Los Pazos de Ulloa (1886) - Emilia Pardo Bazán

 Sobre la autora y su obra

-          Her life:

o   1851-1921

o   Born in country, much of life in Madrid

o   Was educated as a child (rare for woman)

-          She introduced naturalism in Spain and also participated in realist movement.

-          She wrote novels, essays, newspaper articles, and literary criticism – published a quite a bit considering she was a woman!

-          Los Pazos de Ulloa reflects realist literary movement but is also one of the best examples of the naturalist literary trend.

**The summary from Wikipedia is excellent, so no need to elaborate on that:
Read me

Characters:

-          Julián Alvarez – sacerdote joven (va a los Pazos); es como el opuesto de Pedro

-          Pedro Moscoso – marqués de los Pazos (en una zona rural de Galicia); no es realmente el marqués pero se da aires de gran señor; tiene una relación con Sabel pero después se casa con Marcelina/Nucha; él es como el opuesto de Julián

-          Primitivo – el administrador de la finca; controla todos los negocios

-          Sabel – la hija de Primitivo, trabaja como cocinera a la finca, es la amante de Don Pedro

-          Perucho – el hijo ilegitimo de Pedro y Sabel; es casi como salvaje

-          Abad de Ulloa – el viejo abad (abbot); es bastante salvaje también

-          Manuel Pardo de la Lage – el tío de Pedro, el padre de Nucha

-          Rita – hija de Manuel; la más bella y alegre

-          Manolita – hija de Manuel; su padre va a casarla con un rico de Santiago

-          Marcelina (Nucha) – hija de Manuel; la más discreta; esposa de Pedro (luego en la novela)

-          Carmen – hija de Manuel; la más joven, enamorada de un estudiante de medicina para disgusto de su padre

-          Manolita – hija de Pedro y Nucha

Some character analysis:
Marqués, don Pedro-The master of the Pazos (goes through a short period of sensitivity and kindness, but generally very selfish and hesitant to change, as he is a member of the [presumably dying/challenged] noble class).
Nucha (or Marcelina): his wife/his "victim" (ends up without her baby girl and dead)
Julián: the pious town priest who tries to reform the Pazos, to no luck (ends up being sent to an even more rural place to be the town priest)

Notes from: Observations on the Narrative Method, the Psychology, and the Style of "Los Pazos de Ulloa"
- centers on struggle between the forces of civilization and good and those of nature and evil
- mansion (decadencia) overrun from without/within by nature
- rural Galician themes (language, traditions, lullabies)
- could be considered "mitigated" or "Catholic" naturalism, depending on your point of view.
- nature and man are two forces in a war of good and evil.
- allows room for "spiritual forces" and freedom from pseudo-sci determinism

Secondary Source: Cambridge Companion to Spanish Novel, Chapter 4

-          Regional novel: Frequent use of a “visitor” of some kind as a narrator or as a prominent character (ex: Stein in La Gaviota, Julián in Los Pazos de Ulloa) – always some element of innocence in this visitor

-          Great distinction between North/South regional novels

o   Motif of isolation is more significant in novels of the North than in those of the South

o   Role of priest: in North they were locals, in South they were outsiders

-          Los Pazos de Ulloa (Emilia Pardo Bazán)

o   Free indirect style (influence of Zola)

o   Narrative focused through characters of high reliability (influence of Zola)

o   Depiction of Galicia as a degenerate region

o   Naturalist novel that explores the dangerous results of an unhappy mix of heredity and environment

o   Julián takes on role as innocent visitor-narrator-observer

o   Hostility and primitive nature of the region (and its inhabitants)

Apuntes de la introducción del texto

-          Pardo Bazán tomó influencia de los eventos políticos de su tiempo (la revolución de 1868, la primera republica española de 1873, la restauración del reinado Borbón en 1874)

-          Galicia es la región nativa de Pardo Bazán, por eso es el lugar de mucha de su obra, incluso esta novela

-          La novela demuestra una imagen realista de la familia rural aristocrática de la región de Galicia; es una familia que está deteriorándose

-          La novela demuestra el avanzo de la clase media en lugar de la clase noble (una realidad en España durante la época)

-          Tema principal es la tensión entre la naturaleza y la civilización, el campo y la ciudad, lo rural y lo urbano – idea de la casa misma como un protagonista

-          Julián es el agente de cambio en la novela

-          Pardo Bazán explora lo bueno y lo malo de ambos el campo y la ciudad

-          Pardo Bazán se burla de todos sus personajes de ciertas maneras; usa un tono irónico constantemente

