical style: "He oscillates

rapidly between the pole of realism as he conceives it, and

the pole of romance, and so far as any serious philosophy

is concerned, is left suspended In the void. Madame Bovary

is the very type of the Rousseau!stio idealist, misunderstood

by virtue of exquisite faculty of feeling. She aspires to

a love beyond all loves, an infinite satisfaction that her

commonplace husband and environment quite deny her. At bot­

tom Flaubert1s heart is with Madame Bovary. *1 am Madame

Bovary', he exclaims. Yet he exposes pitilessly the 'noth­

ingness of her chimeras', and pursues her to the very dregs

of her disillusion."34

b. George in his essay Sincerity end Literature

states that Madame Bovary is "the greatest novel the world

has ever seen". This is an extreme example of what Babbitt

would call "Rousseauism". Madame Bovarv undoubtedly is a

masterpiece. Any one reading it would agree with that judg­

ment. Above all, it has superb style. Art for Flaubert was not merely a religion but a fanaticism. In this he was quite different from Zola. But in common with almost all the naturalists, Flaubert lacked, more than anlthing else, a sense of humor. The romantic irony or self-parody of Flaubert is not humor. Romantic irony is quite different from that genial

quality called humor which pervades Don Quliote. Of course, as noted before, Flaubert saw tears In Cervantes* masterpiece;

and when one can see only tears in that great hovel, one*s

sense of balance is more than slightly off-center. Flaubert had many gifts, yet he lacked a virtue which many people who never heard of him possess; good, common sense.

Flaubert deeply influenced many of the theories of

Maupassant who may be called the strongest pupil of the na­

turalistic school. Saintabury calls him "a pupil postively

stronger within his own limits than any of his masters ex­

cept Flaubert".35 His stories are masterpieces of observa­

tion. They also have the pessimistic tone oonaaon to almost

all the naturalists.

In his "Preface" to Pierre et Jean Maupassant says the

novelist ought "to look at" nature faithfully. Maupassant

does this himself. This theory of "looking at" nature might

have lead him to exclude plot, and almost to exclude any

orderly conduct or logical conclusion, if he had followed his

own doctrine slavishly. Fortunately, as in the case of

Wordsworth, his practice was better than his theory, although

in some of his stories it must be admitted there is very 19 little plot. If Maupassant were living today we should call his method of suggestion "impresslonlstie".

Naturalism may he the result of the time, as Zola,

Pardo- Bazan and Blanoo-Garofa believed. To paraphrase a popular slogan, suoh agreement must be deserved.

Let us examine first the statement of Zola:

The experimental novel is a oonseqaenoe of

the solentiflo evolution of the century, he

declares; it continues and completes phy- •

slology, which in turn depends on chemis­

try and physios; it substitutes for the

study of abstract man, the natural man

subject to physical-chemical laws and de­

termined by the influence of environment; it ;

is, in a word, the literature of our scien­

tific age, as the classic and romantic liter­

ature corresponds to the scholastic and theo­ logical age.36

Pardo-Bazan declared:

The naturalism of the school cannot be

explained without its terrible historical

precedents.37 Furthermore she states that

art for ten or twelve years was an expres­

sion of the pessimism prevalent at that

time; of the Commune and its writched

struggles. The Hougon-Maoquart series was 80

begun by Zola just before Sedan and they

were meant to stigmatize the beginning of

She regimen and the personal power of

Hapoleon.38 Blanoo-Garoia say si

naturalism is the sad and exact re­

presentation of a period of decadence,

the documentary history of vice.89

We come now to Zola, acknowledged the chief of the naturalistic school, and its principal theorist. In spite of Zola's insistenoe on a method entirely Mexperimental" and "analytical", we find that imagination is not totally forgotten in his novels; and in some of the most naturalis­ tic thereof* we see instances of sentimentality that would delight George Mackenzie or any other avowed sentimentalist.

For example, the peasants of Zola are not real# On the con­ trary they are extremely unreal# At best they are an halluc­ ination. Zola often let his imagination run riot. He might at least have imagined something more agreeable. BrunetiWe, who never hesitated to write exactly what he thought of Zola, remarks: "One could with difficulty imagine such a preoccu­ pation with the odious in the choice of subject, with the ignoble and repulsive in the painting of characters, with materialism and brutality in style.After reading

L'Assor.mmolr. one is inclined to agree with Brunet 1 ere. Some of the descriptions in Zola require a stronger nose than even 21

Smollet must have posaesaedl, if ono may Judge by the rela­ tive effect of the two writers upon modern readers.

Zola undoubtedly had a keen sense of observation and a groat deal of fore#. He was "puissant", to use a favor- it adjeotive of Matthew Arnold.

Anatole France remarked one day that Zola lacked taste; and in France's opinion any one who lacked taste was guilty of the unpardonable sin. It was not so much Zola's lack of taste as his "laek of moral sense" that aroused

Brunetiere* s ire. The famous dogmatist further elucidates:

"Le sons moral, pour nous, o'est propreoent le sens huaalm, ou, pour parler plus olair, le sens d# oe qu'il y a dans -

1'homme de susperieur a la nature."*!

Some people believe we grow to resemble that which we contemplate. Although this is probably an extreme state­ ment, the declaration that an author may be judged by his adjectives is not quite so extreme. Some romantic writers use the.word "sweet" until it is cloying. On the. other hand,

Zola uses the work "bite" until it is disgusting.

As Babbitt points out so clearly in The Hew Laokoon. the union of sentimentality and scientific materialism is characteristic of naturalism. After reading the novels of

Zola and other naturalists, one accepts this statement with­ out reservation. Mo wonder that, after so much stress on the laboratory method of science, the inner spirit of man sought a somewhat perverted outlet in sentimentality. Of 23 course the naturalist would deny the inner spirit. Of course In spite of his denial, the inner spirit was there.

Thus we have the strange contrast that naturalism presents.

It would seen more sensible, and certainly more consistent, if the naturalists had admitted that there was something in man which they @@uld not wholly subdue or extinguish, in­ stead of having this quality burst forth in unnatural rosy- colored passages in otherwise drab and, it must be con­ fessed, monotonous novels.

Perhaps that is the reason the novel is the most popu­ lar genre of the naturalists. One can do things in a novel that a drama or other form of writing would not sanction.

One may say, moreover, that it took far less critical sense to write L'Assommoir than it took to write Brieux1s La Robe rouge. It is true that Flaubert, Maupassant and a few other adherents of naturalism were excellent technicians. It is equally true that writers of the calibre of Flaubert are con­ spicuous by their rarity in the naturalistic school. Most of . the naturalists believed, and still do believe (if one is to

judge by the productions of Dreiser, Sherwood Anderson, and others of the same tribe), that all one needs to do to write a novel is to jot down occurrences with the accuracy of a polioe-oourt reporter; and,, one might add, especially the most morbid and disgusting occurrences that come under the observation of the reporter.

Zola1s villa at Medan was the scene of many reunions of - 23 the ”group® 4e M^dan". This group included Maupassant, Paul

Alexis, Henry Ciard, Leon Hennique end Karl Huysmens. The six friends published, under the title Les sofrees de Medan, a selection of six stories, Eaoh member of the group contributed his version of the same theme: an incident of the war.

But when Zola’s La Terre appeared, this naturalistic group abandoned its own stand, Paul Bonnetain, J. H, Rosny,

Lucian Beseanes, Paul Margueritte and Gustave Gulches pub­ lished a repudiating manifesto entitled Manifesto des Olno.

Among other things it dealered: "II est neoessaire, qua, de toute la force de notre jeunesse laborieuse, de touts la loyeyte' do notre oonselenoe antiatique nous adoptions une tenure et une dlgnlte'en faoe d'une littdrature sane noblesse, qua nous protestIons au nom d1ambitions salnes et viriles, au nom de notre oulte, de notre amour prof©ad, de notre supreme respeot pour 1’Art."

In spite of the suooess whioh greeted naturalistic books there were some critics who utterly abhorred it.

Among the most famous of these were Barbey d ’Aurevllly,

Brunetiere, Lemaftre and Anatole France, who, although greatly.disagreeing on other literary problems, presented a solid front against naturalism*

English.naturalism is somewhat different from French naturalism. Brunetiere declares there is "an abysm between

French naturalism and English naturalism".*** One might say the sympathy of the English differentiates them from the

r 24

French naturalists. Very often France starts a literary fashion, England follows it after some years, then America comes trailing along a decade or so later.

Even with her voluminous details, one hesitates to call

George Eliot naturalistic. Zola did not, like George.Eliot, pull up his conscience every night to see how it was grow­ ing. . .

As far as his idea of "fate" goes. Hardy might be called a naturalist. Zola asserts: "nous ne sommea pas fatalistes, nous sommes deterministes, oe qul n ’est point la meme chose". f\ Perhpaa fatalism and determinism are not the same thing; al­ though it would seen reasonable to suppose that a doctrine which denies the free will and supernatural power would be fatalistic. Certainly Zola*s novels give the impression that man cannot help himself. Hardy1s novels do the same.

It may be remarked in passing that Zola*s fatalism and Hardy* s fatalism are quite different from the idea of "fate" as ex­ pressed in Oedipus Hex. Even more insistent on moral re­

sponsibility are the dramas of Aeschylus.

Pardo Bazan is generally credited with introducing ^ naturalism into Spain. Zola*s Lg. Homan experimental made a profound impression on her, resulting in her two treatises

on the theory of naturalism: La Question palpitant# and El

Maiural1smo.Several of her novels also are quite naturalistic.

Pardo Bazan*s enthusiasm did not prevent her from seeing that

Zola was wrong in his determinism, and she never ceased to be ) 25 - thankful that Spanish naturalism was different from that on the other aide of the Pyrenees. - 26 -

M&Sur&llsm la thg. Wor^g 2l

Ag wo have remarked before, Pardo Bazin adopted the ex* perimental and analytic method of the naturalist without a* dopting his denial of a free will and a supernatural power.

Even with such a modification of the definition of natural­ ism, not all of her books are naturalistic. In fact, one cannot classify more than thirteen of her books as natural­ istic, and in some of these the naturalism is not a predomi­ nant quality. Una Christiana* for example, despite its sick­ room details, is much more idealistic than naturalistic.

Excluding, of course, L& Question naloltante and EJ,

Naturallsmo. which are theoretical discussions of natural­ ism, the works in which naturalism is evident are: La Slrena neara. La Trlbuna. El Plane de Yllamorto. El Saludo de las toaJMi Maizlsai && E£s8x& Mm SxXar .. tern*, Mm Mutatet is. Miringda, Esma ) is. MUiia sm M Maim mlKilsm. ) Despite Blanoo-Qaroia1s statement that the dose of naturalism in Ma Via 1o de Novios is not very pronounced, the book is one of the most naturalistic Pardo Bazan ever wrote.

It abounds in description and Intimate details, although it must be admitted the subject of the novel lends itself very readily to description. In foot a great deal of description

is absolutely necessary, since it relates the adventures and misadventures of a honey-moon Journey. Perhaps only a woman - 27 - would give a deaoription of a wedding so detailed as the fol lowing:

Ai novlo le rodeaban haste media dooena

de amigos: y si el s4quito de la novla era el

eslabon que une a olase media y pueblo, el del

novlo tooaba en eaa frontera, en Sspd&a tan

indeterminado oomo vasta, que enlaza a la

mesooraoia eon la gente de alto oopete. Cierta

gravedad ofioial, la tez marehita y oomo ahumada

por los reverberos, no se que inexplicable

raatiz de satisfaooion optimista, la edad tirando

a raadura, signos eran que denotaban hombres

llegados a la meta de las huaanas aspiraoiones

en los parses deoadentes: el ingreso en las

ofioinas del Katado. Uno de olios llevaba la

voz, y los demas le manifestaban singular de­

fer enci a on sum ademanes. Animaba aquel grupo

una jovlalldad retozona, oontenlda por el ompa-

que burooritloo: hervia tambldn alii la ouriosl-

dad, menos ingenua deaoarada, pero mas aguda

y eplgramatioa que on el hormiguero de las ami-

gas. Habia discretes ouohloheos, familiaridades

de cafe indioadas por un movimiento o un oodazo,

risas instantaaeaaente reprIraidas, aires de

inteligenola, puntas de puros arrojadas al auelo

con marolalldad, brazes que se unfan oomo en - 28 - oonfidcnoia tafoita. La mane ha olara del sobre- todo grls del novlo se destaeaba entre las negras levltas, y su estatura areatajada domlnaba tarn- blen las d© loo oirounstantes. Medio slglo menos un lustro, vlctoriosamente combatido por un sastre, y aiuoho alino y ouidado de tocador; las espaldao queriendo arquearse un tanto sin per mi so de su duello | un rostro de palldez trasnochadora, sobro ol oual se reoortaban, eon la orudeza de rayas de tints, las gu£as del ehgomado bigote; cabellos ouya raridad oe ad- rertf a adn baJo el ala tersa del bongo de fiel- tro oeniza; marehita y abolsada y floja la plel de las ojeras; terroso el pirpado y pldmbea la pupils, pero afin gallarda la opostura y esaera- damente oonserradon los imponentes restos de lo que anttilo fue' un buen mozo, esto se ref's en d desposado* Quizes ayudaba el mismo primer del traje a patentizar la maduroz de loo ados: el lUengo sobretodo oeflfa demasiado el talle, no muy eabelto ya; el fioltro, lodeado gent11- mente, pedfa a gritos las mejilias y siones de un oanoebo# Pero aof y todo, entre aquella

ooleoelon de rulgares figures de prorincia, tenfa

la del norio no sef qud tufillo oortesano, oierto

desenfado de honbre he®ho a la vida anoha y - 19 -

/ faoll ae los grand## eeatros, y la soltura de

qulen no eonoo® esonCpuloa, nl se para en barraa

ouando el people IntorefB estd en jnego# Hasta ae

dlstlngufa del grape de sua amigoa, per las

reserve de buen gdnero oon que aeogifa laa in-

slnaaolones y bromaa M sot to vooe,,s tan adeouada#

al oaraoter mesoerdtioo de la bed®.

