1

TheroleofLuisitoinMiauJoséM.RuanodelaHaza

[Publishedin:AnalesGaldosianos,19(1984),págs.27-43]

Luisito

ModerncriticsofBenitoPérezGaldós’MiauhavesoughttoascribeaspecificroletoLuisito.For

RicardoGullón,herepresents«elcandordescubriendoelmundo.Lamiradainfantileslamirada

de la inocencia pura e ilumina los objetos y los problemas según se posa en ellos».1Joaquín

Casalduero considers him «el lazo de unión entre las miserias de la casa del cesante y la

inmoralidad, arbitrariedad e injusticia de la vida del Estado, reflejadas en el ascenso del

desfalcador de los bienes públicos, Víctor Cadalso».2Remarking on Luisito’s anticipatory role,

GustavoCorreathinksthat«dentrodelamenteseordenanlosacontecimientosenunatrabazón

decaráctersobrenaturalqueexplica luminosamente losacontecereshabitualesyelenigmadel

hombre sobre la tierra». 3 Theodore A. Sackett tries to tone down Correa’s supernatural

interpretationbystating that thechildhas theroleof«divinerevealer»,but«notdivine in the

supernatural sense but rather in virtue of his impartial revelation of truths known to other

charactersbutwhichtheycannotorwillnotadmittothemselves».4ButforSackett,Luis’roleis

essentiallytomerge«theexternalandinternalrealitiesofVillaamil’sexistence»,andhemanages

todothisbyvirtueofbeing«theinnocentobserverofthenovel’sevents,theuninhibitedchildas

inthetaleofTheEmperor’sNewClothes[who]candidlyrevealsthetruth».5ProfessorA.A.Parker

seesLuis in amore transcendental lightby associatinghimwith a search for theprinciplesof

justiceandrighteousnessintheuniverse.6GeraldineM.ScanlonandR.O.JonesadmitthatLuis’

roleinthenoveliscomplexbutthat«oneofhischieffunctions...istoactaswhatmaybetermed

anemotionalmarker,guidingourattitudestowardsVillaamil».7Morerecently,ArnoldM.Penuel

hasstatedthatSackett’sviewisthemostsignificant«inthatitimpliesthattheboy’sapproachto

1 Galdós,novelistamoderno,3rded.(Madrid:Gredos,1973),343.2 VidayobradeGaldós(1843-1920),3rded.(Madrid:Gredos,1970),94-95.3 ElsimbolismoreligiosoenlasnovelasdePérezGaldós(Madrid:Gredos,1974),133.4 «TheMeaningofMiau»,AnalesGaldosianos,4(1969),32.5 Ibid.,pp.29-30.6 «Villaamil:TragicVictimorComicFailure?»,AnalesGaldosianos,4(1969),22.7 «Miau:PreludetoaReassessment»,AnalesGaldosianos,6(1971),58.

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lifesetsupanormwhichtheothercharactersmightwellhavefollowed».8Andlater,heexplains

what this normmay be: «Luisito ... in listerning to his inner voice suggests a solution to the

problemsof injustice and inequality.Manmust formearly the habit of becoming aware of his

deepestfeelings.Onlythenwillhebeabletocultivateaninnerselfresistanttoalieninfluences».9

Finally, Eamonn Rodgers believes that Luis’ uncomplicated perception of the behavior of the

membersofhisfamilyultimatelyleadsus«toreflectonthewholecomplexofsocial,culturaland

moralvaluesonwhichpeople’sself-imagesrest».10

Inthisessay,Ihopetoshowthat,farfromexhibitinganydiscerningpowers,orfrombeing

able to illuminate in any specialway theproblems thatbesethis relatives, Luisitomanifests a

total lack of understanding of the situation in which they find themselves. Further, a close

readingofthetextofthenovelwillrevealthatGaldóshadaspecificifmultivalentroleinmindfor

Luis; a role which allows him tomake an important contribution, not only to the theme and

structureofthenovel,butalsotothedevelopmentoftheplot,whichheinfluencesdecisivelyon

severaloccasions.Thisrolefirmlyestablisheshimasoneofthemostimportantcharactersofthe

novelandhelpsthrowsomelightonthebehaviour,motivation,andpsychologyoftheothertwo

maincharacters,VillaamilandAbelarda.

Luisito Cadalso emerges from Galdós’ novel as a shy, diffident, and, at times, somewhat

selfish child, who leads an intense interior life, and suffers from an unusual and unnamed

sickness that results in occasional epilectic fits.11Two features stand out in his psychological

8 «YetAnotherViewofGaldós’Miau»,REH,12(1978),9.9 Ibid.,p.12.10PérezGaldós:Miau,CriticalGuidestoSpanishTexts(London:GrantandCutlerandTamesisBooks,1978),69.InhisreviewofthisexcellentCriticalGuide,E.A.SouthworthregrettedthatDr.RodgersdidnothavethespacetotakehisexaminationoftheroleofLuisitofurtherstill:MLR,74(1979),969.

11 AccordingtoA.H.MaslowandB.Mittelmann,inPrinciplesofAbnormalPsychology(NewYork:Harper,1941),523-26,hallucinationsinwhichapatientmayhearGodtalkingtohimarecharacteristicofepilectics.InthecharacterofLuisito,Galdósmaybereflectingaprevailingmid-nineteenthcenturypsychologicalbiasinimplicitlyascribinghisillnesstohereditarycauses.Hismother,aunt,andgrandfatherareallafflictedbysomesortofmentalailment.AccordingtoM.Gordon,«TheMedicalBackgroundtoGaldós’Ladesheredada»,AnalesGaldosianos,7(1972),67,theFrenchaliéniste,B.A.Morel,heldthat«asthehereditaryprogressioncontinued,italsotendedtogetworse,sothatthegrandsonorgreat-grandsonofamildlyneuroticpersonwasquitelikely,iftheprogressionwerenotarrestedbyadequatementaltreatment,tobebornanepilecticorevenanimbecile».Galdós’interestinabnormalpsychologyiswellknown:seeRafaelBosch,«LasombraylapsicopatologíadeGaldós»,AnalesGaldosianos,6(1971),21-42;FernandoBravoMoreno,SíntomasdelapatologíamentalquesehallanenlasobrasliterariasdeBenitoPérezGaldós(Barcelona:SantaCruz,1923);S.H.Eoff,TheNovelsofPérezGaldós(SaintLouis:WashingtonUniversityStudies,1954);andCarlosClavería,«SobrelavetafantásticaenlaobradeGaldós»,Atlante,1(1953),78-86and136-43.

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make-up:hisinnocence,naturalinaten-year-oldboy,andhisassociativepowers.Asthenarrator

points out, «Luis, como niño, asociaba las ideas imperfectamente, pero las asociaba, poniendo

siempreentreellasafinidadesextrañassugeridasporsu inocencia»(445,1032b).12Thisability

todetectstrangeaffinitiesbetweenseeminglyunrelatedideasleadshimattimestoassociatethe

trivialwiththeserious.Explaininghisfondnessforthestampalbum,thenarratorremarksthat

«estaba en la edad en que empieza a desarrollarse el sentido de la clasificación y en que

relacionamoslosjuguetesconlosconocimientosseriosdelavida»(459,1037b).Closelylinked

withhisassociativepowers ishistendencytoobserveandrationalize.Wearetoldthathehad

«instintosdeobservador»(325,989b),andthathepossessed«lavolubilidaddeuncerebroque

se ensaya en la observación y en el raciocinio» (319-20, 987b). Throughout the novel, the

narrator alludes, mostly ironically, to Luis’ powers of deduction, and to his «golpes de lógica

admirable»,aswhenheconcludesthathewillnotseeGodonthenightthatPonce’suncleisdying

becauseHemusthavebeensummonedtohisbedside(446,1040a).