-          El tono feminista de la novela – la autora revela su crítica de la situación social de las mujeres durante la época

o   Las hijas Pardo son ejemplos de las mujeres que sólo tienen la opción de casarse y cuyo matrimonio está arreglado por los padres por razones económicas

o   Sabel está controlada por su padre (está forzada a quedarse como la amante del marqués aunque no quiera)

-          Idea que Pardo Bazán escribe como un hombre; escribe de manera fuerte y directa

Parts of the book
I) Exposition: detailed treatment of short periods of time. Julián arrives. Winter passes. Don Julián argues with Don Pedro (I think this argument was about giving the little kid alcohol). "mood of hopeless physical/moral decadence is alleviated by the description of the feast day" (could be a little costumbrismo)

II) Don Pedro courts his cousins. Selects Nucha-characterized as feeble, but very pious- (even though Rita es la más bonita) because of Julián's suggestion. "Tone is optimistic in contrast with the gloomy atmosphere in Pazos".

III) Nucha's pregnancy/maternal interest in Perucho. Long labor (because she's a weak city girl who's worn corsets and not a robust rural woman). Birth to nené (girl) and can't have any more children.

IV) Nucha's "unstable convalescence", nervous/fearful new mom. Discovers Perucho is Pedro's son. Julián is determined, at HER behest, to help her leave the Pazos.

That annoying, long hunting scene? Costumbrismo, showing Julián ineptness at typical masculine,  pursuits in nature.
Another "aside"? The election- Don Pedro (traditional) running against violent liberal-er, government-sponsored candidate. "Ironic criticism of another supposedly civilizing force, the local govt, which has fallen under Primitivo's expanding influence". (Primitivo is later killed by one of Barbacana's (Pedro's) men.)

V) Julian's forced departure, return 10 yrs later. Primitivo=well kept tomb, Nucha= poorly kept tomb
Well dressed boy= Perucho, shabby looking girl (legitimate heir)=Nucha's daughter

Other ideas/trends:
-   Several "devilish encarnations of evil forces", like Primitivo and Sabel.
Shadowy basement harbors bad things/hysteria/etc.
-   Julián: "catalyst for novel's action", clean, conscientious, excessively proud, "feminine prudishness", had grown up with Nucha. "supressed" love for Nucha comes out in his OVER love for her baby.
-   Pardo Bazán represents realistic Galician dialects, colloquialisms.
-   Major element in her realistic style: "blurring of contours between the character's thoughts and words and the author's narrative style" (current in 19th c. to include spoken language into lit.)
-  Symbolic, mood-enhancing  images
-  not quite full-fledged naturalism because of religious/philosophical beliefs, euphemistic treatment of potentially shocking situations, etc.

Temas importantes

-          Estilo de escritura

o   Narración en tercera persona

§  Punta de vista de Julián por la mayoridad

§  Excepción: capítulo 28 – punta de vista de Perucho

o   Suspense/Active Reading (Author allows reader to make assumptions about what happens)

§  Ex: We have to assume that it was Primitivo who purposefully tried to sabotage Pedro’s trip to the city

§  Ex: At end of Chap 11 we don’t see Pedro have sex with Nucha, but know it happened

-          La religión, la moralidad (vs. la inmoralidad)

-          Los celos, la violencia en la relación amorosa

o   Pedro (the marquis) beats Sabel for dancing at the festival (Chap. 7)

-          La tensión entre la naturaleza (el campo) y la civilización (la ciudad)

o   Example: Julian struggles to organize and clean the office (battle between civilized order and natural disorder) [Chap 4]

o   La naturaleza tiene dos lados – lo positivo (tranquilo, hermoso) y lo negativo (espantoso y peligroso)

§  Example: As Julian arrives at the house of Ulloa, he notices the “majestic loneliness” of nature and calls it a “country of wolves”

§  Example: description of the garden as beautiful but wild; it was originally ordered (transition from neoclassical garden to Romantic one – [chap 3])

o   Los personajes están divididos entre los dos lados

§  El marqués, Primitivo, Sabel, y Perucho son hijos de la naturaleza

§  Julián, Nucha, y la familia de Nucha son de la civilización

o   La comparación entre los personajes (del campo) y animales

§  Example: comparison between Perucho and a dog (Julian mistakes him for another hunting hound)

-          La casa/tierra de Ulloa como protagonista

o   Example: Julian’s disturbing dreams about the house and garden at the end of Chapter 19 – reflects his fear for Nucha’s future (and his own) in the house

