Isidora: Pride, Fall, and Society in Galdós' Novel

Galdós tells the adventures of the beautiful and poor girl Isidora Rufete, who, because of the lies told by her father, believes she belongs to a noble family and starts a lawsuit to obtain recognition of her rights. Her conviction makes her develop a noble, aristocratic pride that leads her to drop out of what could have been a modest life, more or less happy. She rejects a boyfriend who is a doctor with a good future career, is unable to work, acquires very expensive habits, and falls for a ruined marquis who will bring money and continually impregnate her with a son she will never want to recognize.

So as not to relent in her aspirations, and while litigation is pending, she is forced to bail herself out by becoming the mistress of men in good standing. The aristocratic family that she believes she belongs to, in turn, denounces her demand for forgery of some documents (which her father made), and Isidora gives her bones in prison. Finally, to convince a notary public that there is nothing noble and that his father played a trick, she waives his claim and leaves prison. But she is unable to live modestly and, seeing that there is no other solution to keep your train of life, is thrown into prostitution. Isidora's character is not without its grandeur, constantly refusing to settle for compromises, not stopping at anything in her hope to reach the site "rightful." That hope, which has grown with it, has shaped his character, his personality, so indispensable and needs to be realized.

The character of the Marquis de Joaquín Pez, the trickster, frivolous and ungrateful skull is the only man I really want to Isidora despite his constant abuse is a clear precedent for Juanito Santa Cruz and its story of love and impossibilities is very similar to which he will live with Fortunata. In addition, we presented a long gallery of interesting effects, such as the realistic and ordinary aunt Isidora, the Leecher, or his uncle, Joseph of Relimpio, as faithful as useless, which paints a naturalist Galdós sinking in alcohol; Juan Catalan Socialist Bou lithographer, opinions quite advanced and caricatured by the moderate Galdós, or the doctor Augusto Miquis, which is to be the positive part of the work to embody the prosperity due to good sense and his own efforts. Least made the most miserable seem especially Isidora's brother, Mariano, to which we are depicted as an incorrigible criminal who just carry out an attack against the king anarchist.

Along with the usual wit in the language and easy to transmit environments and characters in this novel stand out (besides the courage to start in untrodden paths, at least in Spain a) the interesting recollections of the psychiatric care of the time ( with despcripción of Isidora's father stay in Leganés) or social trends of the moment (from cars to walk down the Castellana to the games and fights child offenders in the south of Madrid).

Is missing, as is usual in Galdós, clarity of purpose and a greater importance than we are told. Galdós brings up, as in Fortunata and Jacinta, current political events that seem to want to relate to the adventures of the characters, although it is difficult to determine how. In the lesson, which includes claims to want to understand the turbulent history of Isidora that everyone should learn to take their place and in any case, way up by merit rather than waiting for a miraculous good fortune. However, as the character got Isidora is that faith that seeks what he believes his and the tragic impossibility of going back that she feels constantly.