However,onemustnotconcludefromtheabovethatLuis’logicisconsistentandsystematic.

Thenarratorrepeatedlyemphasizes that thechild’s insights intoproblems,hisdeductionsand

conclusions, are often erroneous, and that they come to him intuitively, in flashes of

understanding.Furthermore,asRodgershasnoted,Luis’explanations forverycomplexhuman

problems are often too simple, and his frame of reference is only half-understood, for he is

«shownintheprocessofabsorbingfromhiseldersthevaluesandassumptionsintermsofwhich

hewillseektoarticulatehisexperience».13Inotherwords,Luis’conclusionsareoftenthelogical

productoftheillogicalityofhiselders.

In the course of the novel, Luisito faces the problems which beset him and his relatives

duringhisfainting-fits,whenheseesandspeakswithafigurewhomhebelievestobeGod.The

belief of some critics that Luis’ God is the Christian God, a «Dios naturalista» according to

Casalduero, 14 although «teológicamente correcto» in the opinion of Gullón, 15 has been

convincingly refuted by Sackett. As he has shown, «Luisito’s dreams reflect virtually nothing

12 AllreferencesaretothetextaseditedbyRicardoGullón,3rded.(PuertoRico:EditorialUniversitaria,1976).Henceforthallpage-referenceswillbeinsertedinthetext.Thesecondsetofreferencesistovol.IIoftheAguilareditionofGaldós’Novelas,1sted.,2ndprinting(Madrid,1975).

13PérezGaldós:Miau,55.14Vidayobra,96.15Galdós,novelistamoderno,344.

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more than the concrete realities of actions experienced by him and observedby the reader».16

What function then does Luis’ God fulfill in the novel? First of all, as Ramsden noted, his

conversationswithGod«openupameansof self-expression for the childwhootherwise, as a

somewhatpassivesufferer,has littleopportunity torevealhis feelings towards thepeopleand

circumstances around him»;17and, as Rodgers points out, «it is well known that Galdós often

used characters’ dreams to reveal certain things which their waking consciousness, for one

reason or another, did not clearly articulate».18Although a psychiatrist would probably have

something to say about the accuracy of the mechanism of the dream-work in Luis’ visions,

consideringthemtoologicaltobedreamsbutnotlogicalenoughtobesimpleconsciousmental

acts, for the purpose of the present argument, itwill be convenient to regard these visions (I

hesitatetocallthemdreams)asanextensionofLuis’powersofobservation,rationalization,and

associationnotedabove.

Whatdifferentiatesthesevisionsfromhisnormalthoughtprocessesisthatinthemtheself-

censorshipofunacceptabletruthswhichheimposesonhiswakingsoliloquiesallbutdisappears.

This iswhy it is in a vision, andnot during oneof his conscious ruminations, that Luis finally

acceptstheunpalatablefactthathisgrandfatherwillneverfindemployment(640,1102b).But,

asRodgers has pointed out, Luis’ God is also used as ameans of verbalizing the child’s latent

anxieties,suchashisperformanceinschool,orhissupposedresponsibilityforhisgrandfather’s

unemployment(446,1032-33),aswellasforexpressinghiswish-fulfillment.19FurtherLuis’God

actsashisconscience,attimespraisinghimforhisbraveryintacklingPosturitas,atothertimes

reprovinghimfornothavinglearnthislessons.Inotherwords,Luis’Godisnoneotherthanthe

childhimself,orratheranextensionofhispersonality,hisalterego,andthemainfunctionofhis

visionsissimplytoallowthereaderaclearerinsightintotheworkingsofhisratiocinativemind,

whenunfetteredbytheself-censorshipimposedonitbyhisconsciousness.

16 «TheMeaningofMiau»,30.SeealsoJosephSchraibman,DreamsintheNovelsofGaldós(NewYork:HispanicInstitute,1960),68-70.

17 «TheQuestionofResponsibilityinGaldós’Miau»,AnalesGaldosianos,6(1971),64.18PérezGaldós:Miau,51.19 Ibid.,p.52.

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Villaamil

RecentcriticismofMiauhas tendedtoseeVillaamilneitheras the tragicvictimofan inhuman

anddehumanizedstate,norasanineffectualmanwithanexcessiveandridiculousself-concern,

whohasonlyhimselftoblameforhisfailure.G.W.Ribbans,forexample,thinksthatthereshould

benoincompatibilitybetweenseeingVillaamil’sdefectsandfeelingcompassiontowardshim.20

AndasA.F.Lambertnotes,«itissometimesforgottenthatVillaamilishimselfaproductaswell

as a victim of the bureaucracy».21 Furthermore, as Rodgers has rightly pointed out, «the

organizationofthenovelencouragesustoperceiveVillaamil,notasthevictimofarbitrariness

and ingratitude,butasapersonwhoseeshimself as suchavictim».22This tendency to regard

himself as a victim is a product of his obsessive concern, not for himself, as Robert J.Weber

thinks,butforhissituation.AsCorreahasnoted,«laAdministraciónesparaélalgomásqueun

mediodeganarselavida.Constituye,enrealidad,larazónmismadesuexistenciapersonal».23In

aword, Villaamil suffers from an extreme case of empleomanía.24Itmay be argued, as Parker

does, that a job is an important part of aman’s life, especiallywhen, after thirty-five years of

service,hehasonlytwomonthslefttoretirewithapension.25Buttheplightofthecesantemust

be viewed from a nineteenth-century perspective. As Lambert has shown, Villaamil’s situation

wasnotunique, either in literatureor in life. In a short storybyMesoneroRomanos,wehear

aboutacharacterwho,afterthirtyyearsofservice, ismadecesantewithinonlyashorttimeof

retirement.Yet,heisnotdriventoeithermadnessorsuicide.26ThepointthatGaldóswishesto

20 «LafiguradeVillaamilenMiau»,ActasdelPrimerCongresoInternacionaldeEstudiosGaldosianos(EdicionesdelExcmo.CabildoInsulardeGranCanaria,1977),3-19;andalsohis«RicardoGullónandtheNovelsofGaldós»,AnalesGaldosianos,3(1968),166-68.

21 «GaldósandtheAnti-bureaucraticTradition»,BHS,53(1976),44.22PérezGaldós:Miau,25.23Elsimbolismoreligioso,119.24 Villaamil’s empleomanía is very close tomanic-depressive psychosis, which is defined as «a type ofmental disorder characterized by alternating periods of exaltation (with excessive activity) anddepressionwithinhibition»,DictionaryofPsychology,ed.HowardC.Warren(Boston:HoughtonMifflin,1962),158.Manic-depressivepsychosismayleadtosuicide:seeNormanL.Munn,Psychology,5thed.(London:Harrap,1966),285.«Laempleomanía»isthetitleofashortstorybyMesoneroRomanosinhisPanoramaMatritense.

25 «Villaamil:tragicvictim»,17.26 «GaldósandtheAnti-bureaucraticTradition»,38.GaldóswasprobablyacknowledginghisindebtednesstoMesoneroRomanosandothernineteenth-centurySpanishcostumbristasinthefirstchapterofMiau,wherewereadthatLuisitothoughtthat«lastresmujereserangatosendospiesyvestidosdegente,comolosquehayenlaobraLosanimalespintadosporsímismos»(319,987b).WhethersuchabookexistedinGaldós’timeornot,thetitleisaclearallusiontotheimportantcollectionofcostumbristaarticlespublishedin1843underthetitleLosespañolespintadosporsí

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makethroughthecharacterofVillaamil isthat,althoughlosingone’s jobwithintwomonthsof

retirementisamisfortune,itisnotatragedyoftheproportionsthattheoldcesanteattributesto

it. After all, as Abelarda says, «con destino y sin destino, siempre estamos igual. Poco más o

menos,micasahaestadotodalavidacomoestáahora.Mamánotienegobierno;nilotienemitía,

ni lo tengo yo. Si colocan a papá, me alegraré por él, para que tenga en qué ocuparse y se

distraiga» (453, 1035b). Obviously, the precariousness of their financial situation has been

aggravatedbyVillaamil’scesantía,butnotbymuch.ThemoremoneytheMiausobtain,themore

theyseemtospend,asattestedbythefactthattheymanagetosquanderVíctor’s300pts.inafew

days.Villaamil’s jobthen isadistractionforhim,notavitalnecessity forthe family.27Afterall,

theyknowthatafterthedeathofhisuncle,Poncewillprovideforallofthem.Butfortheoldman

hisjobishislife,andwhenhishopesofbeingreinstatedevaporate,hecanonlycontemplateself-

destruction.Throughthenovel,hehasbeenprayingtoGod,«poniéndoseensusmanosparaque

ledieraloquemásleconvenía,lamuerteolavida,lacredencialoeleternocese»(557,1073a).