-          La evolución de Julián como hombre

o    In first chapter, Julian is described as very youthful in appearance, like a boy

o   Julian is described as “beardless” with a “girlish face” (Chap 1)

o   In the last chapter, we are told that Julian has aged in the ten years that have passed, and that he has become more manly

-          Las clases sociales

o   The lower class has the power in this book (over the upper class)

§  Example: Pedro (the marquis) wanted to get rid of Sabel but Primitivo stopped helping him and forced all the other servants to leave him alone; the manipulation by the lower class to force him their way

-          El género (gender)

o   Female purity vs. impurity

§  Sabel is example of impure female

§  Pedro says he values piety in a woman (admires Nucha’s religious nature)

§  “Don Pedro understood conjugal honor in a Calderonian, truly Spanish way: extremely indulgent in the case of the husband and implacable in that of the wife”

§  “a girl often loses her reputation before her virtue” (talking about Rita)

o   Daughters must obey their parents / male authority

§  Sabel is forced to obey her father Primitivo and stay with Pedro

§  Nucha marries Pedro even though she doesn’t want to; it’s a marriage doomed to fail

-          Realismo – características/temas comunes que aparecen en la obra:

o   Transition between urban and rural setting (priest Julian goes to country)

o   Adultery (Pedro cheats on Nucha with Sabel)

o   Illegitimate relationship (Pedro and Sabel)

o   Regionalism (a country setting – Los Pazos)

o   Naturalism (scientific tone)

§  Example: Chap 10 – as Pedro considers who will be his wife, he imagines who will give him the best children/heirs (Rita is voluptuous – fertile)

§  Example: Idea of woman’s role in life to provide heirs (Chap. 16)

  

Argumento (por capítulo)

[very good summary on Wikipedia]

Chapter 1

-          Julian makes his way to the house of Ulloa; asks rural workers for directions and they are very unclear. On his way, Julian encounters the marquis hunting with Primitivo and the abbot of Ulloa.

Chapter 2

-          The men arrive at the house (of Ulloa). They eat; the dogs are given food before the men.

-          They drink wine; Julian hardly drinks (not a “real” man), while Perucho (the child) downs it and the adults force more on him

Chapter 3

-          Comparison between Julian and the abbot of Ulloa – Julian is innocent, pure, and saintly, while the abbot is dirty and savage

-          Conversation between Julian and Sabel – Sabel’s innocence and submission to her father, Primitivo

-          The disorder in the house’s office (of all the papers) – representative of the decline of the household and the rural aristocracy in general

Chapter 4

-          Julian struggles to clean and organize the office of Ulloa – symbolic of tension between nature (disorder) and civilization (order)

-          Description of don Pedro (marquis)’s family – his uncle (don Gabriel) and mother (doña Micaela), who hoarded money but was robbed. The true marquis is not around and doesn’t know that Pedro (a relative) uses his title.

Chapter 5

-          Julian realizes how much power Primitivo has in the property of Ulloa.

-          Description of Perucho as a wild/savage child; a “wild angel”

-          The kitchen as a small court for the women with Sabel as queen

-          Sabel’s inappropriate and overly familiar conduct with Julian

Chapter 6

-          Julian spends time with the priest don Eugenio of Naya – they eat and perform Mass together; the feast with the other parish priests (Julian is self-conscious); the inappropriate conversation and jokes

-          Julian learns that Sabel has a relationship with the marquis (Pedro) and that Perucho is their child

Chapter 7

-          The marquis beats Sabel for wasting time dancing at the festival and accidently injures Perucho also; Sabel wants to leave but her father (Primitivo) forbids it

-          The marquis (Pedro) openly acknowledges that he is being manipulated by those of the lower class (Primitivo); Julian suggests he leaves the country for a while and gets married. Primitivo hears the whole conversation… (oops!)

Chap. 8

-          The marquis and Julian make their way to the city. Primitivo’s trickery to try and stop them from going (mare isn’t shod, kills the donkey, hides to try and kill Julian)

Chap. 9

-          Marquis Pedro arrives at cousins/uncle’s house (Pardo de la Lage family)

-          Pedro and the father of the girls (Manuel) are already both thinking about marriage

Chap. 10

-          Pedro considers which cousin he will marry. He likes Rita (voluptuous, child-bearing body) but is scared she might have been with other men, or be too flirtatious. Julian recommends that he marry Nucha.