"Aminalaba ya la mdquina oon algdn silbido

la promima maroha; aoelerdbase en el andAi.el

movimiento que la preoede, y terablaba el suelo

bajo la peeadumbre de lea rodentee oaalones,

eargados de bnltos de eqnipaje. Oydse por fin

el grito sacramental de los empleados. Hasta

entonoes las gentes de la despedlda habfkn oon-

▼ersado en roz queda, oonfideno1almente, por

pare jasi el oeroano desenlaoe pareoiof reanimar-

las, desenoantarlas, mudando la esoena on tin

segundo. Gorrlo' la novla a su padre, abler toe

los brazos, y el viejo y la nifia se oonfundie-

ron en un abrazo largo, verdadero, popular, ,

abrazo en que orujfan los huesos y el allento

so aoortaba Salfan de laa boons, oasi unldas,

entreoruzsdas y rapIdas frases.a Perhaps only a woman would realize how true this obser­ vation is:

"Piel Luoia a su programs do no pensar en so

la boda mlsma, peneaba ea los aooeaorlos nupola-

leo, y oontaba gozosa a sua anigas el viaje pro-

yeotado, ropltlendo los nombres eufrfnlooa de

pueblos oue tenia por enoantadas reglonea$ Paris,

Lyon, Marsella, donde las nllfes Imaglnaban que

el cielo seria de otro oolor y luoiria el sol

d@ dlatlnto mode que @n su villa natal*"*4

The following excerpts might have been written by either a man or a roman, provided the writer possessed the natural-

IslHs Interest In Intimate details*

wEs clerto que el bueno del Leomfs pare- olor a Miranda hombre de tedlosa oompa&la, en

todo vulgar e Infellz, oorto de aloanoes, eon

auo rlbetes de raenteoato, pero hiibo de suf-

rlrlo, y nun de aooaodarse a las Ideas del vlejo,

tanto que este lleg

leer Progreso Naelonal. organo de Colmenar,

sin la salsa do los sabrosos eomentarlos que

Miranda haola a cada fondo, a oada suelto y

gaoetllla. Sabia Miranda de memorial el rever­

so, la oara Interna do la politloa, y expll-

oaba desenfadadamente las solapadae aluslonea,

las retioenoias hdblles, las shtlras fines que

en todo perlddloo Importantc abundan y son eterno

logogrlfo para el oandldo suscrltor provln-

olano* 51

"El sol, apareolendo sobre la oumbre do una

aontanuela oeroana, dlelpaba la bruma matutlna,

qua deeoendfa al vallo on jironea da eaeaje gris, '

y, brlllando en un eapaalo azul olarfslzao, alum-

braba oon luz naoiente, freaoa y suave. For

lorn flanoos do granito de la montaSa, sembrados

de mica qua reluoia, bajaba deeatado un torrenSe

espmaoaoi y antra el matlz sombrfo de loa en-

oinaros asomaba un pradlllo, de tones pilldos

de hierba temprana, donde paoi'a un rebalo de

ovejas ouyos blaneos ouerpoa oonstelaban la

alfombra verde oomo enoroes oupos de algodSn,

Al braves del ruldo ensordeoedor del tren, di-

Jerase que se oian en aquella plntoresca solana

reaotos gorjeos do aves y argentine replque-

tear de esqulllas.

Pardo Bazan Is more olassleal than romantic In her word- painting. Unlike the romanticist, she does not give one the

Impression one would have had of the object could one have seen It. Like the classicist, she gives one a -picture of the object itself.

"Un rayo de sol vergonzante rompfa las par-

das nubes, y reoortaba sobre el fondo obscuro la

oabeza llnfa'tloa, rubia, la tea peoosa, lam

faoelones delioadas, pero no exentas de rasgos

oaraoterfsticos, del manoebo. Sus rnanoa blanoaa - 38 -

y femoniles atormentaban la oadena de aoero

del roloj, y en el menlque de una do ellas

rojeaba grueao oarbunelo, al lado de otro are

Inooente, sortlja do ooleglala, aobrade eatreoha

para el dodo, una oruoeoloa do perlaa aobre un

ofroulo do oro.

Whether description Impedes the progress of the story or not is Immaterial to the naturalist, v/ho revela in descrip­ tion for Its own sake, as the following quotations will show:

"11 espaoloso peristilo, la fachada princi­

pal con au vasta azotea, su jardinete reserva-

do, donde vegetan en graoiosaa oanastillas ex­

otica# plantas, y sus rioos y oapriohosos ador-

nos renaoientea de hlanqufeima sillerfa; las

altas columnaa de bruffldo porfldo que el interior

auatentan; las muelles butanes y los anohos

divanes; los oupidilloa travlesos (sfrabolo ar-

. tfstioo de effmeroe amorea que auelen vivir el

eapaoio de una quinoena de agues) que oorren

. por la oornlsa del gran salon de belle, o re-

volotean en el azul de los anohos reeuadros del ’

teatro; el oro prodlgado en toques habiles, oomo

puntos de luz, o en luengoa llstones, oomo rayos

del sol; las grandes ventanas de ifmpidos oris-

tales, todo, en sums, ayudaba a la fontasfa a

repreaentaree un templo ateniese, oorregido y - 3» -

aumentado ooa los beneficios y gooes 4e la

oirlllzaolon aotual.**®

As one Instanoe of the naturalist's desire to be exact, we may take his or her use of foreign works and phrases. Al­ though there is more French than any other languaget "au jour

le jour*, *11 fait folre line fin”, "Tout a fait", "parfait",

"ohio", "trbe riussie" and Wohalet"; she also uses English:

"skating", "miss", and "yankees".

"To slento toner qtw dar a tan Undos edlfl-

oios^que^en Vlohy abundan, el nombre extranje-

rlzo do ohalet; pero

no hay Tooablo oorrespondlente? Lo que aqui

denoainaaos ohoza, oaba&a o oasa r list lea, no slg-

nifioa en mode alguno lo que todo el mundo entiende

per ohalet. que es tins oonoepoion arqulteotonioa

peculiar a los valles helvOtloos, donde el arte,

inspirihaose en la Naturaleza, reprodujo las

farms de los aleroes y pinabetos, y los deli-

oados arabesoos del hielo y la esoaroha, bien / como los egipoios tomaron de la flor del loto los

oapiteles de sus pilones* En Vichy los ohalets

me oonstruyen eon el exlusivo objeto de alqui-

larlos amueblados a los extrasjeros. La oonserjo

del ohalet so enoarga del gobierne de oasa, de

la oompra y aun de guisar: el oonserje atiende a

la limpieza, aorta las ramas del jordinate,

gula las enredaderas, barre las oalles enarenadas. - 34 -

sirve a la mesa y abre la puerta*

In this book one sees the naturalist's fondness for psychological analysis!

"Tengoe-proslgulo' Artegul— dos tcmperamentos,

y suelo obedeoerles Irreflexlvamente, oomo un

nlnoe For lo regular, soy oomo era ml padre,

rauy firme de voluntad, muy reserrado y dueffo de

sf mismo$ pero a veoes domlna en mjf el tempera-

mento materno. Ml pobre madre padeeld siendo

muy joven, alia" en su oastlllote de BretaKa,

ataques de nerrios, aelanoolfas y trastornos qua

nunoa ha logrado ourar del todo, si bien se

aliviaron algo despues de ml naolmlento. Ella

solto parte del mal, y yo le reoogf; tquef auoho

qua en ooasiones obre y hable, no oomo hombre,

sino oomo hlno o muJerJ"®0 There is a pessimistic tone in this book that is natural­

istic;

Usted sabe— dijo oonfuso— que yo ostima-

ba pooo la vlda..,dlgo m^s, que la aborreola

dead# que Hague" a entender su vaouldad y ouhh

imftll oarga as para el hombre..*y ahora, muerta

ml madre y sin tener a nadie que slntiera ml

falta..."51

Apart from the pessimistic tone, the most naturalistic

quality in the book is the zest with which Pardo Bazan treats - 35 sickness. This Interest In Illness is distinctly romantic and naturalistic, since naturalism descends from romantic­ ism. It is also anti-classical, as the classicist is far more Interested in health than in such passages as the follow ing:

MEn este oaso tengo por preferibles los

manantiales ferruglnosos do Vichy...La anemia es

el primer eneaigo que hay qup combatir, y la

indioaoion gdatrloa esta tambien atondida en asms

agues...En segundo tdrmino, Aguas-Buenas o

Puertollano...pero no se deseulde usted: en

esta qulnoena ha perdido terreno, y la alopecia

y el sudar son sfntomas may oaraoterfstloos...f,S2

"Era oierto: la ralsma oonstituoion endeble

de Pilar, ofreoiendo menos campo al mal, retrasa-

ba la crisis funesta de su padeoimiento; y asi

ooao el huraoan, que desgaja enoinas, solo encorra

las canes, la tisls entraba con Impetu manor en

aquel ouerpo linfatioo, que lo hiolera en uno

aanguifneo y pujante. La oquedad de un pulmo'n

estaba infestada de tuberoulos, y tenia ya esas

breohas terribles que los facultativos denominan

cavernas$ pero el otro resiatia aun, si bien en

esto de pulmones aoonteoe lo que eon las manzanasi minutos bastan para perder a la sana, si esta al

lado de una podrida. De todas suertes, el - 36

oomeatineo alivlo do Pilar era tan patent#,

quo lo oonaentfa dar todas lag maSanas algunos

oientoa de paaoa per la oalle, oogida del braso

de Luofa; y el alimento no le repugnaba Inrenoi-

blemente oomo antes. m53

La Tirana neara continues the naturalist's preferences for dealing with sickness and the "medicine clinic";

"La enoontrd con una heaorragia. La palan-

gana, liana de ooagulos, desoansaba sobre una

silla. Ella, eohada en su humilde oama de

hierro, apenas respiraba."6*

"3#5alo haoia la laringe...Y al haoerlo,

la ola avanzof, las venas del mfsero cuerpo se

▼aolaron, ontre las angustias y los afanoe pos-

trimeros. La oabeza reoayo en las alraohadas.

Seque, limplcT los lab los manohados, enjugue^

la fronts oublerta de glacial sudor."85

If Pardo Bazdtn disliked the "ollnioal details" of the

Oonoourt brothers and other naturalistic writers, one might suppose that she would have used less of them in her novels.

Of course, that health or Ill-health has a great influence in our lives is recognized in this passage:

"La ehusma atrlbuy6 mi gastritis a la leotura

y al estudio, porque, como trato a mucha gents

frivola, al quo reune dos dooenas de libros y

los lee le juzgan un pozo de oienoia,..To sd que

una crisis de sensualidad desenfrenada fad la - 37 -

quo mlnof mi salad, aoaso para siempre, porquo ml

eatomago no ha vuelto a reoobrar su alegrfa

animal, au falls humor, au vigor qua repara

las plrdidas del organismo. Hasta me habitue a

divldlr ml vida material en dos dpooas: antes

y despues de la gastritis.”5®

This book (La Sirena negra) shows the fascination of death for the hero, who invites it to take him. Instead, it takes the life of the girl.

i^ue ha de ser rare eso2 Lo estrafib ea

qua deseemoe vivir, D. Gaspar— oonteeta el mozo.

— Debe de ester bleu elaveteado alia dentro de

nuestro ser lo que llaaan Instinto de ooneer-

vaoion,. ouando todavia ho ae ha despoblado de

humanidad el globo. Tenemos mil ragones de

morir, y nlnguna de continuer sufrlendo eats

broma pesada. ”57

"--Father, dime, anda...

El Peaoadito, si muere, ioomo quedara? Y su

■father., illorara' por el, di?”5® "Morir, si...dQuien ha pensado en otra oosa?

Es lo unloo que puede realigar ml deetlno, lo

unioo que oo&mara de una vez mis afanes infinitoe,

mis nostalgias sin forma y sin nombre. Ayer

era oaei diohoso. jAh! lUna sola noohe sin

dormir, oooo modifies nuestro oonoepto de la - 3®—

existenola? For un sueSo tranquil©, total,

oamblarfamos todo el oropel,toda la fare9 ,

todo lo que os mas suofto que el aueno,.."5®

The following passage would be quite surprising, con­ sidering the fact that Pardo Bazan was a truly religious woman, but it is plaoed In the mouth of a character, la whom such sentiments are logical:

"Y el cristianismo es lotra muerta, text©

arrlneonado, para las seSoras oomo mi herraana—

para la inmensa mayoria de las gentes#"60

But in the end of the book the "black siren" Is banished from the mind of the hero, and he sincerely repents, showing that, after all, Pardo Bazan, as a Catholic, could not be a true naturalist:

"A mjf, que me permit an eater con ml niSo,

el que did por ml su vida, sellando el saorl-

ficlo con un beso celeste..."*1

"En esta noche decisiva, me veo olaramente,

veo el horror de lo quo fuf; veo ml gangrena

y ml laoeria, ooultas bajo aparienolas de elegan-

oia moral; veo on mf', en el yo de antes, al

loco santanloo, perverso, al sembrador de odlo,

al jardinero que oultiva dolores, al raniloquio

que so alzaba mas arrlba de aus hermanos y

oompaHeros en el breve tr&nslto*..Y mo peea,

me pesa tree voces, y mis lagrlraas lo repiten, oajendo como perlaa de mansedumbre, sobre lai ropa y el ouerpo del Hlno qua hlzo el milagro an mf. oada lefgrlma, la Seea ae alaja un paaoi

sua aanillaa suenan mas apagadamente an loa

peldanos de la esoalera...La Negra se maroha

eeooltada per an paje rojo, el Peoado; derro-

tada, deatronada...Impotenta...

La Tribuna purports not to be political satiret

"Ai esoribir La Tribuna no qulse haoer

satire politics; la s6tlra es genero que admit©

sin poderlo oultivar; sirro pooo d nada para el

easo. Pero as! oomo nlego la intenoldn aatiri-

ca, no sa enoubrlr que en aate libro, caai a

pesar mfo antra un proposito qua puede llaaarse

docente,"63 but one can hardly help concluding that it is political satire and that the book would have been much better if this had been omitted.

The book is entirely too diffuse. To describe the hero­ ine the author gives us several pages of which the following is only a parti

"Tenia Amparo por ojo# doe globoe, en que el

azulado de la odrnea, banado sleapre en un Ifqul-

do puro, haojfa resaltar el negror del anoha pupila,

mal velada por cartas y espesaa peatanas. Bn

ouanto a los dientes, servldos por un estomago - 40 -

que no oonoojfa la gastralgla, paroofan trelnta

y dos grumos do ouajada leoho, grao 1 osjfsImaaente

deslguales y algo puntlagudos ooao los de un

perro oaohorro..

nObaerr&banse, no obstante, an tan gallardo

e jenqilar femenlno rasgos revoladores de su ex-

traoolon; la frente era oorta, un tanto arre-

mangada la narlz, largos los oolmlllos, el oa-

bello reoio al taoto, la alrada dlreota, los

toblllos y muneoas no muy delgados. Su alamo

hermoso outls estaba predestlnado a Inyeotarse,

sxS * oomo el del senor Hosendo, que alia en la fuerza

de la edad habjfa sldo, al deolr de las veolnas

y de su raujer, guapo mozo. iPero, quien plensa

en el Invierno al ver el arbusto florIdo? Si

Baltasar no rondo desde luego las Imaedlaotones

de la Fabriea, fue*que destlnaron a Borrdn por

algun tiempo a Cuidad Real, y temlo aburrlrse

yendo solo.

The detailed description is naturalistic, and the scenes oonoered with the tobacco factory are quite interesting: *

"El dfa en que reoogid el nombramiento,

hubo en case del barquillero la fiesta aoostum-

brada en oasos semejantes, fiesta no inferior a

la que celebrarfan si so oasase la muohaoha.

