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Fortuna Ta Y Jacinta Vernon A IDEALiSM VERSUS REALITY: GALDQS'S CRITIQUE OF PLATONISM IN FORTUNA TA Y JACINTA VERNON A. CHAMBERLIN . University of Kansas ·: N chapter five (book one) of Fortunato the consequences of Platonic idealism for I y Jacinta Gald6s has Juanito Santa Cruz the lives of the characters and moves from recall that one of the participants in his the humorous to the tragic; the second premarital merrymaking was Fortunata's consists in a more or less formal "curso de uncle, "a quien Haman Plat6n porque filosofia" by spokesmen-some humor- comia en un plato como un barrefio." 1 ous, some entirely serious-of the several Neither the behavior of Platon at the re- competing schools of thought. called party nor the explanation for the On the first level, the course begins with nickname inclines the reader to presume a our introduction to the (apparently) ridicu- serious identification of the character with lously named Plat6n, a character who is in the Greek philosopher Plato, and it is for every respect the opposite of his historical this reason that critics have been continual- counterpart, yet who serves as a distorting ly puzzled and have sought unsuccessfully mirror to the ideas the venerable Greek to explain Gald6s's use of the name. Wal- expressed. Such a procedure was consonant ter Pattison, for example, states: "Curi- with Gald6s's technique in several other ously he [Gald6s] gave the nickname novels-and in Fortunata y Jacinta itself- 'Plat6n' to a character of Fortuna/a y of having certain characters (such as "Ros- Jacinta . ... The Spanish personage has sini" Estupina and Napoleon-like Mauricia none of the spiritual grace of [Plato] la Dura) humorously reflect aspects of Karataev [in War and Peace], but it seems famous personages, while entertaining the that the name 'Plat6n' stuck in Don Beni- reader by means of the great ironical dis- to's memory from his reading of Tolstoy. " 2 tance between the thus individualized char- Pedro Ortiz Armengol, on the other hand, acter and the historical prototype. Bound says: "Algo forzada y vulgar nos parece la by the aesthetics of realism to provide an explicaci6n del apodo, segim Gald6s, quien accurate account of the historical events podrfa haberselo ahorrado sin que el texto that form the background of the novel, perdiera nada, pero el mote de «Plat6n» a Gald6s would have seen the opportunity un maleante esta ahi y creemos que no es for a rich play of ideas in counterpointing sino un eco mas de la hermandad de esta the First Spanish Republic with the Platon- novela con El Doctor Centeno, donde un ic model by means of a caricature of Plato personaje es apodado, afectuosamente himself. It is with respect to Plat6n's ob- esta vez, «Arist6teles»," p. 43 [italics servations concerning the First Spanish Re- added]. public, whose brief existence in the years It is my belief, however, that the text 1873-74 serves as backdrop to the chapter, would lose much if the nickname were that Gald6s begins subtly to evoke the po- omitted and that Gald6s did indeed intend litical concepts of the Dialogues. a reference to the famous Greek philoso- For Plato, the republic was the ideal pher, for when Plat6n reappears in chapter form of government (and his most impor- nine of·book one as the person who will tant dialogue is entitled the Republic); sell the false "Pituso" to Jacinta, definite, for Plat6n-stupid, insensitive, and unedu- albeit humorous connections with Plato cated-the Republic is the source of all and his philosophic concepts begin to be his difficulties and the object of much apparent, and as the novel proceeds, it verbal abuse. He believes that this "rep6- becomes clear that Gald6s intends to offer blica puerca, rep6blica cochina" (p. 112), the reader a critique of contemporary which he claims to have helped bring about ideas, developed on two levels, which will through revolutionary activities, owes him ultimately affirm the validity of his own employment; however, all important ad- realistic-naturalistic point of view. The ministrative officials have refused to give first level works through the text to show him a position, so that, at fifty years of 43 44 Vernon A Chamberlin Hlspanla 67 (March 1984) age, he is in every sense a complete voca- note is struck, this time with a hollow reso- tional failure. He sees himself as · having nance, for it has to do with the relation- been betrayed by the Republic, and. while ship between P/at6n's exterior appearance the level of his political "discourse" never and his inner qualities. Gald6s's character rises above a self-centered whine, the Pri- lacks "lo noble y hermoso" of the· soul, mera Republica in fact fell far short of which for Plato was more significant than Plato's ideal and would have been seen as exterior beauty (Republic, IV, p.443; IX, a betrayal by far more objective obs.ervers pp. 588-89). The fact that the handsome than the dismal Platon. 