Yet,thereismoretolifethanajob,andthelivingproofofthisisthatothercesanteinthenovel,

FedericoRuiz.Moreover,althoughcesantíawaspartofthecommonlotofatypicalnineteenth-

centurycivil servant,wedonotknowofanymasssuicideofcesantes,either in literatureor in

real life. Villaamil therefore is exceptional, an extreme case of empleomanía, and Galdós

emphasizes his uniqueness by means of the religious imagery associated with him and his

situation.

ThepurposeoftheparallelwhichGaldósdrawsinthenovelbetweenVillaamilandChristis

designed,nottoallowustodetectthesimilaritiesthatexistbetweenthetwo,buttoattractour

attentiontotheenormousdifferencesbetweenthem.WhenVillaamil fatuouslyrespondstothe

cruel jokeofGuillén’sAleluyasbysaying«yoloacepto.EsaM,esaI,esaAyesaUson,comoel

Inri,elletreroinfamantequelepusieronaCristoenlacruz»(604,1090a),wearemeanttoreact

likeSevillanoandArgüelleswho,eventhough«alprincipiolehabíanoídoconalgoderespeto,en

cuanto oyeron aquella salida titubearon entre la compasión y la risa» (605, 1090a). The

exaggeratedimportancewhichVillaamilattachestohisjobtogetherwiththehighlydramatized

mismos(seeLambert’sarticle,p.39).Thefactthatpracticallyeverycharacterinthenoveliscomparedtoananimaladdsstronglytothisimpression.

27 AsEamonnRodgershasnoted,«thateconomicconsiderationsaresecondaryforDonRamónisborneoutwhen...hiswife,havingborrowedmoneyfromCarolinaPez,presentshimwithanopulentlunch...itdoesnotoccurtohimtowonder,muchlesstoask,aboutthisunusualaffluence»,PérezGaldós:Miau,34.

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view of reality from which he, as well as other members of his family, suffers leads him to

perceiveaparallelbetweenChrist’spassionandhissituation.Butthisparallelserves,notonly,as

Rodgerssaysofadifferentsituation,«toremindusofhoweasilytheexpressionofemotion,even

genuine emotion, conforms to conventional stereotypes»,28but also to make us aware of the

distancethatseparatesChrist fromthissadandpatheticcesante.Villaamil’s identificationwith

Christisanextremeexpressionofhistendencytotakethingstooseriously;atendencyofwhich

thenarratorwarnsusrepeatedly,aswhenheobservesthat«acualquiertonteríadabaVillaamil

la importancia de suceso trascendente» (620, 1095b). Although to be unemployed is not a

tontería,toseehimselfasanewMessiahwhobelievesthathisplantosavethecountrywillonly

beacceptedafterhehassufferedapassionandacrucifixionsimilartoChrist’smostcertainlyis.29

ButVillaamil’shighlymelodramaticattitudetolifeandtheexcessiveimportanceheattaches

to his job manifest themselves in other important ways as well. One of these is particularly

significantbecauseoftheeffectithasontheimpressionablemindofhisgrandson,Luisito.Atthe

beginning of the novel, when he still has some hopes of being reinstated, Villaamil appeals

repeatedlytoGodtohavemercyonhimandhisfamily.Foratime,itseemstohimasifGodhad

listened to his prayers.Returninghomeafter an interviewwith theMinister, he tells hiswife:

«merecibiótanbien,que...nosé...,parecequeDioslehatocadoalcorazón,quelehadichoalgo

demí»(371,1006b).Ofcourse,Villaamil’swordsarenotmeanttobeunderstoodliterally.Hisis

a conventional, pious way of speaking stemming from the belief that God is ultimately

responsibleforallthegoodandbadthatbefallus.Whatconcernsus,however,istheeffectthat

utterancesofthistypehaveontheinnocentyetratiocinativemindofLuisito.

Onanearlieroccasion,havinghadhisrequest forfinancialhelpturneddownbyhis friend

Cucúrbitas, Villaamil exclaims in the presence of Luisito: «Esto ya es demasiado, Señor

Todopoderoso.¿Quéhehechoyoparaquemetratesasí?¿Porquénomecolocan?»(344,996b).

Andshortlyafterwards,whileLuisislyingonabednexttohim,hesaysreferringtothemenwho

wieldpower in theAdministration:«¡Diosmío!, inspírales,metetodastus lucesdentrodeesas

molleras...,queveanclaro...quesefijenenmí;queseenterendemisantecedentes»(349,998a).

InthegenerallymoreexplicitAlphaversionofthenovel,Villaamilactuallyasks:«¿Peroquéhace

28 Ibid.,p.25.29 SeeT.A.Sackett,«TheMeaningofMiau»,26:«[Villaamil]beginstobelievethatlikeanotherMessiah,Christ,hemustsufferapassionandmartyrdombeforehisideaswillbeaccepted».

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Diosquenomesacaenestacombinación?»30Now,onboththeseoccasions,Luisitoisasleep.Yet,

Galdósclearlyindicatesthat,throughsomemysterioustelepathicprocess,31theoldman’swords

havereachedthesleepingchild’smind.Asthenarratorexplains,«cómoseencadenóestoconlas

imágenesqueenelcerebrodelniñodeterminabaelsueñonopuedesaberse»(349,998b);but

theresultisthatLuisitosawhisGod,surroundedbyamountainoflettersandaddressingoneto

B.L.M.AlExcmo.Sr.MinistrodeHacienda,

cualisquieraquesea,suseguroservidor,

Dios.

WhydidGaldóschoosetohaveLuisitoasleeponboththeseimportantoccasions?Evidently,

hisintentionwastoensurethatVillaamil’swordswouldbecomedeeplyandindeliblyimprinted

onthechild’ssubconscious,nevertobeforgotten,andreadytoinfluencethecourseofhisfuture

visions of God. After this vision, there remains no doubt in the child’s mind that, as his

grandfather’s words clearly implied, God can exert influence in the Ministry to bring about

Villaamil’s reinstatement. Consequently, God begins to assume for him the shape of a benign

bureaucratwhocanbeprevailedupontodosomethingforhisgrandfather.Thisiswhyhisvisual

representationofGodisbasedonabeggar(332,992a).Thememoryofthatbeggarremindshim

ofhisgrandfather,thebureaucratturnedbeggar,andthishelpsformhisconceptionofGod.For

him,Godressemblesabeggarvisually,andabureaucratinhisactionsandspeech.Luisito’sGod

bothwritesandreceiveslettersofrecomendación,givesvagueexcusestohidehisinabilitytofind

Villaamil a job, and uses the language and even the calligraphy of the child’s conception of a

typicalcivilservant.Toalargeextent,hisideaofGodisaproductofhisfamily’strivializationof

Religion.FortheMiaus,God issomebodyyouaskthings from:a job,ahusband,moneyforthe

followingday’sshopping.Luis’firstvisionwasinasensehisownappealtothedivinitytohelp

30 SeeRobertJ.Weber,TheMiauManuscriptofBenitoPérezGaldós,UniversityofCaliforniaPublicationsinModernPhilology(BerkeleyandLosAngeles,1964),132.