Mandcr la niadre deolr una misa a Nuestra Senora - 41 -

del Amparo, p&troaa de las olgarrsras; y per ,1a tarda fueron oonvldados a un aslatloo festln

el barbero de enfrente, Carmela, su t£a, y la

seSora Porreta la oomadrona: bubo enpanada do

sardine, baoalao, vino de Castilla, an£s y oana

a disoreoionjrosoll, una enorme fuente de papas

de arroz con leohe."65

"Por sorpredente que parezoa la noticia,

la aouidad del sentido del olfato es notable en

las cigarreras! dirfase que la nicotine, lejos

de embotar la pituitaria, aguza los nervios

olfativos, hasta el extremo de que si entra

alguien en la Fabrica fumando, se digan unas a

otras con repugnanola:— iPuf, huele a hoabrel —

As£ es que Amparo solila apartarse de Chinto--

aunque sea inrerosfniil— repelida por el olor de

las males oolillas que ohupaba en seoreto; pero

lo que a la sazdn perclbfa era poor que el to-

baoo; as! es que pegt/ un brinoo.

There are several rather pessimistic passages of which the following is representative:

"ADe que'sirve ser un santo si al fin la

gente no lo oree nl lo estirna; si por mas que

uno se empene, no saldra en todo la vida de

ganar un jornal miserable; si no le ha de re­

porter el sacrifioio honra nl provecho?"*?

Fl Olsne de Yllamorta is less naturalistic than Los Pazos 42 do Ulloa and more so than Insolaoion. In the first plaoe it is not concentrated enough. At least ninety pages oould have been omitted (of which the following is a sample) and the book would have been improvedt

"Kn Vilamorta habfa un Casino, un Casino

de verdad, ohiquito, eso sf, y por anadidura

destartalado, pero bon su mesa de blllar oom-

prada de lance, y su mono, un seteaton qua de

aSb en ono saoudi'a y vareaba la verde bayeta,

Porque en el Casino de Vilamorta apenas solfan

Juntarse a diario mas que las rates y las po-

llllas, entretenidas en atarazar el maderamen.

Los oentros de reunion mas freouentados eran

doe botloas, la de doSa Eufraeia, situada en

la plaza, y la de Agonde, en la major oalle.

Agaohada en el angulo tenebroso de un soportal,

la botioa de dona Sufrasia era idbrega; la

alumbraba a las horas de oonoiliabulo un quln-

que de petroleo, con tufo, y haofan su mobllia-

rio ouatro silias mugrientas y un banco,

In the second place the characters are naturalistic,

described in a manner not unlike that of the French natural­

ists* with their care for background. Leooadia is the first

love of Segundo,

"De Leooadia Otero me referfa una historla

fea y triete, Aunque ella con retloenoias 43

oalouladas qulaiera fingiraa riada, se murauraba

qua m m o a turo marl do; qua ouando resldla en

Orenae, huirfana y bajo la tutela de un tlo

paterno, naolo aquel pobre vdstago, equal

Domlngulto oontraheoho, raqultloo y enferao

alaapre. Afirmaban los major Informados qua el

aalTado del tlo fue' qulen abuao' de la donoella,

oonflada a au ouatodla, aln poder reparar el

dellto porque era oasado y vivla su mujar,

Dios sabe ddade nl 060 0 . Lo olarto es qua el

t£o murlo" pronto, dejando a au eobrlna unaa

flnqulllaa y una oasa en Vllamorta, y Leooafdla,

prevlo el oompentente examen, obtuvo la eaouela

y vino a eatablaoerse al pueblo.1,69

Segundo Is the hero:

"HIjo de una madre hleterloa, a qulen Ms

repetIdas laotanolas agotaron, hasta matarla de

extenuaolon, Segundo tenia el eaplrltu auoho

mas exigents e Insaolable qua el ouerpo. Habjfa

heredado de su madre la oomplexldn melanodlloa,

y mil preooupaolones, mil repulslones Inatlntl-

▼aa, mil superetloloeas praotloaa."70

The oult of alokneaa la manifest:

"Ml mal es grave, muy grave...es la diabetes

saoarina, que ae lleva las gentes al otro mundo

bonltamente,•.Estoy convertIdo en azuoar...se 44

me debllita la vista,«.me duele la oab'eza...

no tengo aangre...

"Sinembargo, hasta de all! a ana bora d

bora y media, no oyd Flores a Leooddla gemlr...

3e oold en ol ouarto y la vld sobre la oataa,

oon un color qua ponfa mledo$ rlolentas nauseas

levantaban su peoho aoongojado, y tras de las

nauseas y las aroadas y los convulsive# esfuer- zos para vomltar un trio sudor Inundaba la frente de la enferma y se quedaba sin movlmlento nl

voz. .."78

El Saludo de las brujas Is not supposed to be naturalis­ tic, Judging from the "Ai Que Leyoro": .,nl so Inspire en heohos verdaderos antlguoe 6 oontenporsuisos. Es Inventada de oabo a rabo; se reflere en parte a oomarcas Imaglnarlas."

Despite this statement, the theme of the book Is naturalis­ tic. It concerns the love of Felipe, heir to the throne of

Dacia, and Rosario, who becomes Felipe’s mistress at great personal sacrifice, only to have him Inherit the throne and abandon her, since she is not of royal blood and cannot be­ come his wife. Before Felipe can ascend the throne he meets with tragic death!

"El oonde, desesperado, ruglendo, se Inollno

sobre el preolpiolo...El ouerpo de Felipe Marfa,

retenldo por los agudos escollos, no habla llegado

al mar; estaba debajo, a plomo; oon la mano les • 45

pareo£a qua podian tooar an dastrozada

oa5@zaew7s The naturalist's habit of external description is appar­ ent: '

"Si teroero del grupo so llamaba Lapamelle;

un seflor 4e edad, con large y grasienta cabellera

gris; on el ojal del incommensurable gabin, la

eterna ointita roja; el vientre prominente;

The passion for detailed description is also apparent:

"Llenaba este frente do oristales las dos

terceras partes de la altura total de la pared;

y la restante la eubrla una intrinoada espeaura

de arbustos, plantas raras y flores de invernioulo,

agrupadas con tal arte y tan bien ouidadas en

verano y en inrierno, que remedaban, en su

graoioso y estudiado desorden, ‘ un rlnodn de

oomaroa paradisiaoa. Las geometrioaa araucarias

desoollaban entre las libres enredaderas; las

gloxinias floreolan bajo las palmeras lustro-

aaa; loa heleohos flotaban a guiaa de verdes

plumajes, flexiblea y reoortadoa por una tijora

fine; loa hibisoos de la China abrfan sue o&lloes

rojos oomo heridea enormea; loa heliotropes em-

balaaraaban el alre, y los tullpanes holandeaes

ergulan su oopa eanaltada de oolores duroa. Del

oentro del aaolzo surgfa un obelisoo de bronoe - 46 -

y liplalazuli, r e m t a M o en un globe die porce-

lana que repreaentabn el mundo, con las mon-

tanas en relieve, — See ooetado del taller se

llambn la tierra,w76

Since no one of the oharaoters In the book has much In­ clination toward sickness, Pardo Baza'n has Felipe wounded, so that she #lght describe illness in some form

"Con energia juvenil y apaelonada, de que

solo pueden dar idea las abnegaciones de las

razas Jovenes, en que todavfa se enouentran oasos

• de adhesion inoondiolonal y en que las relaoiones

de dependenoia de la mujer al hombre toman forma

de religioso entusiasmo, Rosario se oonsorgro a

amparar con la mono la ddbil llama de vide que

aun oonservaba Felipe. Agistenoias oomo aquella

se habran vieto pooas. Los medicos oe asusta-

ban de enoontrar a Rosario slempre de pic, des-

plerta, infatigeble, qontendo los minutos para

administrar la pooion o el alimento. La herlda,

que habia rozado el pulmon, podia presenter com- ,

plicaeiones graves, lesioncs que, oonjurado el

primer riesgo, trajeaen la neumonla nguda 6 la

tisis."76 Insolaoion. although belonging to the naturalistic group,

has not as much naturalism in it as 2a Via-lo do Hovioa or Los

Fazos do, Ulloa. It abounds in description, as the following / quotations will showI "Asia brined 4e la oocia nbajo, y blanoa

y eilenoiosa oomo un fantaeraa entre la penumbra * z de la alooba, so dlrlglo al lavabo, toroio el

grlfo del deposito* y eon las yenas de lorn dedoe

empapadas en agua, ae humedeolrf fronte, mejillas

y nariz; luego se refreeod la boea, y por ultimo

s@ baSo loa pdrpados largamente, oon frulcldn;

heoho lo oual, ereyo sentir que se le deapejaban

las ideas y que la punta del barreno se retira-

ba poqulto a pooo de los sesos."77

"Sallo' oomo una eihalaoion; did' la vuelta

al paaillo aireo$ oruzo' el puente que a los dos

merenderos unla, y en breve, al conpae del horri­

ble piano raeoanioo, Paoheoo bailaba agilmonto

oon las olgarrerae. 1,78 Exact time that a given event lasts is again appareht;

"pero a los dlez minutos desembooaba a la en-

trada de la oalle.”7®

The pessimistic tone is more apparent in the following quotation:

n i Que' hombre el tal Paohequito! Perezoso, ignorante, sensual, sin energla ni vigor, Juguete

de las pasiones, inoapaz de trabaJar y de servir

a su patrla, mujeriego, pendenolero, esoeptloo a

fuerza de indolencla y ogolsmo,,t80

Morrina, the companion piece of Insolaelon. also is less naturalistic than La Piedra angular or La Madre naturalaza.

Nevertheless, interest in details is again apparentt rtAl apareeer Rogelio, era oomo si algiin rayo

de sol dorado y oaliente se deslizase ®n una de

eaae habitaoionea oerradae, donde mueblea, oor-

tinaa, papal y ouadroa ban adquirido el desmaya-

do matiz del polvo y la humedad. Todoa loa via-

Jos amaban entrafiablemente al ohioo: el uno le

habla viato an mantillas; el otro habfa asistido

a su prlmera eomunidn; ^ate le trafa Juguetea

ouando paso" la esoarlatina; equal ooapanero da

Sale e Cntimo amigo da su padre ohoehaaba re-

oordando loa duloea del bautizo...Si se dejaaen

llevar del primer lapulao, a peaar de la orla

negra quo realzaba el arqueado labio superior

de Rogelio, serfan oapaoes da besuquearle los

oarillos y traerle oararaelos y caoahuetas* The keen delight of the naturalist in "olinioal observa­

tion" is manifested!

"Enterada al vuelo de lo oourrido, Esolavi-

tud, sin inutiles aspavientos, con actividad y

destreza, se dio prise en aflojar a la senora,

aplioarle vinagre a las sienes, deanudarla despu

y aoostarla en su cama bien mullida. Dona Aurora

se quejaba de aroadas, de angustla, de opresion,

de nauseas oontinuas, y deseaba arrojar; por lo

oual el estudiante penso aterrado: * jAdlos! - 49 -

oonoooloa cerebral teaemoa?"^* Psychological analysis Is rather well done:

"Ouaado el impetu de abrazarla le aoudfa muy

fuerte, Rogelio se levantaba y refuglabase en eu

deepaohlto. Aii£ estaban, sobre el baralzado

esorltorlo, loe antlpatloos llbroa de texto,

irapresoa en papel de eetraza, oon tlpoe gaeta-

dos y turblos, y deapldleado de sus mustlas hojas

y de su parda eublerta toda la eeoura de la

arldez, todo el humo del haetfo. Nunca le habfaa

oafdo en graoia a Rogelio loe tales llbrotes;

pero ahora,..Apenas Intentaba abrlrlos para re-

pasar una conferenda, una nlebla de aburrlalen-

to pertlnaz se le subfa a la oabeza, y una espe-

ole do dlsoluoIon moral se verlfloaba en su es- pfrltu, en el oual olerta rot rebelde murmuraba

Tagamente here jf as asf:<*Anda, hi jo, dejate de

pa^pllnas, realega de esa olenola oflolal,

manlda, huera, sin jugo. La realldad y la vlda

son otra oosa* Eso oon que pretenden allmen-

tarte es un oonjunto do vejeoes, la o4soara

de un llmon esprlmldo ya por la mano diez y nueve

veoes seoular de la Historla. Ha oaduoado ouanto

estudlas. Te quleren llenar cl oerebro de restos

momlfloados, de trapoe polvorlentos y de anti-

guas telaranas. Te quleren meter en la oabeza

la vloja balumba Jurl'dloa, y que de un salto te @p

enouentree on la edad do tus tertulianos, Lafn

Calyo, Muno Raeura y el honrado ffantoaha. Qwie-

rea qua seas de palo oomo el. No, ares de oarae

y hueso; eree hoabre; la vlda te llama, y la vi-

da a tu edad, a falta de ua eitudio qua deaar-

role la armoaia de tus faoultadea, ea...SsolavS- , tUd. »M®^ > The book ends on a disoouraging note:

"Rn oamblo no vlo, del otro lado del anden,

a Eselavltud, que segula oon los ojos el tren

hasta que se ale jo' grandiose y raudo. Cuando ya

no fue poslble ooluabrar nl ua oopo del penaohll-

lo de huao negro, la muohaoha, estremeolendose

oomo si turlese frlo, retrooedlo' lentamente

haola la eluded, blea resuelta a que el sol que

se ponfa en aquel Instant®, no rolylese a levan-

terse para ella nuaoa, nunoa.

La Plodra angular Is quite naturalistic, dealing with legal and social Justice. One might almost say that P a r d o ^ __^

Bazan exchanged her role of novelist for that of the pamphe- /' lx / tear:

’’El neoio de CaHamo obedeoe al sentimiento;

pero al sentimiento male, inoonfesable, indigno, del renoor, el aiedo y la vonganza. El criminal, para il,

es un enemigo personal; el verduigo, un all ado y un de­ fensor; el patfbulo, la piedra angular, i Qjuien lo duda? Canamo se insplra en la primitiva ley de la - 51 -

humMidad, quo fue# la del tallon: ojo por o jo y

dlente por diente. Y asjf oomo todavia viven on-

tro nosotroa ejeoplares do humanldad primitive,

todavia eso esplrltu do venganza personal sub-

slate en los oodlgos# El origan do la idea

do Justiola os egoista; empieza por el el senti-

miento do la propia dofensa; on ouanto al conoepto

pure, desinteresado, moral, do justiola...eso

todavia estd en estado do lo quo los alemanee

llaaan warden. (La Humanldad os una personaloo-

leotiva quo, oon los sigloo, va mejorahdooe'y

arreglandose...y tal vez aoabe por llogar a ser

la gran persona!•••jVea noted por donde yo tam-

bidn resuito oorreoolonallsta...ooro no del indl-

viduo, sino de la ospeoie!

iDe modo que V.. .no oondona en absolute la pena capital, que a mi me pareoe una ignominla de la sooiedad?— pregunto alarmado el Doctor.

"— No la oondona en absolute; no por olerto—

oonfirmoz el abogado con oierta solemnldad. — Lo

quo proscribe sin rebozo y a' boon Ilona, os la

pena de muerto corao repreoalias y el conoepto de

vindiota publics,f*85

With the naturalist1s usual preference for dealing with sickness rather than with health, Pardo Baz&n in this book surpasses some of her former attempts at "clinical observation". - 52 -

It must be admitted there is more excuse to present these aspects of existence, as one of the principal characters,

Moragas, is a doctor:

"Moragas, entretanto, alzaba suavemente el

apdslto para reoonooer el estado de las leaiones

en la oabeza, y, lerantando la sibana, s® informa-

ba del dislooado pie.”®® "Y no pudo volver Moragas a la raaSana siguiente,

porque Nene' amanecio enferma. Empezc^ por fie*

b r e d 11a catarral, y siguiS por una de esas

calentures quo en pooos djfas ngotan la naturaleza

de una criatura pequeEa, como viva oorriente de

air® qua active la combustidn de delgado cirio.

