Of Juan Francisco Manzano (1797-1853), and the Novel Sab (1841) by Gertrudis Gómez De Avellaneda (1814-73) MICHELLE STRASBERG and CARMEN CAÑETE QUESADA Harriet L
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FAURJ The Antislavery Discourse in theAutobiography (1840) of Juan Francisco Manzano (1797-1853), and the Novel Sab (1841) by Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda (1814-73) MICHELLE STRASBERG and CARMEN CAÑETE QUESADA Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458 Antislavery literature in Cuba experienced reason, and because she is female, that her anti- its major peak during the first half of the slavery discourse differs greatly from that of her nineteenth century with the works of the well- Cuban peers, the majority of whom are males, known “círculodelmontino” led by the writer who participated in the gatherings organized and progressive lawyer, Domingo del Monte. by Del Monte, which Gómez de Avellaneda was Joining this group were liberal thinkers, mostly not able to attend. To show this disparity in from the Cuban bourgeoisie, who contributed the way of portraying Cuban slavery through to the creation of an abolitionist and eman- literature during the first half of the nineteenth cipating the program essential for the total century, we intend to analyze two texts: the au- liberation of Cuban slaves in 1886. There were tobiography of a mulatto slave, Juan Francisco several works with this antislavery motif that Manzano, who lived in his own skin the injus- were written by individuals who frequented tices of an oppressive system, and the novel said literary circle due to the requests made by Sab narrated from the perspective of a woman Del Monte. Among the earliest works we find of Spanish descent who belonged to the upper the famous novel by Anselmo Suárez y Romero, class and was raised among slaves. The different Francisco, written in 1839 and published in nature of both the authors and the texts, with 1880; the Escenas de la vida privada en la isla an antislavery position, leads us to compare de Cuba that Félix Tanco y Bosmeniel wrote the image of the Cuban slave portrayed in both in 1938, first published in 1925; and the texts, as well as the arguments used to give Autobiography that Juan Francisco Manzano voice to the mulatto in a society filled with wrote in 1835 which was translated to English prejudices and privileges of race. Along with the in 1840 and printed in Great Britain (Luis, differences found in both discourses subversive Literary Bondage 1). These and other writings to the colonial system, what is also emphasized by attendees of “círculo delmontino,”, as well as in the pages that follow are the different types the novel Sab by Gertrudis Gómez de Avellane- of suffering to which the two central characters, da, written between 1836 and 1839, published a real one (Manzano) and a fictional one (Sab), in Madrid in 1841 (Servera 46), present a were subjects under the slavery system. subversive counter-discourse toward the norms We will also contrast the image of the slave established by the Spanish Crown, which began to fall apart around the same time. 1 According to Servera, it is very likely that the author conclud- In the case of Gómez de Avellaneda, although ed the writing of the novel in 1939, and although critics such as Sab is of Cuban origin, given that this is the Raimundo Lazo believe that she began writing it before leaving author’s birthplace, the novel was narrated the island, it is very likely that she started writing it on the ship and published in Europe1. It may be due to this on her way to Europe, in June of 1836 (Servera 46). 37 Volume 1, Issue 1 Fall 2012 FAURJ FAURJ projected by both authors and how, in the poverty in La Habana in 1853. Months later, case of Sab, the chains of the black slave are Del Monte died while exiled in Madrid (75). symbolically transferred to the limitations of The creator of Sab, daughter of Captain the Cuban woman in a society patterned mainly Manuel Gómez de Avellaneda and Francisca de by the white male. Arteaga y Betancourt, Gómez de Avellaneda Prior to analyzing these two works, it is was born in the Cuban city of Puerto Príncipe important to mention certain biographical (currently Camagüey), in 1814 (Servera 12). aspects of their respective authors. Since the Her father died when she was only eight years most significant details of Juan Francisco Man- old. After remaining on the island the majority zano are found in his own testimony, we will of her youth, she moved to Europe with her proceed to describe parts of his Autobiography, mother on April 9, 1836. It was at this time drawing from the introduction of the edition when she wrote her famous