31 TheSocietyforPsychicalResearchwasfoundedinLondonin1882,sixyearsbeforethepublicationofMiau.Thememberswereconcerned,notonlywiththeactualinvestigationofcasesofpsychicalphenomenareportedtothem,butalsowiththecollectionanddiffusionofsuchcases:seeH.J.Eysenck,SenseandNonsenseinPsychology(Harmondsworth:Penguin,1978),110.Galdós’interestintheparanormalmayhavebeenaroused,notonlybythepublicationsofthissociety,butalsobyhisfriendshipwithDr.TolosaLatour:seeM.Gordon,«TheMedicalBackgroundtoLadesheredada»,andJosephSchraibman,DreamsintheNovelsofGaldós.

9

his grandfather. On that occasion, God promised that «pormi parte, haré también algo por tu

abuelo...» (335, 993a), but thealgo remained unspecified because the child could not imagine

whatGodcouldactuallydotohelphim.Now,afterhearingtheoldman,heknows:Hecanwritea

letterofrecomendación.

FromthistoseeingtheMinistryassomesortofParadiseoverwhichthebenevolentGodof

hisvisionsrules,thereisbutashortstep.Wordslike«Sí,hijomío,bienaventuradoslosbrutos,

porque de ellos es el reino... de la Administración» (346, 997a) only serve to reinforce this

impressioninthechild’smind.ForLuisitothentheMinistrybecomesParadise;aParadisefrom

whichhisgrandfatherhasbeenexpelledandtowhichtheoldmanlongstoreturn.Buttheonly

waybacktothe«templodelaAdministración»,asVillaamilcalls it(608,109la), isthroughthe

writingofletters;thatistosay,throughprayer,and,asthenarratorobserves,hisgrandfather’s

prayersarecouched, liketheletterswhichLuisitoiscontinuallytakingtotheprohombres, ina

«mezclaabsurdadepiedadyburocracia»(558,1073b).

Luis’ ideaofGodasan influentialbureaucrat isconfirmedbyVillaamilhimself.Alonewith

hisgrandfather,heaskshimthedayafterhisvision:«Abuelito,¿verdadqueelMinistroterecibió

muybien?»andwhenVillaamil replies in theaffirmative,he explains: «YelMinistro tequiere

mucho... porque le escribieron...» (373-74, 1007a-b). Vision and reality have now become

indistinguishableforLuisito.TheequationsGod=BureaucratandParadise=Administrationhave

becomerealityandnotsimplefiguresofspeech.

Butevenmoreremarkable thanLuis' conclusion isVillaamil’s reaction.Through thisshort

conversation,thenarratoremphasizestheimpactthatLuis’wordsarehavingontheoldman:he

was«estupefactodeestasalidaydeltonoconquefuedicha»,and«mirabaCadalsitoasuabuelo

conunaexpresióntanextraña,queelpobreseñornosabíaquépensar.Parecioleexpresiónde

Niño-Dios...»(374,1007a-b).ForafewmomentsVillaamilfeelsthatthereissomethingstrange,

inexplicable,supernaturalabouthisgrandson.Butthenhebrusquelydismissesthesethoughts:

«EnelmismoinstantepensóVillaamilquetodoaquelloeraunatontería...»(Ibid.).Thenexttime

thechildspeaks,however,hisbeliefinLuisito’ssingularitywillbeconsiderablystrengthened.

WheninChapterXXIII,Villaamilaffirmsinfrontofhisfamilythat«jamáshabríapiedadpara

él en las esferas ministeriales», the narrator, drawing our attention to Luis’ otherwise

undistinguished sally, inserts a passagewhich is in reality a broad hint that the child'swords

meanmorethantheysay:

10

Entonces soltó Luisito aquella frase que fue célebre en la familia durante una semana y secomentó y repitió hasta la saciedad, celebrándola como gracia inapreciable, o como uno de esosrasgosdesabiduríaquedelamentedivinapuedendescenderaladelosserescuyoestadodegraciales comunica directamente con aquélla. Lo dijo Cadalsito con ingenuidad encantadora y ciertoaplomopetulante,queaumentabaelhechizodesuspalabras:

-Pero,abuelito,parecequeeres tonto. ¿Porquéestáspidiendoypidiendoaesos tíosde losMinisterios, que son unos cualisquieras y no te hacen caso? Pídeselo a Dios, ve a la Iglesia, rezamucho,yveráscomoDiostedaeldestino.(504,1054a)

After thepreparatorypassagebuildingup to it,Luisito’s commonplaceutterance is, to say

the least, adisappointment.But the introductorypassage fulfills twovery important functions.

First, itdrawsoutattentiontoLuis’words,hintingthattheymaybemoreimportantthanthey

seem to be at first sight. And indeed they are. Luisito is expressing his bafflement at his

grandfather’sblindness.HashenotheardfromhisonlylipsthatonlyGodwillbeabletogivehim

thejobhecovets?Whythendoeshekeepappealingtothe«esferasministeriales»,insteadofto

the«esferascelestiales»asheshould?Inthesecondplace,thepassageservestoshowtheeffect

that his words have on the family. It is not the narrator but the Miaus who think Luisito’s

utterance is a «rasgo de sabiduría» emanating from the divinemind. Villaamil in particular is

extremelyimpressed:«Todosseecharonareír;peroenelánimodeVillaamilhizounefectomuy

distinto la salida del inspirado niño. Por poco se le saltan al buen viejo las lágrimas...» (Ibid.).

Soonafterwards,aprohombreraiseshishopes,andtheoldcesanteseesthisasconfirmationof

hisgrandson’swords.Theresult is that«desdeaqueldía,Villaamil frecuentaba la iglesiadeun

modovergonzante»because,asLuisitohadremindedhim“elcristianismonosdice:pedidyseos

dará...”»(556-57,1073a).Theironyofthesituationliesinthefactthatthesupposedlyinspired

wordsofhisgrandson’sarenothingbuthisownwords,whichheisunabletorecognizebecause

theyarepresentedtohimthroughthepureandinnocentmouthofaten-year-oldchild.

Shortly after this incident, however, there occurs a change in Luisito’smind regardinghis

beliefinGod'sabilitytofindhisgrandfatherajob.Asusual,hismisgivingsmanifestthemselves

through the medium of his visions. When, in Chapter XXIX, he asks God about the letter of

recomendación -«¿El caballero de la carta contestará que sí? ¿Colocarán ami abuelo?»- God’s

replyreflectsLuis’incipientdoubts:«Notelopuedoasegurar.Yolehemandadoquelohaga.Se

lohemandadolafrioleradetresveces»(551,107la).Hisdoubtsspringfromaconversationhe

overheard,inwhichVíctorcategoricallyannouncedthatVillaamilhadbeenleftoutofthelatest

combinación(434,1028b).Luis’doubtshavebecomecertaintybyChapterXL,whenGodagrees

11

withhimthat«elpícaroMinistrotienelaculpadetodo.Sihubierahecholoqueyoledije,nadade

estopasaría. ¿Qué lecostaba,enaquellacasona tan llenadeoficinas,hacerunhuecoparaeste

pobreseñor?Peronada,nohacencasodemí,yasíandatodo»(639,1102a).Itisatthispointthat

Luisitoreachestheconclusionthathisgrandfatherwillneverfindajobonthisearth.Asusual,he

faces thisunpleasant fact indirectly, throughhisGod.Aswe sawabove,Luis’God is simplyan

extensionofhispersonality.Theproblemis,ofcourse,thatthechilddoesnotrecognizehimas

such.God’sutterancesmustthereforebeconsideredfromtwodifferentviewpoints.Asfarasthe

reader is concerned, they are simply verbalizations of Luisito’s half-understood ideas about

matterswhichtroublehim;butforthechild,God’swordscomedirectlyfromthedivinityitself.