3® marohitaron las mejillas de Nenej lev® cape

vidriosa oubricf sus duloes pupilaa negras; sue

manltas enflaquecieron, desoubrlendo loa tiernos

hueseolllos bajo la piel f lac Ida. 1,87

The dwelling on sordid things, on the abject state of man in squalid surroundings, on the seamy side of existence is well brought out, in passages reminiscent of scenes in

L ’Aasommolr:

"Los ouantro Jugadores de brisca eran

ouatro ejemplares de alcoholism® rauy diferentes

entre si. Casl debariamos desoontar uno, el

espeoiero-tabernero Hufino. Sate no bobla mas

oafia de la neoesaria para impulsar a los otros; •oonomizaba su vaso a la vez qua oolmaba el

ajeftOe— Lelra era el ser abyeoto oonduoldo per la bobIda a la atrofla del sentimlento del

honor popular (tan eaergloo oorao el oaballeree*

oo), o forzado a beber sin tino para olvidar la

Yerguenza, y oapaz ya hasta de soltar un oblate

ouando, no reoat4ndoe» de 6l, agarraba el tenlente

a la hojalatera por el talle. Aatiojos, el beodo

brutal, an quien el aloohol deapertaba el sordo

impulso de la looura aanguinarla, A veoes,

ouando regreaaba a su oasa tambaleandose, haoiendo

eses sobre el pavlmento deaigual de las miseras

oallejaa, por su oerebro obtuao oruzaba purpurea

nube, y sua manoa tremulas e Inoiertas sentfan

hormigueo feroz, prurito de estrujar deatruyendo...

Ea ouanto a Juan Hojo, pooas veoes llegaba al

estado de verdadera intoxioaoion aloohdlioa:

tenfa la oabeza reslstente, el estomago firm?,

terdo el pensaaieato, y si la beblda le reanl-

maba al pronto, tardaba muoho en abstraerle oom-

pletamente de la realidad* El no le pedfa sino

olvido.., iy el olvidp tardaba tanto en aoudirl,t®®

"Se aoueata en el leoho eonyugal, a repoaar

las fatigaa del dfa.♦.Apenas la inicua de su

mujer le v® dormido, y dormlda tambien a la

oriatura en la mlama oama, (que horror! sale y - 54 ^

se va en busoa del quorlndango, quo ee por

clerto el mlsmo ou&odo de la future vfotima...Y

vlemon; y ella le entrega al amante ol ouohlllo,

y pone debnjo de la oabeza del marido un berreffo,

y deseuelga el oandll, y aluiabra, y lo sangran

oomo a un oordo,alll mlsmo, allf donde dormia su

hlja, la nlBa Inooente, quo nl olqulera abre

loo ojoe.,.Y luogo deoooupan on el rio la sangre

reooglda en el barreno, y vlsten el cadaver, y

el ouSado lo atrarloaa on un burro y lo deja on

un plnar, no sin triturerlo la oaboza a haoha-

zos, para quo se orea quo fue auerto allf, en

rlna o sabe Dio# oomo..• #Todo para gozar a su#

anohas una pasloa Impura y brutal!

There are several sad and lugubrious passages, of the kind that so delight the heart of the true naturalist, but whloh, as a rule, Pardo Bazan abjured. The following Is a good example thereof;

"Tiene este artefaoto de rauerte, quo la

produce a la vez por eetrangulaoIon y por as-

flxla, el defeoto de que en ooaelones retrocede

el eje de hlerro donde empalma la olgae&a, y

no logrando el tornlquete dostrozar con la

rapldez neeesarla las vertebras oervloales y

reduoIr el pesoueso al dldmetro de un papel,

. puede la agonla de la vfotima prolongarse un

espaolo de tiempo en que oabe un Infinitude 58

horror.n9Q Una Criatlana la much more idealistic than naturalistic.

There is too much lightness and gaiety in the book for true naturalism. In so for as oharaoters and descriptions are accurately portrayed, it is naturalistic. But it lacks, as do Valera’s books, the heavy and lugubrious tone, the cold

Jotting down of facts, that marks the true naturalist. Also there is present a good deal of humor and good-natured chaf­ fing:

"Cuando las pesetas de la Pepa esoaseaban—

y aunque no esoaseasen— Botello reourrfo a oolarse

en la habitao l

ofa restallar el fdsforo para enoender el cigar-

ro; y entre bromas y veras, la mltad de la

cajetilla pasaba al bolso del bohemio.

An excess of description is often present. There are many oases where it is unnecessary and retards, in an annoy­

ing manner, the action of the story:

’’Mire distraidamente el gabinete, que era

arohivulgar, con su ohlmenea de marmol bianco

y per mobiliario sus butaoas de borra de seda

reoeroadas de felpa mas obscure; su esoritorio

ohiquitito y su tooador any teatral, vestido de

imitaolon de enoaje y engalanado con lazos del

tono de las oortinas. La angosta luna que

ooronaba la ohlmenea no tenia raaroo dorado, sino

de la misma felpa que guarneoia butaoas y sofa."®2 There is less of sickness in this book than is usual in

Pardo Sazan*s novels*

Mde repente le vi eepumar por la boon, of su rl- sa timbrada por la insensatez, y note que sue punoa ae orIspahan y que sus dedos errantes

buaoaban al travea de platos y oopas un arma,

un ouohllloe Hefrene a Castro Hera, dioien-

dole por lo bajol KBs un ataque de epilepsia

oomo una oasa.^ Bn efeoto, Seraffn se retorofa

ya entre los brazos de los que pretendian suje- tarle. Con fuerza heroulea, 6 mas bien oon formidable tension nervlosa, momentanea virtud

del aura epileptlforme, a patadas, a mordisoos,

a puBfadas, defendfase lo mismo que una fiera,

y hubo momentos en que oreimos que podrfa mas que

todos nosotros juntos. Al fin logramos atarle

las ratinos oon una servilleta; lo inundamos de

oolonia, de agua frfa, de vinagre; le oojimos

por los pies y por los hombros, y no sin tra-

bajo le aubimos a la torre y le eohamos sobre

su oama, sumido, al pareoer, en una modorra que

interruapfan a" veoes oortos espaaaos."®®

An interest in musio, which is present in Un Vlale de Novios. La 3Irena nerzro. and other books, is also very smoh in

evidence in Una Crlstlana*

"Todos los estudiantes alojados en oasa - 67

d@ doSa Jesuaa frames filarmonlooa, todoa nos pereofaiaos por la ^frloana o los Hugonotes. eapeolalmonte el oubemo, meloaano furioao, qua

padoo£a aoeeaoa de epilepsia mualoal* Su ad­

mirable retentive no era monor para la notaoion

que para la palabra rlaada, y nosotros nos

divertfamoa, al volver, haoldhdole tararear

la opera enterlta.

— Trinidad— le deofamos, por que el oubano

ae llamaba as^— anda, oantanos el duo de amor,

do Vaaoo y Selika.

— Trinidad, los punalea.

— Trlna, el o paradiao,

— Trinidad, aquello del ooorefuooo.

— Anda, Trinlto, el aalao protestante...

Ea, la entrada de los violinea...las notas del

oboe, ouando sale Uaroelo...

El sinsonte gorjeaba ouanto le pedlamoa,

repitiendo eon pasmoaa exaotitud los detalles

de instrumentaoirfn mas laves. Por ultimo,

oansado ya, nos deofa on tono suplioante:

— Dejenme aoostar, que ©sto ya parse© songa, La Prueba. the sequel to Una Crlstlana.ls ohlefly nota­ ble for the fine oharaoter of Garmlna. On the whole the book is more idealistio than naturalistic, although there are

some "olinloal" passages which are strongly naturalistic, 98 recalling She method of She Goneoart brothers:

"del estedo del enfermo, que, a deoir verdad,

era lastlmoso. Habfen heoho oon el pobre Abes

Jusuf verdaderas dlabloras: suponleado que Senfa

la enfermedad en el hueso de la pleraa, le

oloroforaizaron dos reoes para abrirle oalloa-

tas en la tibia por medio de barrenos y ber-

blquies."96

Tu tjfo«M»dl Jo en^rgiou y rapidamente—

ha pasado la noohe oon oalentura y dolores; ore#

que Slone un ataquo de erisipala, ana inflaaa-

ol6n de la sangre...'*96

La Qulmera is a very naturalistic book, and is entirely too long and too diffused* Details and description have be­ come a passion with Pardo Bas&an* This is just one example of dozens that are unnecessary;

"Bn lugar de dormir bien, guardando en oartera ouantro mil francos, no desoanse' en toda

la noohe'. Dando vueltas y mas vueltas, con uno

de esos insosnios inveneibles que determinan

en mf al igual las impresiones de placer y las

inquietudes profundas; ofa a mi oabeoera el

tiquitiqui del relojillo, metido en su aaroo de

plata repujada, y me pareefa, sensaoion en ml

bastante freouente, que la cama estaba inva-

dida por airiadas de horaiguitas, y que estas - 5* - t ' - 1

hopmlguitas, zigzagueando, se me paseaban por el

ouerpo, bullentes, agileBe Mi penaamlento se

desvaneofa oooo el hnao disperse por el ven-

daval. Me ardfa la frente. Y, en el alma,

boohorno* dolor iaezplloable. Me golpeaba el

oorasdh. el reouerdo de las palabras de Valdivia. *9?

Zola himself might have written some of the "low" pas­ sages, . as Brimetiere oa?led them, and also the morbid details:

"Deeds aquel panto el moribundo fue agoni-

zante# Gada hora pes<£ sobre el eon peso de loan

eepulorale Su oerebro, un instante ilumlnado,

se ensoabreoio gradualmente, quedando s&Lo

vigilante la sensibilidad afeotiva, las efusionea

en que, agradeoiendo loo ouidados de su enfer-

mera eon balbuoiente gratitud de nlno, la 11a m -

ba, la nombraba sin oesar. Algunas veoes, ,en

fugitives lampos, la oonoienela pareefa desper-

tarse, y hasta los ensuenos fallidos, las am-

bioiones, voirfan a rozarle oon sus alas;

despues rcoafa en el eatedo oomatoso, quo in-

terrumpian aooesea de insania, nerriosoe ata-

ques, ahogos y aafixias pasaJeraa.

The principal theme, however, la eonoerned with the trials and troubles of Silvio Lago, an artist who is forever seek­ ing the "Qulmera" of the highest art and his strivings are beautifully set forth in the following passage, which is not — 60 — in itself naturalistic:

"Silvio, con los ojog muy abiertos, oon-

teniendo la respiraoion, bebfa el oontenido del

didlogo mararilloso. El halito de brasa de la

Qnimera onoendfa sus slen.es y eleotrizaba los

rizos de su pelo rublo oeniza; las glauoas pu-

pilas del monstruo le fasoinaban delioiosamente,

y su cola de dragon, ©arosedndosele a la datura,

le levantaba en alto, do mo a santo extatioo

que no tooa al suelo. El artista so echo atras,

alzd los brazos y susplrd" desde lo mas seoreto

del espfritu:

•— iTriunfar o MorirZ , Mi Qulmera es esa,

y exoepto mi Qulmera... ique" me imports el

mundo?"**

Of course he fails. Apart from the utter impossibility of any one attaining the highest art, Silvio is further hand! capped by a sick body and a sicker soul:

"Lo que yo tengo no es mas que eso: la

pfoara inapetenoia, y, de ahf, la debilidad;

tpero que debilidad, Minla! Mo puede usted

flguararse. Una deseaperaol

faltaban aanos para taato retrato oomo en el

otoKa me auldrfa en Parfsl"^^

"Los dootores venldos de Marineda mos-

trironse oonformes con el diagnostioo de su - 61 -

lluatre oompaSera de Madrid. Tuberculosis dlfusa...La mas grave, las mas rebelda..."^l

Although not all of the stories in Guentos de Marlneda are naturalistic, El Senor Doctoral is intensely so:

n— d^uef.. .haoe V... ahC? *-artiould traba-

Josamente. — Rezo— oontesto' el apSstol— para que 7.

se oonfiese, se arreplenta y se salve,

— tY a 7. que,..ajo...le imports...que

yo?... I For vidal... Pepa!

--No llama 7., que pepa sabe que nlngdn

mal vengo a haoerle. El que 7. se salve me

imports muoho...— contest© el Doctoral irgulen-

dose, oreoiendo en voz, caraoter y estatura, y enoontrando en a{ una fuerza de voluntad y hasta una afluencia de frases que no tenfan nada que

envldiEir a las del Padre Inoienso.— Me Imports

muoho, porque 7. podra morirae hoy, pero yo es-

toy seguro, 4 lo oye usted?, de que no vlvlre

ooho dfas. Me enoontraba en la cams resfria-

dfsimo; me he levantado para vonir a oonfesar

a 7.; me he oalado hasta los huesos, y sd' que

he ganado la muerte. Y ooao no he de presen-

tarrae delante de Dios oon las manos vaolas del

todo, |oaramba!, me he empenado en salvar su

alma de usted para no perder la mfa. En ml vida le servf de nada a Dios..., i lo oye 7 ? - 62 •*

de nada absolutamente. Ahora me llama a si, i y qulere uated qilo yo le dlga: ’Soy tan tonto que

no supo ablandar el esorlbano Roea?* Ahora que

me ha entrado tin don de pereuadlr que no tuve nunoa, i qulere V, impedlrme que lo aproveohe? No, aeHor..#V. me oir&. Antes me haoen pedazos

que irme de aquf sin absolverle.•.Mateme V. si

guata, poro atienda mis palabraa."10*

En ol norabre de nadre is also naturalistic, as the fol­ lowing passage testifies:

"Lo mismo fue oirle Elvina quo persignarse,

exolamando en alta voz: *Sn el nombre del Padre

y del Hi Jo..,1, y oorrer blandiendo el sable,

antes que su enemigo, oubierto un ojo por la

venda, pudiese haoerse oargo del inesperado

movlmiento., Ai deoir'y del Espfritu Santo*,

ya la hoJa habfa paaado ol traves del ouerpo

del seduotor, qtie vaoilaba un momento, tambalean-

doae, y, abrlendo los brazos, oafa deeplomado

a tierra,..Un golfo de sangre salla de la herida,

formando alrededor del oadaver una espedie de laguna roja.*^05

Naturalism is also present to some extent in La Dama loven:

"Unos amorios breves, la seducei^n, la

deshonra, el desengaHo...Historic vulgar y

treaenda. La enfermedad trajo do la mono la 63 -

miseria; el fruto de las entrafiaa de Doloresi mal nutrido por una Ieoh# esoasa y pobre, lan-

guideoio y suouabio pronto, dejando oontagia-

da a la nina de ouatro «6os, a Ooaoha, oon la

horrible toe ferine, tos que arranoaba de sua

tier nos pulaones estrfas de sangre.n1-0*

Los Pazos de Ulloa is considered the masterpiece of

Pardo Bazan. The whole book has a sinister atmosphere which is sustained throughout. There is definite foreshadowing, as the following quotation, which sums up the naturalistic theme of the book, shows: MLa verdad era que el archive habfa pro-

dueldo en el alma de Julian la misma impresion

que toda la oasa: la de una rulna, ruina vas-

ta y amenazadora, que representaba algo grande

en lo pasado, pero en la aotualidad se desmo-

ronaba a toda prise. Era esto en Julian apren-

slon no razonada, que se transformerfa en oon-

viooidn si oonoolese blen algunos anteoedentes

de familia del marques."105

The treatment of the theme is also naturalistic. Exact observation is everywhere apparent. The scene is laid in

Galicia, which enables Pardo Bazdfn to outdo herself in de­

scriptions. Some of them, of which the following is an ex­

ample, are Just as picturesque as those of Hardy:

"La procesion se organizaba; San Julian ha­

bfa desoendldo del altar mayor; la oruz y los 64 estandartes oaollaban sobre el reraolino de gentes amontonadas ya en la eatreoha nave, y loa mozos, vestidos de fiesta, con au panuela de aeda en la oabeza en forma de burelete. se ofreofan a llevar las Insignias saoraa. Ueapuea de dar dos vueltas por el atrio y de detenerse breves Inatantea frente al cruoero,el aanto volvlo a entrap en la Iglesla, y fae' pulado. con sua andas, a una meellla al lado del altar mayor, muy engalanada y oublerta con antlgua ooloha de damaaoo oaraeajf. La alaa ezy>ezoz, re- gooljada y rustics, en araonjfa eon los demaa festejos. Mas de una dooena de cures la oon- taban a voz en ouello, y el desvencijado laeen- sario iba y venfa, eon retintfn de oadenillas viejas, soltando un huao espeso y aromatloo, entre ouya envoitore algodonosa pareofa suavi- zarse el desentono del introlto. la aspereza de las bronoas larlngee exlesia'stloaa. El galtero, prodigando todos sm recuraos artfsticos, aoom- panaba eon nunteiro desmangado de la gaita y haoiendo ofioios de clarinets. Guando tenia qua sonar enters la orquesta, mangaba otra vez el puntairo en el fol; asf podia aoompanar la elevaoion de la hostla con una solemn® maroha real, y el ooateommunlo con una muneira de - 65 -

las mdfa rooientes y brinoadoras, qua, ya termina-

da la mlsa, repetfa en el vestibulo, donde tandas

de mozos y mozaa se desqultaban, ballando a su

aabor, de la oompostura guardada per espaolo de

una bora en la Iglesla. Y el balle en el atrlo

llano de luz; el tempi© sembrado de hojas de hi-

nojo y eapadafia qua magullaron loa plsotones;

aluabrado, mas qua per los olrlos, por el sol

qua puerta y ventanas dejaban entrap a torrentes;

los ouras Jadeantes, pero satlafeohoa y habla-

dores; el sent© tan eurrutaoo y Undo, may

rlsueno en sus andas, eon una plerna oasi en el

air# para empezar urn minuet©, y la oandlda palo-

mlta pronta a abrlr las alaa$ tod© era alegre,

terrenal; nada Ineplraba la augusta melanoolia

que suele Inperar en las oeremonlas rellgloaas.

Julian se'sent{a tan muohaoho y content© com©

el santo bendlto, y sal£a ya a gozar el alre

llbre, aooapaSado de don Eugenio, euando en el

oorro de los balladores dletlngulo a Sabel,

lujosamente vestlda de doming©, glrando, con

las demaia mozas, al oompdfs de la galta. Esta

vista le aguo un ianto la fiesta,"106

Apart from close observation, or perhaps It would be better to say another angle of it, Is the fact that in this book Pardo

Bazan has her characters express sentiments which are quite — 66 — in keeping with the general oharaeterization which she has given to eaoh. The idealistic, shy and timid Julian, for instance, always stands for ideals that are proper to his character and training as a priests

"— £Y no 1® hari dano tanto vino?— objeto

Julian que serfa inoapaz de bebirselo el.

"— To— declared tfmldamente Julian— poco

entlendo de vinos...Casi no bebo sino ague.

Y al ver hriliar bajo las oejas hirsute®

del abad una mlrada ooapasiva de puro desde-

Sosa, rectified*

— Is deoir...con el cafd, ciertos dfas

seSalados, no me dlsgusta el anisete.

On the whole, however, she is still inclined to make her descriptions of people I the aforementioned Julian, for ex­

ample) purely of an external natures

"Iba el jinete Colorado, no ooao un piciiento,

slno oomo una frees, enoendiaiento propio de

personas linfatioas. For ser Joven y de aiembros

delioados, y por no tenor pelo de barbs, pare-

oiera un niflfo, a no desmentir la presunoion sue

trazas eaoerdotales, Aunquc cubierto del amaril-

lo polvo que levantaba el trot® del Jaoo, bien

se advert fa que el tra je del mozo era de paSfo

negro liso, oortedo con la flojedad y pooa

graoia que dletinque a las prendas de ropa de - 67

seglar restidas por clerlgoa. los guantea,

despell©jados ya por la tosoa brlda, ©ran aal-

mlsmo negros y nueveoltoa, igual que el bongo,

quo lleraba oalado hast© las oejaa por temor a

que los zarandeoa de la trotada se lo hiciesen

saltar al suelo, que, eerfa, el mayor oomproalso

del mundo. Bajo el cuello del desairado levitfn

aaomaba un dedo de alzaouello, bordado de euen-

tas de abalorlo. Bemostraba el jlnete esoasa

maestrfa hfpicas incllnado sobre el arzon, con

las plernas encogldas y a dos dedos de sallr

despedldo por las orejas, lefase en su roatro

tanto aledo al ouartago oomo si fuese algun

ooroel Inddmlto rebosando fleroza y brfos.

No book of Pardo Bazan*s naturalistic period would be com­ plete without some mention of sickness:

"Largos dies estuvo Nucha detenlda ante

esas irfbregaa puertas que llaman de la muerte,

' con un pie en el umbral, oomo dioiendo "dSntrare? iNo enteari? Ba^ujibanla haoia dentro las horri­

bles tortures fusions que habfan saoudido sue

nervios, la fiebre devoradore que trastorno su

oerebro al inradir mu peoho la ola de la Ieoh©

inutil, el desoonsuelo de no poder ofreoer a su

nine aquel lioor que la ahogaba, la extenuacion

de su ser, del cual la vida hujfa gota a gota

sin que atajarla fuese posible. Pero la aolloltaban haola fuera la JuTentua, el ansla de exlstlr quo estlmula a ted© organ!smo, la eienoia del

gran higienista Junoal, y partloularmente una

manita pequena, ooloradilla, blanda, on pun!to

oerrado que asomaba entre los enoajea de una

ohambra y los dobleoes de un mantoh.

"El primer dfa que Julian pudo ver a la en-

ferma, no haofa muoboa que se levantaba, para

tenders©, envuelta en mantas y abrlgos, sobre

vetusta y anoho oanapsf. M© le era ifoito in-

oorporarse aun, y su oabeaa reposaba en almoha-

dones doblados# Su rostro enflaqueoldo y exan-

gue amarilleaba oomo una faz de imagen de marfil,

entre el maroo del negro oabello reluolente.

Bizoaba mEfs, por hab^rsele debilitado muoho

aquelloa dies el nerrio o'ptioo. Soario'©on dul-

zura el oapellan, y le seBalo una si11a. Julian ^

olavaba en ella esa mirada doade reboaa la cooh

paalon, mirada delator© que en van© quereaos

aujetar y apagar ouando no# aproximamos a un

enfermo grave."110

La Madre naturalAa, a sequel to Los Pazos de Plloa .Is perhaps the most naturalistic book ever written by Pardo Bazan

The naturalist's habit of describing the external ap­ pearance of characters is clearly shown:

"Iba el senor Anton en mangas de oamlsa

(por senas que la gastaba de estopa), ohaqueta - 69 -

teroiada al hoabro, y un pltillo traa la oreja

dereoha. Los pantalon.es pardos luoTan un re­

al end o trlagular azul en el lugar por donde m&s

suelen gaatarae, y otros dos, haolendo juego eon

ol de las nafeas, en las perneras; de puro oortos,

deaoubrfan^el hueso del tdblllo, oublerto apenas

de ourtlda y aomlfloada plel, y los zapatos

toroldos y oontrafdoa eomo una boea qua haoe

mueoas. Fuera del bolalllo Interior de la cha-

queta asomaba un llbro empaatado en pergamlno,

ouyas esqulnas habfan roldo los ratones, y cuyas

hojas atesoraban grasa suficiente para haoer

el oaldo una semana. "H V

Exact details are evident In such passages as:

"AooapaHt^le la pareja, dlvertida con su

charla. Era ol sonbr Anton uno de esos persona-

Jes tiploos, manlfestaolon vlvlente, "en una

ooamroa, de los remotos orfgenes y mlsterlosas

aflnldades etnloas de la raza que la hablta.

En el pa£s se oontaban machos que ejerofan la

profeafon de aleebrlstas. oomponlendo con singu­

lar destreza oanlllas rotas y hdmeros desvenol-

jados, reduolendo luxaolones y extlrpando sar­ comas, meroed a no sd que olenola Infusa o tra-

dlolcfn oomunloada heredltarlamente, o reoogida de lablos de algun oomoostor vlejo a qulen el mozo hablfa tornado los moldes; poro ningimo tan

aoreditado y consultado ©n todas partes oomo el

atador de Boefn. que tenfa fama de poner la oenl-

za en la frente. a los medicos de Orenae y San­

tiago, habiendo persona qua vino expreaamente

dead© Madrid, ouando todavfa se viajaba en dili-

genoia, a que el a©nor Anton le ourase una frac­

ture. No desvaneofan al vejete las glorias

oientifioas; pero s£ le daban pretexto a desoui-

dar la labranza de sup tierras y entregarse a

sabrosa vaganoia ootidiana por risoos y brenas.

Con su ohaquetdm al hombro en el verano, su raon-

teoristo de pardoaonte on invierno, y siempre el

pitillo tras la oreJa, la ohistera oalada sobre

el paSuelo, el paragues Colorado bajo el brazo

y el libro gasiento en la faltriquera, reoorrfa

haoiendo eses los senderos del pafs sintiendo

en la oabeza y el la sangre la doble efervesoen-

oia del aire puro y vivo de la montana y de

la libaoion do moato o aguardiente heoha a los

diosos lares de oada enfermo,

TheMolinioal laboratory" is not missed:

"Se oonooe quo al tratar de mover a aquel buen setior de Aroipreste, todo el peso de su ouerpo y del mfo juntos oargd sobre este brazo,

que hacia fuerza en la delantera de la berlina.. - 71 -

3eri una dlslooaoldn del hueso.

11— No, aeSor$ oreo que no tlone 7. nada

mtfs que un tenddn relajaido, aunque el pronds-

tloo de esta olasc de lealonea es muy aventura-

do alempre, y ae H e r a uno oada ohaaoo, que da

la hora."115

The whole theme of tho book is in this quotation:

despuds me-fui oonrenoiendo de que la

naturaleza, asf oomo es madre, es maestra del

hozabre, y el inatinto y la praotioa obran mara-

villas,..”114

One might say that La Madre naturaleza is an epic glori­ fication of primitive instincts. As almost every page shows this naturalistic trend, it would be impossible to give all the instances. The book has power and a certain majestic quality which somewhat recall* Oedipus Rex. The incest be­ tween Peruoho and Manuola is handled well. %hey, of course, do not discover until afterward that they are brother and sister.

When Gabriel asks Peruohoi

Vaoos olaros... iV. sab© o no sabe que

es hermano de Manuela?”-1-1®

Peruoho is astounded:

"31 aseatd la puffalada oontando con los

efeotos do su rapldez, no le salicf el oaloulo fallido. 21 mantaSes abri

Ignoranola Inveterada; la revelaoldh, un sumo, la tremenda revelaoldh, la que el anamorado, el esposo, el oreyente, el padre oonvenoldo de la vlrtud de la adorada hiJa, se resisted, se

Megan a reolbir, hasta que les oae enolraa, oon- tundente, brutal y mortlfera, oomo un mazazo - * en el oraneo,

.. |No! — balbuoed en rone a vox.— No.

|Jesus, Seffor, no, puede ser...Y..., vamos a ver...2ha venldo aqu£ para volverme looo?

4Eh? Pues dlvlSrtase...en otro oosa! Yo... no qulero loquear,..|No se dlvlerta oonmlgo!

1 Jesus...ay Dios*"11'6 Mamie la after the departure of Peruoho is siezed with a violent illness. When she partially recovers she decides to go to a convent to meditate and atone for her sin*

Gabriel protests against her decision to enter a con­ vent. She has no real call or vocation In that direction, but is on the contrary well endowed for a normal life. He answers his own question as to why she so decides by saying that it is: *iFor una desdtoha que ha tenido, por una

falta que todo disoulpa, ouyo aloanee ella no

ha podldo ooaprender, y cuya rajCz y origan es-

tdn, at fin y al cabo, an lo a4s segrado y

respetable que existe..*en la naturaleza!

The priest, clearly showing that Pardo«Baz4n cannot aub- oribo to the naturalist's oree®'of no supernatural power, re- plies:

"La lay de natural#*#, aisled#, sola, in-

v6quenla las beetles: nostros invooamosotra

mas alta.•.Par# esc somos hombrea, hiJos da

Dios y rediaidos por 4l. DeJemos esto; yo

desearfa quo V. no se quedase con el reoelo de

x que he influldo dlreotamente en el animo de la senorita."L18

The reflection of Gabriel appropriately closes the book:

"— Naturaleza, te llaman madre... Debar fan

llamarte madraatra. The Difference between the Naturalism of

Zola anfl that of Pardo Bazah

The chief difference between the naturalism of Zola and

that of Pardo Bazan is that, strictly speaking, Pardo Bazah

is not a naturalist. It is true that she may be called natur

alistic in so far as she uses aourate observation — the ex­

perimental method — but she does not believe in determinism

as does Zola, nor does she deny the existence of a free will.

In an interview that Rogrigo de Soriano had with Zola, and

which is printed at the front of Pardo Bazan*s Le Question

pololtante. Zola is quoted as saying the following:

"Lo qua no puedo ocultar es ml estraHeza

de que la Sr a. Pardo Bazdh sea catdflloa fer-

viente, mllitante, y a la vez naturalists, y

me lo explioo s6lo por lo que oigo deoir de

que el natur all emo de osa seftora es puramente

formal, artlstioo y literarlo.

Pardo Bazin acknowledges the truth of this assertion in

%1 Naturalismo. when she says that she doos not propose to be a propagandist of the naturalistic school, nor to recommend its philosophy, because, on the contrary, she reprobates it, especially the dangers of its materialistic determinism,

Pardo Bazin was a Catholic t

"Para mf, no hay mas moral que la

moral qatllica, y solo sus preoeptos me - 75 -

pareoen puros, fntegros, sanos e inmejorables; ....„122

A Catholic oould not bo a real naturalist, because Catholi­ cism. affirms the existence of a free will.