poem “Al partir,” by William Luis. Born in La Habana, Cuba, in and where, after three months, she settled 1797, Manzano was a slave for forty years, in Spain, a place where her writings began to being transferred from one owner to another. flourish with more intensity (14). As if she He was the son of María del Pilar Manzano, the had not experienced enough ups and downs favorite slave of Marquesa Jústiz de Santa Ana, throughout her life, she was widowed twice and and of the slave Toribio de Castro, but despite gave birth to a sick girl who died after only a his enslavement, his first owner Marquesa couple of months (Marangon 129). Due to the Jústiz raised him as her own son, giving him a events that occurred throughout the years, “la privileged childhood. When his owner died in Avellaneda,” as she was popularly known, decid- 1803, Manzano was sent to another estate with ed to devote herself to literature. The tragedies Marquesa de Prado-Ameno, by whom he was that she experienced throughout her life along subjected to perverse punishments that were with her markedly temperamental nature, disproportionate to his childhood mischie- permeated her works with drama, so symbolic vous behavior. It was in this new home where of Romanticism. Manzano first noticed his status as a slave, Let us return now to Juan Francisco Manza- despite being a domestic slave, a condition that no and begin with the analysis of his autobiog- could be considered a privilege to some extent . raphy, which was written in 1835 and published And it was also during this time period that he for the first time in English, in Europe in 1840, discovered and started developing new skills; and not to be published in Spanish until almost for example, his skill as a writer, to the point a century later in Cuba in 1937 2 (Luis, Literary of writing and reciting poems from memory. Bondage 1). No one can tell us about his life He was able to develop other artistic skills that better than the slave himself. In his autobiogra- were previously unknown to him. For example, phy, Manzano relates the cruelties to which he due to his proficiency at sewing, he soon was subjected throughout his life by different became the favorite slave in the household until masters. As he put it: 1817 when he was finally able to escape (Luis, “Cronología” 75). Around the year 1830, he met Por la más leve maldad propia de Domingo del Monte, who encouraged him to muchacho me encerraban por más de write his autobiography, which he did in 1835 veinte y cuatro horas en una carbonera. (75). After spending a year in prison for his Era yo en extremo miedoso y me presumed involvement in the Consiparción de gustaba comer; mi cárcel como la Escalera, an antislavery movement in Cuba, Manzano was granted his freedom in 1845, the 2 Domingo del Monte asked the slave to write his autobiography and be part of his literary circle. Manzano’s autobiography was time when he stopped writing, and started to translated into the English language by Richard Madden and pub- earn a living as a baker. Manzano died in lished in England. (Luis “How to Read Sab”, 182) 38 Volume 1, Issue 1 Fall 2012 FAURJ puede verse todavía, era tan oscura que de abatimiento, incurable hasta el en el más claro del medio-día se día. (Manzano 88) necesitaba vela para distinguir en ella los objetos; aquí después de llevar The effect that this has on the reader is that of a recios azotes me ponían con orden character who is insulted and humiliated, which y pena de gran castigo al que me diese contrasts to the almost noble condition of Sab, una gota de agua; lo que sufría as we show later in the discussion3. But just as aquejado del hambre y de la sed, in Sab, Manzano recalls moments of his life in atormen tado del miedo, en un lugar which he was found in favorable and privileged tan soturno como apartado de la casa, situations, such as having the opportunity to en el traspatio junto a la caballeriza, a attend school at only six years of age thanks to un apestoso y evaporante basurero, y a the kindness of Marqueza Jústiz (Manzano 84), un lugar común-infecto, húmedo y and being returned to his family in Matanzas siempre pestífero, que sólo estaba after being subjected to inhumane abuse under separado por unas paredes todas the custody of Marquesa de Prado Ameno. agujereadas, guardias de disformes As Luis suggests, this shows that Manzano is ratas, que sin cesar me pasaban por a reliable source on slavery in Cuba, given that encima: lo que sufría con todo esto, he shows both sides of masters’ treatments bien puede imaginarse. (Manzano 87) of their slaves. As Luis states, having lived the different aspects of slavery also creates This type of suffering did not come alone.