The fact that thisdivinityalwaysconfirmswhathe intuitivelyknowstobe true,onlyreaffirms

himinhisbelief.Thus,whenGodfinallytellshimthathisgrandfatherwillnotbereinstated,we

must see in hiswords Luis’ own reading of the situation. Thequestionnow facingus is,what

madehimchangehismindconcerningGod’sinfluencewiththeAdministration?Onceagain,the

answeristobefoundinVillaamil'sownutteranceswhich,filteringintothemindofhisattentive

grandson,leadhimtothemostunexpectedconclusions.

Round the middle of the novel, the nature of Villaamil’s allusions to the Administration

beginstochangedramatically.Ashisdisillusionmentincreasesandhishopesofbeingreinstated

decrease, he begins to usemore andmore infernal imagery to describe the Ministry and the

people who dwell in it. The narrator dutifully echoes Villaamil’s mood. Soon it becomes

increasinglyapparentthattheAdministration,farfrombeingParadise,isinrealitytheopposite

ofParadise, that is tosay,Hell.Tobeginwith, therethesinnersarerewardedandthevirtuous

punished.OnestillneedsintermediariestogainentranceintotheKingdomoftheAdministration,

butinsteadoftheintercessionofthesaintsandtheVirginMary,onerequirestheinfluenceofa

fantoche (477, 1044b), or of faldas corruptoras (525, 1061b). Further, in the world of the

Administration, Víctor and people like him thrive, whereas Villaamil, the probo empleado,

remainscesante.AndVíctoris,asweknow,apersonificationoftheDevil:Abelardacompareshim

to Mefistófeles (394, 1014b), and he himself confesses that «no tiene el diablo por donde

desecharme»(438,1030a).32TogetherwithVíctor,thedeceiver,thehandsomeLucifer(see506,

32 SeeSackett,«TheMeaningofMiau»,32,andAlfredoRodríguez,EstudiossobrelanoveladeGaldós(Madrid:JoséPorrúaTuranzas,1978),62-63.RodrígueznotessomesimilaritiesbetweenVíctorandDonJuan.Herewemayaddthat,liketheoriginalDonJuaninTirso’sElburladordeSevilla,Víctorisaburladorwhoseemsmoreinterestedindeceivingthaninsensualpleasure;also,likeTirso’scharacter,

12

1054b), isGuillén, the «cojitrancode los infiernos» (595,1086b),probably a reference toLuis

VélezdeGuevara’sEldiablocojuelo.Ontheotherhand,Guillén’sfellow-employeesaredescribed

as«infelicescondenadosalaesclavitudperpetuadelasoficinas»(491,1049b).Andindeed,the

MinistryisdescribedasaworldmorehellishthanthoseinventedbyDanteandQuevedo.There

«alolargodelpasadizoaccidentadoymisterioso,lasfigurasdeVillaamilydeArgüelleshabrían

podido trocarse,porobraygraciadehábil caricatura, en lasdeDanteyVirgiliobuscandopor

senosrecónditoslaentradaosalidadelosrecintosinfernalesquevisitaban»(601,1088b).

This is the picture of the Ministry and the Administration which Villaamil paints in his

moments of despair and disillusionment. Once again, he is using a figure of speech, a set of

imagesdesigned to give vent tohis anger and frustration.Buthow is Luisito to know thathis

wordsarenottobetakenliterally?Ononeoccasion,whenVillaamil iscomparingVíctortothe

Devil, the narrator observes that «detúvose Villaamil al reparar que estaba presente Luisito,

quiennodebíaoírsemejanteapología.Alfinerasupadre.Yporciertoqueelpobreniñoclavaba

en el abuelo sus ojos con expresión de terror» (506, 1054b). On another occasion, Luis is the

silent witness of a conversation between his grandfather and Abelarda in the church of

Montserrat.HavingbeeninformedofthefactthatVíctorhadbeen,notonlypromoted,butgiven

a position inMadrid, Villaamil bursts out: «Dios no protegemás que a los pillos... ¿Crees que

esperoalgonidelMinistronideDios?Todossonlomismo... ¡Arribayabajo,farsa,favoritismo,

polaquería!» (563, 1075b). Luis must have been understandably baffled by these words,

especially since they were spoken near the chapel of the «Cristo de las melenas negras». His

ratiocinative mind must have wondered what sort of God was this that, according to his

grandfather,onlyprotectedthewicked.Certainly,hemusthaveconcluded,notthekindGodhe

saw in his visions, but the God that ruled over the Ministry, the one responsible for his

grandfather’sunemployment.BythemiddleofChapterXXXII,Luishasfoundananswertothis

riddle:therearetwoGods.Oneisthe«Cristodelasmelenasnegras»,aGodofsuffering,created

andmanufacturedbyman,asSilvestreMurillomadecleartohim(500,1052b),whobothsuffers

andinflictssuffering.Theotherishisperfectantithesis,«elSeñordelabarbablanca»,aGodof

light,happinessandlaughter,surroundedbypinkcloudsandangels.Luisitoclearlydifferentiates

betweenthetwoGodswhenhetellsAbelarda,referringtotheMontserratChrist,

heisessentiallytheatrical:seeDanielRogers,TirsodeMolina:ElburladordeSevilla,CriticalGuidestoSpanishTexts(London:GrantandCutlerandTamesisBooks,1977),31-40.TirsowasthefirsttoseeDonJuanasthepersonificationoftheDevil:CatalinóncallshimLuciferinline1774,ActII.

13

Tiíta,ahoraleveoelfaldellíntodollenodesangre,muchasangre...Ven,enciendeluz,omemuerodesusto;quítamele,dilequesevaya,ElotroDioseselqueamímegusta,elabueloguapo,elquenotienesangre,sinounmantomuyfinoyunasbarbasblanquísimas...(581,1082a)

The product of popular superstition, the twoGods correspond to the twomost important

meninhis life,hisfatherandhisgrandfather:«EraCadalsoelpapámalo,comoVillaamilerael

papábueno»(393,1014b).Butthedistinctionismadebythechildinanattempttoreconcilehis

grandfather’scontradictory imagery.Thiscontradiction,however, ceases toexistassoonashe

discoversthetwoGods:theonewhorulesovertheearthlyparadise,thattravestyofthedivine

paradisewhereinsteadofhappiness,therereignwretchedness,miseryandsorrow,andtheone

whorulesover thecelestial spheres.33It isnowobvious tohimthathisgrandfatherwillnever

find employment in the first God’s Administration. Could he perhaps find a positionwith the

otherGod?Theanswercomestohiminhis lastvision,whenthegoodGodtellshim«dile[atu

abuelo] quehashablado conmigo, queno se apurepor la credencial, quemande alMinistro a

freirespárragos,yquenotendrátranquilidadsinocuandoestéconmigo»(640,1102b).Having

reachedthisconclusion,LuisdisclosestoVillaamilthatheseesGodandadds:«Yanochemedijo

quenotecolocarán,yqueestemundoesmuymalo,yquetúnotienesnadaquehacerconél,y

quecuantomásprontotevayasalcielo,mejor»(653-54,1107b).Themisunderstandinghasnow

comefullcircle.Unabletorecognizehisownconventionalwordsandattitudesinhisgrandson’s

utterances,Villaamilthinkshimdivinelyinspired(675,1107b),andfoflowshisadvice.34

33 IntheAlphaversion,thegoodGodtellsLuisitothattheDeviloftencomestoCongress,therebyfurtheridentifyingtheGodthatrulesovertheAdministrationwithhim:seeWeber,TheMiauManuscript,151.InActIII,sceneIVofCasandra,IsmaelstateshisbeliefinthetwoGods:thefirstis«unDiospolítico,gubernamental,militar,judicial,administrativoyunpoquitoburocrático...ElotroDios,eldelosPobres,eselquerecogeatodoslosdesengañadosdelDiosdelosRicos,alosquenotieneninfluencianipoderalgunoenlosmangoneosdelapolíticanidelaIglesia...Sunombreencabezalascesantías...»BenitoPérezGaldós,NovelasyMiscelánea(Madrid:Aguilar,1977),960a.Pipá,theeponymouschildobserverofClarín’sshortstory(publishedtwoyearsbeforeMiauin1886),alsoexpresseshisbeliefintwogods:Obrasselectas,seconded.(Madrid:BibliotecaNueva,1966),824-26.