In EX Naturalismo Pardo Bazin again acknowledges that she cannot be classed as a naturalist, because she is a Christian, and this separates her fron the naturalistic school, as Zola e noted in speaking of her book, La Question palnitante.^2^ Zola believes in one law only, the naturalistic law, which Emerson calls "the law for thing". Pardo Sazan be­ lieves in two laws; as does Emerson: "the law for thing" and also "the law for man", to use Emerson1s own phrases. In other words, Zola is a victim of "the demon of the absolute" whereas Pardo Bazin is not. In most of her works she does not deal solely with psychology or physiology.

Pardo Bazan does not wholly subscribe to Zola’s state­ ment that an experimental novel was simply the "prooes- verbal" of experience.-1-2* Zola insists one should open one’s eyes on the exterior world. Pardo Baza'll insists one should not only open ode’s eyes on the exterior world but also on the interior world as well. Her doctrine is sound, and if she had been able to fol­ low it, she would have produced much better novels than she did. Almost always there is a difference between practice

and theory.

Long ago Plato banished poets from his ideal republic because he said poetry was bad for the emotions. If poetry could be found to have a use as well as a delight he would welcome it to his ideal State. In spite of his banishment of poets, Plato himself is very poetic.' As for example in such famous passages as that of the Charioteer in Phaedrus.

Furthermore as Sidney points out in his Pefence PoegSL1 "And truly, even Plato, whosoever well

Qonsidereth, shall find, that in the body of

his work, though the inside and strength were

philosophy, the skin as it were and beauty de­

pended most of Poetry; for all standeth upon

Dialogues, wherein he feigneth many honest

Burgesses of Athens to speak of such matters,

that, if they had been set on the rack they

would never have confessed them. Besides,

his poetical describing the circumstances of

their meetings, as the well ordering of a

banquet, the delicacy of a walk, with Inter­

lacing mere tales, as Gyees* Ring, and others,

which who knowsth not to be flowers of poetry

did never walk into Apollo’s Garden."I25

Wordsworth, to take another famous example, declared in his essay on Poetry and Poetio Diction that rustics were very well suited, as characters, to poetry and that some of the most interesting parts of tho best poems will be found to be

strictly the language of prose when prose la well written.*'26

This was theory. In practice, Coleridge, in his essay Wordsworth1s Theory of Dlotlon points out that:

"...It Is clear to zae, that In the most

Interesting of the poems, in which the

author is more or less dramatic, as the

Jkoihssa, Michael, Ruth. Tim. Mad jiothRX,

etc., the persons Introduced are by no means

taken from low or rustic life in the common

acceptation of these words; and it is not less

clear, that the sentiments and language, as

far as they can be conceived to have been

really transferred from the minds and con­

versation of such persons, are attributable

to causes and ciroumstanoes not necessarily

connected with 1 their occupation and abode1.T1^27

Coleridge says further:

"And I reflect with delight, how little a mere

theory, though of his own workmanship, inter­

feres with the processes of genuine imagina­

tion in.a man of true poetic genius, who

possesses, as Mr. Wordsworth, if ever man did,

most certainly does possess

"’The Vision and the faculty Divine1.

And one reflects with regret, how a good theory, though of her own workmanship, influences adversely the processes of genuine imagination in a woman of true creative ability, who possesses, as Pardo Bazan, if ever woman did, most assuredly did possess Sanity and Good Judgment

This reflection, or paraphrase of Coleridge's reflection, is occasioned by Pardo Sazan's method in several of her natur­ alistic books, such as Los Pazos de Ulloa and La Kadre aatur- qleza. What a masterpiece the former of these two novels would have been, if Pardo Bazdfn had not followed her own theory as closely as she did, if she could have sensed the interior world as responsively and as accurately as she did the exterior worldi.

It must be noticed in passing, as we have suggested be­ fore, that Zola's theory and practice did not always agree either.

Pardo Began, although less markedly, adopted the plan of

Sola in her novels: she collected materials, or one might say documents, and then wrote a novel of four or five hundred pages in five or six months. Pardo Bazan did not, however, go to the length of Zola, who said that a novelist ought "to operate on characters, passions, human and social facts, as the chemist and physicist works on inanimate objects, as the physiologist works on living beings".3'29

"In every one of these (novel^*, declares Baintsbury,

"M. Zola, by combining a little observation at first and second hand, with a ferocious 'Cramming* of test-books, endeavoured to secure that documentary exactitude which is the * sine qua non* of the naturalistic method. Pardo Bazan would not subscribe to the statement of Zola that it was sufficient to replace the word "novelist" In

Claude Bernard’s treatise entitled Introduction a 1*etude de JLa medeclne experimental^ Pardo Bazan might use the naturalistic method but she could see the absurdity of try­ ing to transfer a treatise on medicine to the novel, although, as we have seen, she was extremely interested In medicine and sick people.

At least one can say this for Pardo Bazan, she usually realized that the greatest danger of the laboratory method is that enough facts and experience cannot be obtained, or can rarely be obtained, to warrant a generalization. If this be true of beings or objects other than human, how much truer it is of human beings.

Zola must have thought it queer, if he gave the matter any thought at all, that all writers who lived before him had any success at all in writing; since they lived before his great discovery of the "experimental method", the labor­ atory olinio, and analytical observation. Zola failed to see that the jottings of a newspaper reporter are not liter­ ature. Evidently he would have been amazed to. hear that some

things aren’t worthy of being recorded. This would have been heresy to Zola. Every fact that he collected must be used.

Details were a vital part of his novels, the mere fact that

they might be insignificant and unimportant had nothing to

do with the matter. Or perhaps Zola thought them significant? 80

At any rate the following objeotion of Brunetiere must have seemed incomprehensible to himJ"II y a dee details inaigni- fiants, 11 y a dea details baa, 11 y a surtout des details inutiles. Quo mom lit soit un lit de coin ou on lit de milieu, quo mes rideaux eoient a lambrequin ou a tete flam- ande, je serais vraiment ourieux de savoir le reaselgneaent que voua en tirerez sur mon oaraoteref*132 Lest one think that we are too severe on Zola, and are attributing to Pardo Bazdh a sanity whioh she does not always possess, we may say here that she is sometimes as looking in good judgment as Zola.

Professor Babbitt says Coleridge followed the lead of

Wordsworth in his romantic tendency toward primitiveness, but

Coleridge refused to follow Wordsworth into the final absurd­ ity of acclaiming a child:

"Mighty prophetl Seer Blest!"

Pardo Bazah followed Zola in the naturalistic tendency toward a mass of details, but she refused to follow him into the final absurdity of declaring the position of one’s bed had anything to do with one's character.

Lest one think that we are too severe on these poor de­ fenseless naturalistic writers, one may recall the Judgment

of Samuel Johnson. "But whatever he the [criti§ decided con­

cerning contemporaries, whom he that knows the treachery of

the human heart, and considers how often we gratify our own pride or envy, under the appearance of contending for elegance - 81 - and propriety, will find himself not ranch Inclined to dis­ turb; there can surely be no exceptions pleaded to secure them from criticism* who can no longer suffer by reproach, and by whom nothing now remains but their writings and their names. Upon these authors the critic is undoubtedly at full

liberty to exercise the strictest severity, since he endan­ gers only his own fame; and like Annas, when he drew his

sword in the infernal regions, encounters phantoms which can­

not be wounded. He may indeed, pay some regard to established reputation; but he can by that show of reverence consult only

his own security, for .all other motives are now at an end.

The naturalists, including Zola, and to a less degree,

Pardo Bazin, were victims of the neo-classic confusion of

the arts of painting and poetry. Now, as Leasing pointed

out: "the proper object of painting is figures in space, while

the proper object of poetry is actions".^34 One may reproach Pardo Bazin with writing too many descriptions, but she did­

n ’t write nearly as many as Zola, who defends himself by say­

ing: the naturalistic authors describe so much not for the

pleasure of description, as some have maintained, but because

in their formula environment helps largely in characterizing

a person.*-35

&ola may have been excusing much multiplicity of details

on another score when he said: we [the naturalistis] are con­

cerned with the determinism of human and social phenomena, so

that one day we may dominate and direct phenomena.*-35 -sa­

lt would take a far more subtle mind than mine to per­ ceive how, if olroumstanoes determine us, we are going to de­ termine oirouastanoes. Pardo Began believed we could con­ trol our circumstances, so there is some excuse for her multi­ plicity of details.

Zola further protested that: He did not know of any nobler works £than writing novels] . To be master of good and evil, to regulate life, to regulate society, to settle all the problems; of socialism, is it not the most useful work one could do?3*37 Yes, it surely is a noble and useful work to do all these things. Do his novels accomplish it? No. If, as Zola declares, the naturalistic novelist should never intervene and should be impersonal so that readers might judge for themselves138, how are his novels going to help the individual improve himself or society? Would not the very presentation of such characters as the protagonist in

L*Assommolr lead some people to say: Oh, well. What is the use of trying to control our lives? Environment is everything.

Pardo Bazin knew that a novel was not a mere compila­ tion of facts. Even Zola admitted that a novelist must dis­ tribute and arrange facts logically,even though there be not much else for him to do.139 If one were maliciously inclined, one might ask how facts can be arranged logically without the

Judgment of the novelist entering in; and as soon as the nov­ elist's judgment enters in, the impersonality of the novel is destroyed. And if facts are logically arranged, one can not - 83 - hold an unbiased "Inquest over nature, beings and things", to quote again Zola's definition of naturalism,140 Zola believes in the particular truth, whereas Pardo

Bazah believes in the universal truth. Aristotle declared:

"it is not the function of the poet to relate what has hap­ pened, but what may happen, what is possible according to

the law of probability or necessity. Poetry, therefore, is

a more philosophical and a higher thing than history: for

poetry tends to express the universal, history the particu­

lar. By the universal I mean how a person of a certain type

will on occasion speak or act, according to the law of pro­

bability or necessity; and it is this universality at which

poetry aims in the names she attaches to the personages. The

particular is— for example— what Aloibiades did or suffered.1,141

Zola, as we have seen, is more interested in the particular

truth: "what Aloibiades did or suffered", yet he would come

under the censure of Plato because Zola is thrice removed

from the ideal truth or bed, to use Plato* expression.

Plato decided: "Beds, then, are of three kinds, and

there are three artists who superintend them: God, the maker

of the bed, and the painter."142 Plato devotes several pages

to this idea, which may be summed up as follows: First there

is the ideal bed, made by God, second, the imitation of the

ideal bed by the craftsman, third, the imitation of the crafts­

man* s bed by the poet. Therefore, the tragic poet is an im­

itation "thrice removed..... from the truth".14® Zola's 84 - imitation is merely an imitation of the craftsman's bed, which

in turn is an imitation of the absolute bed. On the other hand, Pardo Sazan'imitates the absolute bed. If she some­ times uses actual happenings, even Aristotle admitted that actual happenings might be used as the basis of a plot, pro­ viding tho author made the story probable.

Zola was more Interested in strange oases than was Pardo

Bazan. This brings us to another distinction between them.

Zola was much more inclined to use extreme characters than

was Pardo Bazdfn. In L'Assomniolr. for Instance, we feel that

the protagonist is almost too extreme to be typical. But in

La Lladre naturaleza we feel that even the villain is a typi­

cal character. '.That is one reason why Zola's novels leave

us rather cold, whereas Pardo Bazan*s do not. Unless we see

some resemblance between the characters and ourselves, our

emotions are not deeply stirred. In other words, Zola does

not accomplish the tragic Katharsis as well as does Pardo

Bazan.

We have spoken of Zola*s claim for himself and other

naturalists, denying any "mysterious influences’*. In his

own words he "submits each fact to observation and exper­

ience".144 Pardo Bazan admits that there are things which

cannot be submitted to "observation and experience".

There are, as most people (not Behaviorlsts), will ad­

mit, quite a number of things which escape analysis and can­

not be measured exactly. There are a number of things which will not give up their secrets under a magnifying glass.

Reason and observation are very well in their place, and we agree with Zola that it behooves us to make the most of them.

But there is a place where reason and observation fail to pierce life. What then? We are forced to use our imagina­ tion, insight, and inspiration. Let us not despise reason.

Let us use reason Just as far as reason can help. But from that point let us use those imponderable, intangible other sources of knowledge. Zola tried to use only reason. He thought everything was susceptible of the laboratory method.

Pardo Bazan, although using reason and the laboratory method, also, used imagination, insight, and inspiration which lead her to reprobate the "law for thing". She knew, while Zola did not, that there was also a "law for man".

"The great misfortune of Mr. Zola", declares Brunetiere,

"is that he lacks liberal education and philosophical cul­ ture. Here, in the vast field of "men-of-letters" without literature, he has first place. He produces a good deal, he thinks sometimes, he has never read; that is self-evident.

In this clever manner does the erudite Brunt!ere weigh the qualities and defects of Zola, with very little sacrifice of truth for the sake of wit. One finds few evidences of a knowledge of other literatures besides French in Zola’s works. He mentions Aristotle and Boilean but it is noteworthy that this "vrai" of which he speaks was probable or univer­ sal truth, in the case of both Aristotle and BoileaU and not. 86 as Zola construed it, exact or particular truth. In the case of Pardo Bazan, one cannot read her works without being impressed by the evidences of a wide culture. One instance out of hundreds is the interest in art and music, manifested most clearly, as we have seen, in La Quiraera. La SIrena nigra and Una Oristiana. Moreover, what she read she thoroughly understood. Her quotations cover a wide field and include references to many literatures and phrases In several lan­ guages. There is a decided contrast in this respect between

Zola and Pardo Bazin.

Brunetiere remarks: descriptions and paintings do not prove the ability of an author; the expression of general ideas does.1*7 Pardo Bazan, judged by this standard,is a much bettef writer than Zola.

This does not mean that Pardo Bazin was a faultless writer. She was not. Bor does it mean that her writings were always superior to Zola's. They were not. Bor does it mean that all of Zola's works should be condemned. They should not.

It does mean, however, that Pardo Bazan kept her balance much better than Zola. Perhaps, as Matthew Arnold suggested, a study of Greek literature, in translation or the original, tends to make one more sane. In this subject, Pardo Bazan, who was a professor at the ’’Universided Central" in Madrid, had the advantage of Zola, who depended largely on Claude

Bernard and such writers to keep himself well-informed.

