Don Juan Tenorio: Redemption, Love and Freedom

Don Juan Tenorio

3.3 Don Juan Tenorio.

The most important issue is the freedom to decide, besides love and the mercy of God.

Plot

Plot: Don Juan Tenorio is a charming man and deceiver, who kidnaps Doña Inés to win a bet. His father is affronted and Don Juan kills him. Five years after the trickster's exploits, he goes back among the pantheon of philanderers; Doña Inés discovers that she has died. Don Juan invites the statue of the Commander to dinner; the statue announces his own death and later returns the invitation. Don Juan attends his own mock funeral, then repents and is ultimately saved.

Structure, Time and Space

Structure, time and space.

The work consists of two parts, four and three acts each, corresponding to two nights in Seville. Each act has its title. Between the two parts a contrast is established: the first focuses on the characterization of the protagonist; in the second, the action focuses on the cemetery.

Characters

Characters.

• Don Juan is the absolute protagonist. This character follows the earlier tradition of the seducer and libertine.
• Doña Inés is a sweet, innocent girl who symbolizes the love that redeems the libertine.

Style and Language

Style and language.

The book is written in verse and uses polymetry. It emphasizes the sound of easy rhyming verses and some roughness. The text blends lyrical language with a certain colloquialism and modern, neutral turns of phrase. The scenery becomes important in the second half: steam, tombs, and other funeral imagery.

Item 20: The Realist Narrative

Historical and Cultural Context

Political, Economic and Social

These events occur in the third quarter of the 19th century. The Glorious Revolution caused the fall of Queen Isabella II and started a wave of progressive governments that promoted democratic rights and labor reforms. Around 1873 the First Spanish Republic was proclaimed, but economic problems and war contributed to the re-implementation of the monarchy after a coup d'état by General Pavía, which led to the Restoration of Alfonso XII. During the Restoration bipartisanship was established and the economy developed in cities, alongside the consolidation of the bourgeoisie and the liberal state.

Ideology

Ideology.

The dominant stream of thought included Krausismo (not detailed here). Later came positivist tendencies during the Restoration while other currents remained influential. Another notable event was the great development of the press, with authors such as Clarín and Galdós.

Fortunata and Jacinta

Fortunata and Jacinta.

Plot and Characters

PLOT AND CHARACTERS:

The story is structured around a love triangle in which the narrative reflects the economic, political, and religious concerns of the time.

There is a contrast between the two protagonists: one personifies nature, the people, and rebellion; the other represents the bourgeoisie and respect for social rules.

Space and Time

SPACE AND TIME:

The story takes place in Madrid and spans the period following the Glorious Revolution, through the First Republic and the subsequent coup. The narrative time is essentially linear, with occasional historical setbacks or flashbacks.

Narrator

NARRATOR:

At first the narrator behaves as a witness who knows a great deal about the characters and offers ironic commentary on their actions, but gradually the narrator becomes omniscient.