34 ForotherfactorscontributingtoVillaamil’ssuicide,seeStephenMiller,«Villaamil’sSuicide:Action,CharacterandMotivation»,AnalesGaldosianos,14(1979),83-96.

14

Abelarda

TheAbelardasubplotparallelsthemainplotofMiauinmanyrespects.AsScanlonandJoneshave

noted, Abelarda finds herself in the same emotional situation as Villaamil.35Furthermore, as

Penuel has pointed out, «both father and daughter misplace their trust: Villaamil in the

bureaucracy, and Abelarda, in Víctor».36More importantly, both suffer from an excessive and

obsessiveconcernfortheirsituation,andtendtoseetheirplightinhighlymelodramaticterms.

AbelardalovesVíctorwiththesamesinglemindednessofpurposewithwhichVillaamillovesthe

Administration.Whilerehearsingfortheplay,shebehaveslikeanautomaton,«comosisucasa,

su familia, su tertulia, Ponce, fuesen la verdadera comedia, de fáciles y rutinarios papeles ... y

permaneciese libre el espíritu, empapado en su vida interior, verdadera y real, en el drama

exclusivamente suyo, palpitante de interés, que no tenía más que un actor: ella, y un solo

espectador:Dios»(452-53,1035a).HermelodramaticattitudesurfacesonthenightVíctorfails

toreturn.Shebeginstoimaginethattherejectedladymusthavepoisonedhimwith«elveneno

delosBorgias»,mixing,asthenarratorremarks,«millancesquehabíavistoenlasóperas»(568-

69,1077a).LikeVillaamil,sheconsidersherselfa tragicvictim,andundergoesapassionanda

crucifixionwith a figurative, if not physical, suicide at the end. As the narrator says, shewas

«plenamentedecididaatirarseporelViaducto,esdecir,acasarseconPonce»,andshemarries

himveryfittinglyonthethirdofMay,the«díadelaCruz»(634,1100b).Butjustasinthecaseof

Villaamil we had to beware of taking his passion and crucifixion seriously, so must we now

bewareoffallingintothesametrapwithAbelarda.AsRicardoGullónnotes,«Abelarda-lorisible

delnombreesquizásparódico;acasoescogidoconpropósitodeevocarelrecuerdodeAbelardo,

Pedro Abelardo, el héroe medieval del amor, para acentuar irónicamente el contraste».37The

sameironiccontrastwhichexistedbetweenVillaamilandChrist,appliesnowbetweenAbelarda

andhermedievalnamesake.

AswithVillaamil,Luisitoalsoactsastheobserverofthemelodramainvolvinghisfatherand

aunt:«[Víctor]conAbelardaechabalargosparlamentos,siporacasoseencontrabansolos,oen

elacto interesantedeacostaraLuis»(432,1027b).38Andthere isnodoubtthatLuis listensto

35 «Miau:PreludetoaReassessment»,59.36 «YetAnotherInterpretation»,8.37Galdós,novelistamoderno,339.GaldósmayhaveintendedAbelardatoseeherselfasaMaterDolorosa,justasVillaamilseeshimselfasaChrist-figure:seep.577,1080b.

38 Seealsop.501,1052b.AsGullónnoted,thechildseemstopickupmoreinformationthanhemeanstoorisawareof:Galdós,novelistamoderno,345.

15

these conversations, as his God makes clear when he asks him, «¿Pero a ti quién te mete a

escucharloquedicenlaspersonasmayores?»(639,1102a).WhatdoesLuisitooverhearinthese

conversations? InChapterXIX, forexample,hehearsVíctor tellAbelardaandPonce:«Yodaría

sangrede lasvenasporecharmianzueloenelmarde lavida, conel cebodeunadeclaración

amorosa,ypescarunaAbelarda»(461-62,1038b);andthen, turningtoPonce,«éstaessegura,

amigo;lequiereaustedconelalmayconlavida»(462,1038b).Attheendofthischapter,after

Ponce’s departure, Luis hears Víctor explain his behavior toAbelarda, and thenwitnesses her

reaction:

-Víctor-exclamódescompuestaytemblando-,oereselhombremásmaloquehayenelmundo,onoséloqueeres.

Corrió a su habitación y rompió a llorar, desplomándose de cara sobre las almohadas de sulecho. Víctor se quedó en el comedor, y Luis, que en su inocencia comprendía que pasaba algoextraño,noseatrevióduranteunratoamolestarapapáconaquelteje-manejedelossellos.(465,1040a)

WhatisLuis’readingofthescenehehasjustwitnessed?TheanswerissuppliedinChapter

XL,whenheconfidestoGod:«[Abelarda]metienemuchatirriadesdeundíaqueledijequese

casaraconmipapá.¿Ustednosabe?Mipapálaquiere;peroellanolepuedever»(639,1102a).

On the basis of the literal meaning of the words he heard that night, Luisito could not but

concludethatAbelardahatedhisfatherandthathebothlovedandneededher.Ofcourse,wethe

readersknowthathisreadingof thesituation is totallywrong.Buthowcanthe innocentchild

seethroughhisfather’sironyandmaliceandthroughhisaunt’sbashfulness,especiallywhenthe

latter is particularly careful to hide her real feelings from him?39The fact that we can easily

penetratetheartificialanddeceitfullanguageofthecharactersofthisnovelshouldnotleadusto

theassumptionthataten-year-oldchildwillbeabletoseethroughittoo.

ButhowarewethentoexplainLuis’wordstoAbelardaonthefollowingday?:«Tía,¿porqué

no tecasas túconmipapá?»40IfLuis isconvinced thatAbelardahateshis father,whydoeshe

makethissuggestion?Firstofall,theideaofaunionbetweenVíctorandAbelardawasimplanted

inhismindbyPacaMendizábal.Asthenarratorremarks,thisidea«leparecióalprincipioalgo

rara,pero ... luego [la] tuvopor lamásnaturaldelmundo» (467,1040b).Theselfishchild can39 See,forexample,p,394,1014b.40 InAlpha,Luis’advicetoAbelardaparallelshisadvicetoVillaamilinChapterXXIII:«Pepínseguíaexaltado.ViendoquesutíaAbelardaestabamuytristeydandosuspiros,ledijo:tontaporquésuspirastanto?porquetunovionotequiere?Ya,yacomprendoyo.PuespídeseloaDios,necia»(Weber,TheMiauManuscript,152).