To give Zola his due, he was an excellent observer, per­

haps a better observer than Pardo Bazan. But Zola, as well 87 - as other naturalists, depended less on first-hand observation and more on second-hand cramming of textbooks than he would have us believe. To sum up the difference between Zola and Pardo Baz&n in a few words, we may say that Pardo Bazflfn had more sanity and more critical judgment than Zola. One might be tempted to say

Zola, like the modern behavioristic psychologist, was a stu­ dent who investigated the mind of man, having first acknow­ ledged that man had no mind to investigate. Pardo Bazan ac­ knowledged man had a mind to Investigate, before she started

Investigating. Pardo Bazan* s stand on naturalism is neatly summed up in the Preface to Un Viale de Novios: She does not censure the patient, minute and exact observation which distinguishes the modern French school. She disapproves as artistic errors of the systematic preference for shameless end repulsive sub­

jects, of excessive description, of continued solemnity and sadness, of constant frowns, of the lack of a joyful note, and finally, of a lack of grace and flexibility in style and Idea.148 — 88 -

We have seen that naturalism, defined as the ex­ perimental and analytic method of the natural sciences ap­ plied to literature, giving a literal transcription of real­ ity and denying the existence of a free will and a super­ natural power, is something comparatively new.

Zola gave naturalism its first great impetus and is generally acclaimed the chief of the naturalistic school.

Other writers in France, such as the "group# de Medan" a- dopted naturalism. George Eliot and Hardy affected it to some degree in England. *ts most ardent partisan in Spain was Pardo Bazafa, whose naturalism, both in theory and prac­ tice differed from that of Zola. She was a realist rather than a naturalist. One sees tils very clearly in the pre­ face to Un Via1e do novios:

"Oh, how sane, true and fine is our national realism, that glorious tradition of Spanish art! Our realism, which laughs and weeps in the Celestlna and Bon Onllote. in the pictures of VelSsquez and Goya, in the comic dramatic vein of

'firso and Haiaon de la Cruz!rt^ 9

Gross, in his Development of the Enallsh Novel, calls the novel "that prose fiction which deals realistically with ac­ tual life".150 By the word "realistically" is meant fidel­ ity to nature or real life, representation without idealiza­ tion. One wonders if any novel worth reading be merely faithful 6# to nature or to real life. A Sears-Hoebuok catalog of tu­ lip bulbs is a faithful description of nature as far as it goes, and a Bulletin of the State Board of Education for the use of immigrants displays fidelity to real life. Yet these very useful documents have never been included in any classi­

fication whatsoever of the novel.

The alert reader will at once point out that, although

a catalog and a Bulletin are realistic, they are not fiction.

Perfectly true. Yet would any one, in these days of the

great popularity of the short story,read an elongated account

of the true happenings of every-day life? Any one with fair­

ly keen powers of observation could relate what took place

at the corner of Goagrees and Sixth for a solid year. Cer­

tain people would undoubtedly pass often enough to enable the

observer to make them the central characters. Surely there

would be enough events to form a sketchy plot. Suppose this

observer set down realistically and.represented without ideal

ization, everything that happened at this particular corner.

Suppose he persuaded Qrosset and Dunlap to publish this

faithful and representative account of roal life. Critics

would acclaim the daring of the author who had at last por­

trayed life as it really is, with all details, and with min­

ute events given with no selection. Prose-fiction? Yes.

Realistic? Yes. Idealised? Ho.

The novelist must not take everything he sees; he must

select the most significant details. If this is a sound - 90 statement, where does it lead one? .

The novelist will select the details which in his own mind are most significant, and these details will be de­ termined by the novelist's own particular education, obser­ vation and temperament. Likewise the succession of events is determined by the novelist# His temperament is bound to enter into his novel whether he will or no# Then may one not enlarge on Gross's definition of the novel and call it "that prose fiction" which deals realistically with actual life ac­ cording to the temperament of the novelist"? Zola declares:

"II est certain qu'une oeuvre ne sera jamais qu'un coin de la nature vu a travers un temperament#"131

Should an author portry everything and let the reader

Judge for himself? . °r should he give his philosophy of life?

As Ben Jonson phrases it: Should there be a place left for digression and art?

What is the function of the novel? Is it merely to re­ present life? or to instruct? or to entertain?

Humphry Clinker is realistic, and also entertaining# The author is content to paint life as it really exists and to let the reader judge for himself what moral lesson is contained therein.

The i-U 11 -the Floss is realistic and also instructive.

(Personally, I balk at calling it entertaining.) Here the author paints life as she sees it and reenforces the speeches of the characters (who are merely the mouthpieces of George 91

Eliot) by a long discussion of the psychological processes by which the mind works# She also gives George Eliot's ideas of right and wrong. Pardo Bazan has a better idea than this, expressed in the Preface to Ug. Vja.le de novlos. "Yo de mi ad deoir que en arte me enamora a la ensenanza indireota que emana de la hermosura, pero aborezco las pjCl- ' doras de moral rebozadas en una oapa de ora literario# En- # tre el impudor frfo y afectado de los esorltores natural!s- tas y las homllfas sentimentales de los autoRes que toman un pfilpito en cede dedo y se van por esos trigos predioan- do, no esoojo; me quedo sin nlnguno. PCnlta Jimenez is sheer entertainment. The author de­ picts the psychological development of a young man, Don Luis, who at the beginning of the book has the definite idea of being a priest. After meeting Pepita Jimenez, he falls in love with her and finally marries her. The author does not teach any lesson whatsoever. He writes an excellent book.

In fact, some of the descriptions in it are the equal of that famous love scene between Richard and Lucy in The Ordeal of Richard Feveral. which is generally conceded by critics to be the most beautiful passage in the Victorian novel.

Who understood the function of the novelist best; Smollet,

Eliot, or Valera? I think every one will agree that real­

ism and entertainment are almost necessary factors in a good novel. The quarrel comes with "instruction" or "preaching".

Should the novelist keep his own ideas, his judgments, his 92 philosophy, out of the novel? In foot, Is It not greater art to tell a story, and let the story speak for Itself?

Perhpps It may be greater art, and yet Fielding, master of

form that ho was, used the Interpolative essay. He had good

authority for it, the old Greek chorus. Meredith’s whole plan of a novel would be Impossible without the interpolative

essay. Be that as it may, should the novelist include his

philosophy in the novel? Or should he publish it in a sep­

arate book of essays? Bren the casual observer at a public

library will notice that there are many more people who

patronize the fiction department than there are who patron­

ize the general literature. And yet the fiction readers are

seeking something more in a novel than they would in a Talk­

ing Picture. Should these people be disregarded?

A Talking Picture, by the very reason that it appeals

primarily to the eye in a series of pictures and not primar­

ily in a series of words, despite the talking, cannot give

the same result as a novel. Moreover, there really are some

people who read fiction and go to the "talkies" too. These

people do not oare to read essays. They want their philoso­

phy sugar-coated. The novel is the best means of supplying

this want. Therefore a novel should not be written purely

for the highly intellectual, but for the average person who

is neither extremely dull nor extremely brilliant, who reads

a novel for the sake of entertainment and for what consola­

tion, comfort, or interpretation of life he may derive from - 93 - it. If this is the function of the novel, we conclude a novel should contribute to the sum of human knowledge. It should leave a residue of rich philosophy which will remain in the reader’s mind long after the characters and plot are forgotten.

This is what Pardo Bazin* s novels do. If, in the fam­ ous phrase of Matthew Arnold, she did not always see life steadily and see it whole, at least she saw it with much clearer vision than most of her contemporaries. She deserves the title of being called Spain*s foremost woman novelist in the nineteenth century. 94 -

Mot ©8

1 . Zola, Lgi Hoiaan Experimental, p. 46. "Et le natural lame,

je le dls encore, consist© unlqueraent dans la method©

experimentale, dans l1observation et Vexperience ap-

pliquees a la lltt^rature."

2 . Zola, Le Roman Experimental.oo.114-115. "Le natural­

isms, dans les lettres, o*est egalement le retour a la

nature et a Vhomme, 1 *observation directs, I'enatomle

exacts, 1 *acceptation et la pointure do ce qui est."

3 . Jones, English Critical Essays (Nineteenth Century),

p. 6 .

4 . Jones, English Critical Essays (Nineteenth Century),

P, 19.

5• Zola, Le Roman Experimental, p. 123, "...le roman natural­

ist© etait simplement une enquSte sur la nature; les etree

et les chose©."

6 » Abry - Audio - Crouzet, Histoire illustree do la Littera-

ture Francalse. P» 622. "Le roman actual se fait aveo

des documents raqontea ou relevSs d'apres nature, comm©

I ’histoire so fait aveo des documents oorits. Les his­

torians sont des raconteurs gU pass^, les romanolers des

raconteurs de present (Journal des Goncourt, 24 ootobre

1864). 91 _

7. Brunetiere, Le Botnan Haturallste. p. 3. "C’est un art

qui sacrifice la form© u la raatibre, le dossin h la

colour, le sentiment a la sensation, l fidial au rdel;"

8. Brunetiere, Lfl, Homan Haturallste. p, 119. " II y a des

details insignifiants,il y a des details bos,n

9. i-Iartlno, Le Naturalisine frangals. p, 4. M.. .une mAbode

de travail intellectual empruntee direoteiaent a la

science.M

10. Pellissier, The Literary Movement in France During the

Nineteenth Century, p. 404.

11. Bianco-Garcfa, La Literature Bspanola.en el Blglo XIX,

p, 535. "Podrfamos considerar el natural!amo oontem-

pordneo ooao conJuneion de dos eleaentos aflnes: la

negacidh pesitaista en el fondo y la desnudez absolute en las f oraas.n

12. Blanoo-Garcfa, La Literature Esnariola en cl Siglo XIX,

p. 554. ”21 naturalismo vcndra a ser a lo sumo, la

triste y exacts ropreeentaoidfn de un perfodo de deca-

dencia, la hlstoria dooumentada del vioio.”

13. Croce, History of Aesthetic. p% 33. "Verism and natural­

ism also have afforded a spectacle of a confusion.of the

aesthetic fact with the processes of the natural sciences,

by aiming at some sort of experimental drama or romance. * * 96

14. Saintsbury, Short History of French Literature, p- 564.

15, Enoyolopaedla BritanMoa, fourteenth Edition, Vol. 16,

P.164.

16* Pardo Baz&n, La Question Paloitante. p . 62.

17. Pardo Began, La Question Paloitante. p . 67-68.

18. Stevens, Types of English Drama, p, 596

"Forgive us then, if we attempt to show,

In artless strains, a tale of private woe.

A London ’prentice ruined, is our theme,

Drawn from the famed old song that bears his name.

We hope your taste is not so high to scorn

A moral tale, esteemed ere you were born;

Which, for a century of rolling years,

Hath filled a thousand-thousand eyes with tears.

If thoughtless youth to warn, and shame the age,

From vice destructive, well becomes the stage;

If this example innocence secure.

Prevent our guilt, or by reflection cure;

If Millwood’s dreadful guilt and sad despair

Commend the virtue of the good and fair:

Tho’ art be wanting, and our numbers fail,

Indulge th’attempt, in justice to the tale! "

19• Valera, Apuntes Bobre el Nuevo Arte de Escrlber Novelas.

P% 75. "...El natural!srao ee una derlvaoion 6 degradaoion - f f -

del romantlolamoe*

20. Valera, Aptmtes Sobre el Nuevo Arte de Ksorlber Hovelas.

p. 179. "...El romantleiamo fue oono Ifquldo en el

perfodo de la fermeataeldn tuaultuoso, el naturalisao

ea eomo los sedimentos groaer.os, oomo las heees que se

van preoipitando en el fond© del vaso de resultas de la

fermentaolcfn. "

21. Pardo Bazan, La Question Palnltante. p. 87. "...que el

realism© eontempor6neo, y aun el proplo naturalism©, se

funden y apoyen en prlnelplos proelamados por la esquela

romantlea.

22. Bell, Contemporary Spanish Literature, p. 64.

/, 23. Babbitt, Rousseau and Romantlolsm. p, XIX and Appendix.

3 ,24. Pardo Bazan, Natural ismo. p. 22. "No hay que eon-

fundlrla eon el reallsmo oomo tendenola fundamental,

'Sate ha existido desde el orlgcn de las letras, de la

poesfa, del arte, En la Biblia, en los vastos poemas

Indies, en Homero, enoontraaos on vigor de reallsmo

natural! sta que a voces a sombre* Y aun pudjferaaos afJadir

que la belleza de esas grandes obras maestras ©sti en

razon dlreota de la suma de realidad que oontienen.

Nadie ignore que' paaajes izapregnados de verdad humane

se destaoan en la Illada y an la Odlsea, y nadie ha 98 -

olvidado OtiAiles son las p&glnas Inaortales de Virgllio

que Impregnadas de verdad sentimental, el sentlmlento,

le haoen nuestro oontezzpore(neo* Ni pareoe neoesarlo

slqulara, en Espana, Inslstlr en que el realism es

eterno, slendo la mas constant# de nuestras dlreoolones

literarlos# Haste pudferaaos, en la edad moderna,

pretender que ol realism fuef oosa nuestra, y que lo hemos Inooulado ^TFranela, sea 6 no espaffol el autor de Gil Bias. HI aim entre los olfisloos franoeses faltan

grandes reallstasi Mollere no nos dejarfe mentlr." f .25. Martino, Le Haturallsme frangals. p. 8 . "Les Iddblo-

ques de 1820 aux positivists de 1860 et aux naturallstes

de 1880 la ohalne reste tree solldement tendue."

y 26. Martino, La NaturalIsne frangals. p. 9. "0*est lul

Q/omte] qul a donn/ le nom de positivism® au vlell es­

prit enoyolop^diste enrlohide tout® one nouvelle phlloso

phie des soienoes."

5 2 7 . Martino, L& flafangallemo frmo a l s . p. 46. "...les purs

positlylstes, selon Auguste Comte, Llttre ou Berthelot."

28. Brunetiere, L& Homan Haturaliste. p. 7. "Balzao, h

proprement parlor, n ’est pas un realist®. Sans doute,

1 *intention general® do lfoeuvre, et la vast© ambi­

tion d'egalor le roman do moeurs a la diverslte de la

vie modern®, mans doute aussl le proo/d£ de composition, let fatigsnte aootimulation du detail, la description

sans trSve, la pretention technique, font blen de lul

l ,ano6 tre de nos r/allstes modernss; mala 11 faut ajouter

aussltdt qu*ll ae s*Inspire de la reality qua pour la

transformer. Il salt que 1 'art n*@st pas tout sutler

dans 1 *Imitation servile; que, poor le romanoier oomme

pour le pelntre, l*^tude ndbessaire du module vlvant

n'eat qu’un moyen, nullement ua but; .

7 . 29. Martino, Le Naturallame frangals. p. 21. n...Talne a

ete, en effet, le vral phllosophe du r/allsme, son

thdbrioien; o'est lul qui a donn/ la foraule du posi­

tivisms en matiVre litteralHe. H a d^finlteaent per­

suade ses oontemporains de oe que lea iddblogues et Au­

guste Comte enseignalent depuls longteiaps: savoir que

la psyohologie n1A a l t qu’un ohapltre de la physlologle,

que Is etude des caraoteres ftalt cells des temperaments,

que le milieu physique press# de tous o d W s sur notre

destine®, qui l/hlstolrde des individus, oomme oelle des

nations, est soumlse au plus vlgoreux Ses dd'termlnlsmes."

^ 30. Saintsbury, Short History of French Literature. P. 566

2 31* I^artino, Le Ha tor alls me frangals. P. 19.