3 Platon looks in the glass and "no se veia The commentary on •Platonism extends bien'' may be explained in Platonic terms beyond the mere concept of a republic by the fact that he lacks the inner qualities here, however, for Plato asserted that each which Plato believed radiated from the best person has but one occupation for which he of people and were reflected back from is best suited and that in the ideal .state mirror-like surfaces. It is also significant (republic) he must be allowed to have only that Gald6s's character will work for a that occupation.4 Moreover, as one com- painter. Plato had little regard for (non- mentator has paraphrased Plato further, Platonic) painters (Republic, m, x, passim) "people do not ... choose the trade they and particularly singled out for criticism wish to practice, rather, they are given those who painted only imitations of sensi- the job for which they are best suited ... ble things. As Frederick Copleston ex- and a man will be happy only if he per- plains, "In the tenth book of the Republic, forms . the. job .for which he is .best Plato says artists are at the third remove suited."' Thus Gald6s has Guillermina from truth. For example, there is a specific Pacheco address herself to P/aton's voca- form of man, the ideal type that all indi- tional.problem: viduals of the species strive to realize, and «El consejo alla va. Tu no vales absolutamente there are particular men who are copies or para nada. No sabes ningun oficio, ni siquiera el de imperfect realizations of the specific types. pe6n, porque eres haragan y no te gusta cargar pesos. The artist now comes and paints a man, No sirves ni para barrendero de las calles, ni siquiera the painted man ..being an imitation of an para llevar un cartel con anuncios. Y, sin em- imitation. " 6 bargo, desventurado, no hay hechura de Dios que no tenga su para que en este taller admirable del In the case of Gald6s's Platon, the artist trabajo universal; tu has nacido para un gran oficio, will be painting an imitation of a radically en el cual puedes alcanzar mucha gloria y el pan de imperfect imitation. In real life there is cada dfa. Bobalic6n, ;.no has cafdo en ello? ... nothing admirable about him; in no way iEres tan brutol ... (,Pero di, no te has mirado al espejo alguna vez? ;,No se te ha ocurrido? ... Pa- could he serve as a model to be imitated. reces lelo ... Pues te lo dire: para lo que tu sirves Thus the fact that he is frequently referred es para modelo de pintores ... ;,no entiendes? Pues to only as "el modelo" constitutes an ironic ellos te ponen vestido de santo, o de caballero, o . elaboration on the disparity between the de Padre Eterno, y te sacan el retrato . porque character Platon and Plato's ideal person. tienes la gran figura. Cara, cuerpo, expresi6n, todo lo que no es del alma es en ti noble y hermoso; llevas Nevertheless, Platon does follow Guiller- en tu persona un tesoro, un verdadero tesoro de mina' s advice and throughout the rest of lfneas . ; . Vamos, apuesto a que no lo entiendes.» the novel he is happy and successful. Gal- La vanidad aument6 la turbaci6n en que el bueno d6s, still in Platonic terms, says, "Platon de Izquierdo estaba. Presunciones de gloria le pasaron con rafagas de hoguera por la frente . Entrevi6 descubri6 al fin la ley de su sino, aquello un porvenir brillante ... iEl retratado por los pin- para que exclusiva y solutamente servia. Y tores! ... iY eso se pagabal Y se ganaban cuartos tuvo sosiego y pan, fue util y desempefi.6 un por vestirse, ponerse y jah! ... Platon se mir6 en el gran papel, y hasta se hizo celebre y se lo vidrio del cuadro de. las trenzas; pero no se veia bien .... (p. 286) disputaban y le traian en palmitas. No hay ser humano, por despreciable que parezca, Guillermina's statement reflects several que no pueda ser eminencia en algo, y aquel Platonic ideas, the first being that "no hay busc6n sin suerte, despues de medio siglo hechura de Dios que no tenga su para que de ·equivocaciones, ha venido a ser, por su en este taller admirable del trabajo uni..; hermosisimo talante, el gran modelo de la versal," a concept central to the Republic pintura hist6rica contemporanea" (pp. (n, p. 370). When she goes on to instruct 267-68). Gald6s's intimate friend, Concha- Platon in h~s ideal metier, another Platonic Ruth Morell, perceived that he was doing Gald6s's Critique of Platonism .in Fortunata y Jacinta 45 something playful with the character Pia- Even more unfortunate is the Platonism ton, .but did not understand what it was.
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