16

only seeadvantages inamarriagebetweenAbelardaandVíctor:hewillkeepawealthy father

whogiveshimpresents, and in thebargain retain adoting aunt. Furthermore, as thenarrator

points out, «habían extinguido la prevención medrosa que su padre le inspiraba, no sólo los

regalosrecibidosdeél,sinolaobservacióndequeVíctorsellevabamuybiencontodalafamilia»

(468,1041).ButtheimportanceofLuis’advicetoAbelardamaybemissedifwefailtotakeinto

accountherreaction.Accordingtothenarrator,«quedoselachicacomolela,fluctuandoentrela

risa y el enojo» (467, 1040b). Why? Because Luis seems to have been able to divine her

innermostfeelings,anddesires.LikeVillaamil’sonapreviousoccasion,herresponseisoutofall

proportiontotheimportofthechild’swords.However,onhearingthatthesuggestionhadcome

fromPacaMendizábal, Abelarda, like Villaamil before her, dismisses any notion that the child

mightpossessanyunusualpowersofperception.But the feeling thathemight somehowhave

beenabletoreadhermindremains lodgedwithinher,readytoberekindledthenexttimethe

child should offer further proof of his powers. This occurs in Chapter XXIII, and then again in

ChapterXXV.

FeelingthecompulsiontoconfesstosomeoneherguiltypassionforVíctor,Abelarda,tothe

surpriseofthereader,thinksfirstofconfidinginLuisito.However,realizingthatthechildisfar

too young to act as her confessor, she eventually opts for a priest: «le contó al cura lo que le

pasaba, añadiendo pormenores que al sacerdote no le importaba saber» (497, 1051b). The

natureofthesepormenoreswillbeindicatedbelow.Now,weshouldturnourattentiontoLuisito

who,asaconsequenceofaccompanyinghisaunttochurch,isbeginningtotoywiththeideaof

becomingapriest:«Luisitoasegurabaqueonoseríanadaocantaríamisa,puesleentusiasmaban

todaslasfuncionessacerdotales,inclusoelpredicar,inclusoelmeterseenelconfesionariopara

oírlospecadosdelasmujeres»(500,1052b).Initalicizing,andthusplacingspecialemphasison,

thelastphrase,Galdós’intentionwastoreferthereadertothebeginningofthechapter,where

we were informed of Abelarda’s impulse to confess to Luisito. Could the child have read her

mind?Furtherproofofhisapparentability todo just that isoffered inChapterXXV. Inbedat

night,bothLuisandAbelardaarehavingarestlesssleep.Hisisdisturbedbythoughtsofrevenge

againstPosturitas’mother, thepersonwho,according tohis reasoning, invented thenickname

Miau;hersistroubledbytheimageofherunknownrival.Atonepoint,thechildexclaimsaloud:

«Tumamánoesseñora,sinomujer...»;echoesAbelarda:«Esaelegantonaqueteescribecartasno

esdama,sinounatía feróstica...»ThestrangedialogueendswhenLuisito,usingsomestartling

17

sexualimagery,criesout:«EsunratónloquePosturasechaporlaboca,unratónnegroyconel

rabomulargo».Abelardawakesup,andLuisitoexplainstoher:«Esque...unratón.Peromipapá

lohacogido»;andthenheinsiststhathesawhisfatherlyinginbedwithAbelarda:«ymipapá

estabaacostadocontigo...» (516-17,1058).Apart from itsexplicit sexual symbolism,oneother

featureofthissceneisworthnoting.Clearly,itwasGaldós’beliefthat,inthemysteriousstateof

sleep, telepathic communication was a strong possibility, especially when two highly-strung

mindswere involved.41Proof of this is found in the strangeparallel dialoguebetween the two

sleepersand,more startingly, inLuisito’svisionofhis father lyingwithAbelarda.The latter is

simplyavisualizationofAbelarda’sdream,ofthepormenoressheconfidedtothepriest;adream

which,throughsomemysteriousconduit,wastransmittedtothesleepingchild’smind.

Onapreviousoccasion,wesawhowVillaamil’swordsaffectedanddirected the courseof

Luis’ dream; on this occasion, the telepathic phenomenon will mainly affect the agitated

Abelarda.Itsmoreimmediateeffectisthatshe«nopególosojosenelrestodelanoche...»(517,

1058b);eventually,however,theevidenceshehasgatheredofLuisito’sabilitytoreadhermind

and predict the future will lead her to the conclusion that there is something strange,

incomprehensible, perhaps even supernatural about her nephew. Where Abelarda is seen to

differ fromVillaamil is, aswe shall seenext, inherbelief in thenatureofLuis’ singularity, for

whereastheoldcesantethoughtthatthechildwasdivinelyinspired,Abelardawillconcludethat

heispossessedbytheDevil.

At the end of Chapter XXX, Víctor, in a travesty of Christ’s words, asks Abelarda:

«¿Abandonarías casa, padres, todo, por seguirme?» (Cf. Matthew, XIX, 21). The narrator quite

rightlytermsthesewordsa«raptodeinfernalinspiración»(566,1076b),butforAbelarda,they

representtheculminationofallherhopesanddesiresinastrange,butinGaldós’novelsrather

common, mixture of piety, mysticism and sex. Abelarda is now ready to make the ultimate

sacrifice; an epic, heroic sacrifice, just as in the most melodramatic opera, in which she will

immolate her honor, her virtue, her virgininity for the salvation of the immortal soul of her

beloved. As the narrator puts it, «Abelarda se entregaría sin ningún trámite al hombre que le

habíaabsorbidoel alma; renunciabaa toda libertad, era suya,deél, en la formay condiciones

queélquisiese,conescándaloosinescándalo,conhonraosinhonra»(567,1077a).

41 AverysimilartypeofdialogueisthatwhichtakesplacebetweenÁngelGuerraandDoñaSalesinChapterIII,X-XI,PartOneofÁngelGuerra(NovelasyMiscelánea,60-63).

18

Abelarda,however,isnotabletocarryoutherresolution,forthatnightVíctorfailstoreturn

home.Shecannotbelieveinabetrayal;instead,shethinksthatin«aquellaausenciainexplicable

había un enigma, algo misterioso, quizás una desgracia o una monstruosidad que la pobre

muchacha, en la ofuscación de su inteligencia, no acertaba a comprender» (569, 1077b). The

followingday,inthechurchofMontserrat,herworstfearsareconfirmed.Withsometriteexcuse,

Víctorleavesher,disappearing«comoalmaquellevaSatanás»(577,1080a).Abelardacannow

easily believe that the Devil himself has intervened to prevent her magnificent sacrifice: «si

hubieravistoquealpúlpitodelaiglesiasubíaelDiabloenpersonayechabaunsermónacusando

alosfielesdequenopecabanbastante,ydiciéndolesquesiseguíanasínoganaríanelInfierno;si

Abelardahubieravistoesto,nosehabríapasmadocomosepasmó»(577,1080a-b).

In this state ofmind, she returns home. That night in bed, she begins suddenly to feel an

«odio sañudo» towards Luisito: «El talmocoso era un necio, un farsante que embaucaba a la

familia con aquellas simplezas de ver a Dios y de querer hacerse curita»; the child was «un

cómico,fingidoytrapalón,bajadoalmundoparamartirizarlaaellayatodasucasa...»(580-81,

1082a).Further,shethinksthatthechildispossessed.Toherfeveredandderangedmind,heis

possessedbythesamedevilwhodestroyedhersister’s lifeandhappiness:«YAbelardarepetía

lasmismaspalabrasde lamuerta, diciendoque el pobreniño eraunmonstruo, un abortodel

infierno, venido a la tierra para castigo y condenación de la familia» (582, 1082a).42It is

interestingtonote, first, thatthewordmonstruoharksbacktoAbelarda’sownexplanationfor

Víctor’smysteriousabsence;and,second,thatthephrase«unabortodelinfierno»wasinserted

byGaldósduring theproof-readingstageof composition,withall thedeliberation that thisact

implies,andthatitreplacedthemoreobvious,butlesseffective,«odiablito».43

Asthewordssheusesclearlyindicate,Abelardaissufferingfromapsychologicalprocessof

displacement. The «cómico fingido y trapalón» is not Luis but his fatherwho, throughout the

novel,hasbeendescribedasaconsummateactor.44ItisVíctortoowhoprovestobethescourge

ofthefamily,thecauseofLuisa’smadness,ofAbelarda’sunhappiness,andofVillaamil’sdespair.