/^32. Martino, Le Natur.allsme frangals, p. 13. "....o'est

malntenant un article de fois litteralre que Flaubert

inoarne le naturalisme frangals." 100 -

/Y 33. Brunetiere, Lo Roman naturaliste. p. 172

/^34* Babbitt, Rouaseau and Romanticism, p. 108.

/r 3 5 .. Salntabury, Short History of French Literature, p. 571.

y^36. Zola, Le Roman Experimental, p. 22. "... le roman ex­

perimental est une oonsiquenee de 1 *evolution scienti­

fic du aieele; 11 continue ot complete la physiologic,

qul elle-meme s'appule, sur la chiraie et la physique|

11 substitue a Vdtude de 1 'homme abstralt de lfhorame

natural, soumls aux lois pliysloo-ohlmlques et determine

par les influences du milieu; 11 est eri un mot la littera-

ture de ndtre Sge soientiflque, comae la litt^rature classlque'et romantique a oorrespondee k un age de soholastique et do thdologle."

^37. Pardo Baz^n, Haturallsmo. p. 11. "El naturalism) de

esouela no hubless side explicable sin sue terribles pre-

oantes hietorlooe."

Z(d38. Pardo Bazin, El Haturallsmo. p.9. "El arte, por diez

o dooe aHos, no podia menos de saber a ajenjo de pesi-

mlsmo; la commune y sus desesperaelonee enoontraron ex-

presion an la esouela naturallsta, 6 , por lo menos, en

la aerie do las Rougon-Maoquart -'historic de una

famllla durante el segundo emperio’- qua Zola habfa em-

pezado a esoribir, junto es deoirlo, antes de Sedan, - .101 -

estlgimatizando ya los comienzos del regimen, el golpe

de Estado y el poder personal de Napoledh.n frj 39. Blanoo-Garofa, La Literatura EsaaRola on el XIX Siglo.

p. 554. See note 12 .

40. Brunetlere, Le Homan nature 11 sto. p. 13. "On Imaglne-

rait diffloilement une tel preoccupation de I’odieux

dans le ohoix du sujet, de 1*ignoble et du repoussant

dans la paint are des oaraotWes, du materialisme et de la brutalite dans le style.*

/ / 41. Brunetlere, L& Homan naturallate. p* 368.

^(O 48. Brunetlere, Le Homan naturallstje. p. 280. ”... un ablme. entre le naturalisms frannals.et le natural!sme Anglais.”

9' ( 43. Zola, Lg, Homan experimental, p. 88.

43a. Pardo Bazaa, Un Vlale de novlos. pp. 15-17.

44. Pardo Bazan, Un Vla.le de novlos. p. 56.

45 . Pardo Bazan, U& Vlale de novlos. pp. 45-46.

46. Pardo Bazin, Un Vla.le de novlos. p. 82.

47. Pardo Bazan, Ug Vlale de novlos, p. 146.

48. Pardo Bazin, Ug Vlale de novlos. p. 207.

49. Pardo Bazan, Ug Vlale de novlos. pp. 166-167. 102.-

50 Pardo Bazan, Un Vlale de novin.qr pp. 137-138.

51 Pardo Bazan, Un Viale de novios. p. 282,

52 Pardo Bazan, Ug Viale de novios. p. 155.

53 Pardo Bazan, Ug Viale de novios. p. 255.

54 Pardo Bazdn, La Sirona neara. p. 49.

55 Pardo Bazin, La Sirena negra. p. 80.

56 Pardo Bazan, La Sirena negrar pp. 108-109.

57 Pardo Bazan, La Sirena negra. p. 196.

58 Pardo Bazan, Jja Sirena negra. p. 308.

59 Pardo Bazin, La Sirena negra. p. 242.

60 Pardo Bazan,zLa Sirena negra. p. 126.

61 Pardo Bazin, La Sirena negraf p. 252.

62 Pai*do Bazin, La Sirena negra. pp. 254-255.

63 Pardo Bazan, La Tribuna, p, 6 .

64 Pardo Bazin, Lg Tribuna, pp. 69-70.

65 Pardo Bazan, La Tribuna, p. 51.

66 Pardo Bazan, TribtmaT p. 97.

67 Pardo Bazan, La TrlbuuaiaT p. 207. - 103 -

68 Pardo Bazan, El Oisne de Vilamorta. p. 83.

69 Pardo Bazan, E& Plane de Vilamorta. p. 20.

70 Pardo Bazin, El Plane de Vilamorta. pp. 23-24;

71 Pardo Bazan, EJ. Plane de Vilamorta. p. 234.

72 Pardo Bazan, El Plane de Vilamorta. p. 293.

73 Pardo Bazan, El Saludo de laa brulas. p. 272.

74 Pardo Bazan, El Saludo de las brulas. p. 58,

75 Pardo Bazan, Saludo de las brulas. pp. 50-51.

76 Pardo Bazan, El Saludo de las bru 1asr p. 155.

77 Pardo Bazan, Insolaeion. p. 13,

78 Pardo Bazan, Insolaeion. p. 167.

79 Pardo Bazan, Insolaeion. p. 34.

80 Pardo Bazan, Insolaeion. p. 182.

81 Pardo Bazan, Morrlna. pp. 208-209.

82 Pardo Bazan, Morrlna. p. 290.

83 Pardo Bazan, Morrlna. pp. 275-276.

84 Pardo Baz&i, Morrlna. p. 370.

85 Pardo Bazan. La Piedra angular, pp. 183-184 104

86 Pardo Bazan, La Pledra annular, pp. 196-197.

87 Pardo Bazrfn, La Pledra annular, p. 239.

88 Pardo Bazan, La Pledra annular, pp. 72-73.

89 Pardo Bazan, La Pledra annular, p. 166.

90 Pardo Bazan, La Pledra annular. P. 327.

91 Pardo Bazan, Una Crlstlana. p. 12.

92 Pardo Bazin, Una Crlstlana. p. 45.

93 Pardo Bazin, Una Crlstlana.t o . 138-139.

94 Pardo Bazin, Una Crlstlana. p. 27.

95 Pardo Bazin, La Prueba. p. 887.

96 Pardo Bazan. La Prueba. p. 333.

97 Pardo Bazan. La Qulmera. p. 326.

98 Pardo Bazin, La Qulmera. pp. 554-555.

99 Pardo Bazan, La Quimera. p. 68.

100 Pardo Bazan, La Qulmera. p. 494.

101 Pardo Bazin, La Qu Inter a. p p . 501-502.

102 Pardo Bazan, Cuentos de Marlneda. pp, 200-201

103. Pardo Bazik, Cuentos de ilarlneda. p. 818. - 10*

104 Pardo Baz&i, Cuontos de liar Inc da. p. 9.

105 Pardo Bazin, Los Pazos de Blloa. p. 35 .

106. Pardo Bazin, Los Pazos de Ulloa. pp. 52-53.

107 Pardo Bazas, Los Pazos de Ulloa. p. 17. l :v . 108 Pardo Bazas, Los Pazos de Ulloa. p. 18.

109 Pardo Bazin, Los Pazos de Ulloa. pp, 5-6.

110 Pardo Bazas, Los Pazos de Ulloa. pp. 173-174.

111 Pardo Bazas, La Uadre naturaleza. p. 15.

112 Pardo Bazin, La Madre naturaleza. pp. 27-28.

113 Pardo Bazin, La Madre naturaleza. p, 71.

114 Pardo Bazin, La Madre naturaleza. p. 71.

115 Pardo Bazin, La Uadre naturaleza. p. 315.

116 Pardo Bazin, La Madre naturaleza. p. 315.

117 Pardo Bazin, La IZadre naturaleza. p. 370.

118 Pardo Bazin, La Madre naturaleza. p. 370.

119 Pardo Bazin, La Madre naturaleza. p. 375.

\

120 Entrevlsta de Zola oon el D. Rodrigo Soriano, redactor

do La Epooa. printed in Pardo Bazin, La Question palpi­

tant®. pp. 24-25. • 3.06 «»

181. Pardo Bazan, El Maturallsao, p. 17. * Cdando J© •»-

oribl Question oaloitante. el naturalism© no era

noredad en Francla, ni muohos men©a, per© si en Espa^a,

donde asustaba doble por 1© alamo que apenas si se lo

oonoofa de otro mod© que por su mala reputaoicfn* No

me propuae haoer propaganda de la eaouela, ni reoomen-

dar aus fundamentoe filoeJfiooa, que, al oontrario,

reprobe senalando espoolaloonte los peligros del deter-

zainismo materialista, pen© quise dar a oonooer sus

oaraoteres meraaente est6tioas y mostrar sus pantos de

oontaoto ©on el realism©, tendenola tan infiltrada en

nuestra tradioirfn naolonal.w

128. Pardo Bazan, Lg (lueotldh palnitante. p. 834.

183* Pardo Bazin, EL Naturalism©, p, 81. "Valera sentfa el

paganism© olisioo, y yo el oristianismo, que me separa-

ba del naturalism© de esouela, ooorf notcf el prop!©

Zola al hablar de mi libro.w

, .... 124. Zola, Le Roman experimental, p. 8 . "...on roman ex­

perimental, la Couslne Bette, par example, est simple­

ment le * prooes-verbal* de 1 *experience, que le roman- 0 \ oier repete sous las yeux du publique. En aomme, touts

1 *operation consiste a prendre las fait* dans la nautre, % / X puis a etudier le meoanisme des faits, en agissant eur

eux par lea modifications des oiroonstanoes et des / milieux, sans jftmais s1©carter des lots de la nature. - 107.-

Mi bout, 11 y a la oonnalaeanoe solentlfIque, dans son

motion l^JLlTlduelle et soolale.n

129. Saintsbury, Lool Crltloi.p. 94.

126. Salntsbury, Lool Critlol. p. 268.

127. Salntsbury, Lool Critlol. p. 312.

128. Jones, Znallsh Critical Essays. (XIX Cent.) p. 59

129. Zola, le Roman ezoerlnental. p. 16. nEn un mot, nous

derons operer sur les oaraoteres, sur les passions,

sor les falts huoalns et soolaux, oomme le ohlmlete et

le physlolen op^rent sur les corps bruts, oomme le phy­

siologists spore sur les corps vlvants."

130. Salntsbury, Short History of Frenoh Literature, p. 567.

131. Zola, Le Homan experimental, p# 2 . "... 11 me suffira

d® remplaoer le mot •medeoin1 par le mot *romanol#r*

pour rendro ma penseo olalre et lul apporter la rlgueur

d ,une verlt^ solentlfIque."

132. Brunetlere, Roman natural lete. p. 119.

133. Salntsbury, Lool Critlol. pp. 239-240.

134. Leasing, Laoooon. Oh. XVI. Tainting . . . employs figures

and colour In space, the latter[poetry] articulate sounds

in time. ... It follows that bodies with their visible - 108 -

properties are proper objects of painting ... actions

are the proper objects of poetry.

135. Zola, Le Roman experimental, p. 150. "Lee romaaoiers

naturalistes deorivent boaueoup, non poor le plaiair

de d^orire, comme on le lour reproohe, mats parse

- qu'il entre dans leur formula de oiroonstancier et

de completer le personnage par le milieu* *

136. Zola, Le Roman experimental, p. 29. "... none 4

le determinismo des phenomenee huaaina et eoclaux, pour

qu'on puisse un jour dominer et diriger oee phenom&ne#."

137. Zola, Lg, Roman experimental, p. M . "Je no sals pas,

je le Wpete, de travail plus noble nl d'une applica­

tion plus large. Stre m itre du bien et du mal, reg-

ler la vie, rlgler la sool(te, rdsoudro a la longue tone

lea problem®s du socialism©, apporter surtout des bases

solldes a la justice en resolvent pas Vexperience les

questions do criminalite*! n ’est - oe pas la etre, les

ouvriere lea plus utiles et lee plus moraux du travail

humain?"

138. Zola, Le Roman experimental, p. 126. "Ainsl, le roman-

cier naturalists' a*Intervlent jamais, pas plus que le

savant. Cette impersonnalite^ morale des oeuvres eat

capitals, oar ell® eouleve la question de la morelite

dans le roman. On nous reproohe violemment d’etre 1m-

moraux pares quo nous mettons on scene dee coquina et 109

dee gens bonnetos sans lesjuger, pas plus lea uns que lee entree."

139. Zola, Roman experimental, p. 203. "Le romanoier

a* aura qu*a dletrlbuer lx>glqueaent les faits.11

140. See note 5.

141. Aristotle, Poetics. Translated by Butcher, p. 35.

142. Plato, The Republic. Translated by Joweet, p. 331.

143. Plato, The Ranublia. Translated by Joweet, p. 332.

144. Zola, Roman experimental, pp. 34-35. "Rous, eorl*- veins naturallstea, nous eouaettona cheque fait K

1 *observation et a l1experience; tandie que les eorl- vains idealietea admsttent des Influences mysterleuaes

^bhappant a 1 *analyse, et restent d% lore des lois de la nature."

145. Brunetiere, Its, Roman naturallste. p. 112* "Le grand mal- heur de M. Zola, o'est de manquer d*Education litt^ralre et de culture philosophique. loi, dans lo vaste oaap

des litterateurs sansslitterature^ 11 est & la pre­

miere place. II produit beaueoup, 11 pens® quelquefole, 11 n*a Jamais lu; oela se volt."

146. Zola, Lg, Roman experimental, pp. 109-110. "Tout la criti­

que, ajoute -t- on, depuls Aristotle juequ’a Bouleau, 110

pose oe prinoipe qti’ime oeuvre doit Gtre baoee sur le

vrai."

147. Brunetiere, Le Roman naturallste. pp. 108-109. "Dos

deaoriptiono et des peintures me prouvent pas quo I’om

saohe eorire, elles prouvent oalquement quo l*on a dee % seaaationa fortes. C’est a 1 *expression des iddes

goner ales que 1 * on attend et qua I’on juge 1 * eorivaia-."

148. Pardo-Bazan, U q , Via la de Novloa. Prefaoio, p. 8 . "Ho

oensuro yo la obeervaoldn paoiente, mlnfiroiosa, exaota,

que distingue a la "moderna esouela franoesai desapruebo

oomo yerros artfstioos, la eleooioh slstematioa pre­

ference da asuntos repugnantes o desveragonsados, la

proligldad . las desoripoiones, y mas qua todo, un

defeoto an qua no sS si repararo los orftioles: la

perenne solemnidad y tristeza, el oemo siempre torvo

la oareneia de notas festivas y de graoia y soltura an

el estilo y en la idea."

/9 0 1 4 9 . Pardo Bazan, Obras Completes Torao 50 - Un Viale de novlos.

pp. 8-9, "|0h, y oudfn sano, verdidero y hormoeo ea

nueetro realiarao naoional, tradieidn gloriosislma del

arte hispano! Nueetro realismo, el que vie y llora en

la Celestina y el QalJoto. ea los ouadros de Velasques

y Goya, en la vena oonioo-dramatioa de Tirso y Ramon

de la Cruz!" - Ill -

^^150. Cross. Development of the English Hovel. Introduotloa,

P. xv.

' ^'<^158. Pardo Bazan. Obras Como lot as. Tomo 50 - Un Vlaie de

novios. prefaolo, p» 1 0 . - 112 -

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