Chap. 11

-          Pedro’s inappropriate behavior with the girls; his moment with Nucha and her concern for her honor

-          Pedro decides to marry Nucha; everyone is surprised and critical; the wedding

Chap. 12

-          Julian returns to the house of Ulloa; he says Sabel should leave the house – she wants to go too, to get married to a bagpiper (of her same social class).

-          Brief mention of the revolution (of 1868) at the end of the chapter – Don Eugenio (abbot of Naya)’s excitement

Chap. 13

-          Pedro’s boredom with city life after marriage. Comparison of marquis and his uncle, don Manuel. Comparison of city and country life – clash between the two.

-          Pedro and Nucha leave the city to go to house of Ulloa… Nucha is pregnant

Chap. 14

-          Julian’s careful consideration of Nucha’s transition from virgin to [pregnant] wife

-          Sabel still hasn’t left the house; Nucha meets Perucho (but doesn’t know it’s Pedro’s illegitimate son)

Chap. 15

-          The marquis, Nucha, and Julian pay visits to a few people in the country; the mocking tone

Chap. 16

-          Nucha’s pregnancy; Pedro’s loving treatment of her

-          Julian’s comparisons between Nucha and Virgin Mary

-          Nucha starts labor (going to have her baby) – difficult childbirth because she is a weak city girl (complications because of tight corsets and sedentary life)

Chap. 17

-          Nucha continues in labor; Julian’s intense prayer – Nucha finally gives birth to a baby girl. Pedro is angry that it’s not a boy.

Chap. 18

-          Nucha has almost died in childbirth. She is very devoted to her daughter.

-          Comparison of the nursemaid and a cow/barrel (“human cow,” “shape and intelligence of a barrel”)

-          Julian realizes that as Nucha remains entertained with the baby, things at the house are returning to their former state (Sabel and Primitivo in power)

Chap. 19

-          Both Julian and Nucha realize that Sabel and Pedro are lovers again.

-          The old women and Sabel fortune-telling with cards – Julian doesn’t get the significance

-          Julian’s nightmare about the house and the garden

Chap. 20

-          Nucha is haunted by her fears, by visions and monsters

-          The terrifying nature of the house in the winter storm

Chap. 21

-          The men prepare for a hunting trip. They gather at the house and tell hunting stories.

Chap. 22

-          Julian goes hunting with the men

-          Comparison of a running hare (the prey) with a woman that the men must pursue

Chap. 23

-          Perucho’s obsession with Nucha’s baby

-          Nucha realizes the strong possibility that Perucho is Pedro’s son, and angrily rejects the boy she had so cared for. She wants Sabel to leave the house…

Chap. 24

-          Active political situation (Barbacana and Trampeta) – Primitivo spends time with Barbacana; the marquis (Pedro) is pushed into the role of a political candidate

-          The small chapel of Ulloa is renovated to make marquis Pedro look good

Chap. 25

-          Political speculation as election time arrives

Chap. 26

-          Julian’s worry for Nucha (thinks she’s being abused by Pedro); he feels in a dangerous position, watched suspiciously by everyone including the other priests

-          The election – the bribery/cheating, the peasant watchman is tricked and Ulloa’s side loses the election because of it

-          The violent end to the elections, the joy of the lower class mob and their mutual cry against the priests and the marquis

Chap. 27

-          Julian’s worry about Nucha’s sick and exhausted state. Nucha tells him that she wants to run away from Ulloa with her daughter and return to her father’s house; she is worried that they will kill her daughter.

Chap. 28

-          Temporary switch to Perucho’s perspective

-          Primitivo bribed Perucho to tell him about Nucha’s interactions with Julian. Perucho helps Primitivo find the marquis Pedro when Nucha and Julian throw him out of the chapel to talk alone, tempted by the promise of four pennies.

-          Primitivo is struck down by someone, and Perucho continues alone to the chapel, where he sees that Pedro is going to kill Nucha and his only thought is to save the baby, who he goes and kidnaps. The nurse arrives later to take her back…

Chap. 29

-          Julian has been accused by Pedro of “unlawful conspiracy” with Nucha. Julian is forced to leave the house of Ulloa. As he leaves, he finds Primitivo dead lying in the dirt.

Chap. 30

-          Ten years have passed

-          Julian returns to the house of Ulloa and it has not changed much – he himself has changed, aging greatly and becoming more manly.

-          Julian visits Primitivo’s and Nucha’s graves.

-          Julian sees Perucho and Nucha; Perucho is dressed finely while Nucha is in little more than rags.