42 ForGaldós’interestindemonology,seeCarlosClavería,«Galdósylosdemonios»,inHomenajeaJ.A.vanPraag(Amsterdam,1956),32-37.

43Weber,TheMiauManuscript,110.44 SeeRodgers,PérezGaldós:Miau,45;Ramsdem,«TheQuestionofResponsibility»,64;andCorrea,Elsimbolismoreligioso,120;andalsopp.392,1013b;439,1030a;and472,1042bofthetext.

19

Finally,itisVíctor,andnotLuis,whoisamonsterandthepersonificationoftheDevil.45But,just

ashersisterbeforeher,AbelardaredirectsherhatredforVíctoragainsthisson.Luishimselfis

intuitivelyawareofthisprocess,eventhough,asusual,heattributesittothewrongmotivation.

AshetellsGodinhislastvision,Abelardaattackedhimbecause«nopuedeveramipapá,porque

mipapáledijoalMinistroquenocolocaraamiabuelo.Ycomonoseatreveconmipapá,porque

puedemás que ella, la emprendió conmigo» (638-39, 1102a). This attack, in Chapter XXXVIII,

signals her definitive break with Víctor, who will use it as an excuse for taking his son to

Quintina’shouseandforseveringhisconnectionwiththeMiaus,andalsoplacesheronthefinal

roadtoherfigurativesuicide;thatis,tohermarriagetoPonce.

Conclusion

Many positive and negative analogies may be drawn between Villaamil and Abelarda. She

parallels her father in the excessive importance she attaches to her situation, in her

melodramaticattitudetolife,inherimaginedpassionandcrucifixion,andinthefactthatshealso

becomes a victim of Victor’s infernal machinations. The two characters are also analogous in

theirreadinesstobelieveintheinterventionofasupernaturalforceintheirtrivialaffairs.This

supernaturalforcemanifestsitselfinbothcasesthroughLuisito,whoisbelievedbyVillaamilto

be speaking with the voice of God, and by Abelarda to be possessed by the Devil. Neither of

courseisright,butthefactthattheycanarriveatsuchoppositeconclusionsaboutthesamechild,

tells us more about their values and attitudes than about the child himself. Because of their

obsessive concernwith their situations,Villaamil andAbelardabecome self-deluded, and their

self-delusion ismademanifestly obvious through their reactions to the child’s intervention in

theirlives.

Further, theAbelarda subplot parallels themain plot in that Luisito, the observer of both

narrative lines, totally misunderstands the situation in which the main characters find

themselves.Thismisunderstandingisduetohispropensitytobelieveintheliteralvalueofthe

wordshehears.AsIhopetohaveshown,GaldósdidnotintendtoendowLuisitowithanyspecial

insight,nordidhethinkhimabletoshedanyspeciallightoverthefamily’sproblems,exceptin

45 SeeSackett,«TheMeaningofMiau»,32;Rodríguez,Estudios,62-63;andWeber,TheMiauManuscript,110-11.TheseriesofchangesonthewordmonstruowhichGaldósintroducedduringtheproof-readingstageemphasizestheidentificationbetweenfatherandson.

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anindirectandironicway.Thereisnothingsupernaturalaboutthechild,and,consequently,he

does not reveal any transcendental truths to the other characters. If his utterances are

consideredrevelatorybysomemembersofhisfamily,itisbecausetheyfailtorecognizeinthem

theirownthoughtsandattitudeswhendivestedoftheirrhetoricaltrappings.

What then is Luisito’s role in thenovel? First, bydecisively intervening, and affecting, the

narrativedevelopmentofeachoftheplotsofthenovel,heformallylinksthestoriesofVillaamil

andAbelarda.Thus,helendsunitytotheworkandallowsthereadertodrawaffectiveanalogies

between the two characters and their situations. In the secondplace, he fulfills the roleof the

innocentobserveroftheworldaroundhim.Unabletopenetratetheshallowreligiosity,thefalse

values, theresortingtostereotypes, themelodramaticposturing,andthemisleading, insincere,

andartificiallanguageofhiselders,hetakesthewordstheyspeakattheirfacevalue.Becausehe

doesnotrealizethatpeopledonotalwaysmeanwhattheysay,heconsistentlymisunderstands

themotivationofthepersonsheloves.TheartificialityandinsincerityoftheworldoftheMiaus

isthussharplyandeffectivelyexposedthroughtheobservanteyesofachild.Finally,byreflecting

in a pure and unalduterated form the values, thoughts, and attitudes of the members of his

family,hebecomesdirectlyorindirectlyresponsiblefortheultimatefateoftheMiausasafamily.

Convincedbyhisgrandson’swordsofthefutilityofseekingajobonthisearth,Villaamildecides

to commit suicide; thinking that her nephew is bent on destroying her love and happiness,

Abelardabecomes resigned to amarriage toPonce, and commits suicide in a figurative sense.

Thus,Luisemergesattheendofthenovel,notonlyasthevictim,butalsoastheexecutionerof

theMiaus,forheisinasenseresponsiblefortheirdissolutionasafamily.46

46 Aftercompletingthisarticle,andfollowingProfessorR.Cardona’ssuggestion,IreadHenryJames’novelWhatMaisieKnew,publishednineyearsafterMiauin1897.LikeProfessorCardona,Iwasimmediatelystruckbythemanypointsofsimilaritybetweenthetwoworks,speciallyasconcernsthetwochildcharacters.Forexample,byusingMaisieandLuisitoastheinnocentobserversofthetwoparallelplotsthatunfoldbeforetheireyes,theauthorsareabletopresentthechaoticworldinwhichtheadultcharacterslive;thus,thetwochildrenemerge,notonlyastheonlystablefigures,butalsoastheunifyingforceineachofthenovels.Inbothworks,thenarratoroperatessometimesincloseassociationwiththechild’sviewpoint,andatothertimesatsomedistancefromit.Thewordsutteredbythetwochildrenpossessoccasionallythequalityofrevelation,becausetheyaretheproductofthoughtprocessestowhichwehavebeendeniedaccess.Bothchildrenseeagreatdealofthingswhichtheyfailtounderstandorwhichtheytotallymisunderstand;oftenthisleadstotheirreachingconclusionssimplerthanthosearrivedatbythereaderorbyothercharacters.WhatJamessaysinhisPrefaceaboutMaisiemayequallywellbeappliedtoLuisito:«Sheisnotonlytheextraordinary‘ironiccentre’...shehasthewonderfulimportanceofsheddingalightfarbeyondanyreachofhercomprehension».Theresemblancebetweenthetwochildrenextendstootherareasaswell:Maisie’sFrenchdoll,Lisette,isused,likeLuisito’sGod,asameansofverbalizingthechild’sperplexities:«Little

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bylittle,however,sheunderstoodmore,foritbefellthatshewasenlightenedbyLisette’squestions,whichreproducedtheeffectofherownuponthoseforwhomshesatintheverydarknessofLisette»(Ch.V).NotunlikeLuisito,Maisietendstounderstandtheliteralmeaningofthewordsshehears:«‘Heleansonme-heleansonme!’sheonlyannouncedfromtimetotime;andshewasmoresurprisedthanamusedwhen,lateron,sheaccidentallyfoundshehadgivenherpupil[Maisie]theimpressionofasupportliterallysuppliedbyherperson»(Ch.XI).Thereexist,however,someimportantdifferencesbetweenthetwonovels:unlikeGaldós,JamesdecidedtokeepMaisie’slimitedperspectivetheveryfieldofhispicture.Nevertheless,asystematiccomparisonbetweenthesetwogreatnovelsshouldproveextremelyrewarding,andIamverygratefultoProfessorCardonafordrawingmyattentiontoJames’work.