-
Carlos
de Sigüenza y Góngora
o
Vida
(1645-1700)
o
Was born in New World (México City)
o
Distant relation to baroque poet Luis de Góngora
(his nephew, I think?)
-
Lots of debate about text’s genre:
o
The work is a historical account of the life of
Alonso Ramírez – it’s a novelized biography
o
It’s not really a novel, since it’s historically
true, but some still claim that it’s the first and best novel of the colonial
period. Others see it as a “pre-novel”
Contexto politico/social
-
During viceroyalty of Mexico / “New Spain”
-
Growing problem with English/Dutch
conquistadors/pirates – they were seen as wicked heretics
-
Muchos
problemas en la capital de la Nueva España (México City) – gran desigualdad,
pobreza, motines del pueblo, crisis de valores y desconfianza en las
instituciones
Comps
-
From chronicle to novel in Spanish-America. The
development of the narrative (novelistic elements such as dialogue, character
development, interpolated narratives) as portrayed in the works of some of the Cronistas of the XVIth and XVIIth
centuries and continuing on through the XIXth century (Sigüenza y Góngora,
Fernández de Lizardi, Echeverría, Isaacs, Palma).
-
They could theoretically also ask about
“perspective of other” (The representation of the indigenous from the
perspective of the other)
Notes from rincondelvago
-According to some critics, not exactly a novel, but has novelesque elements. Could be
-According to others, it's the first and best colonial novel.
-Other, a picaresque novel. Picaresque elements (highlighted in purple): first person narration, his age, his trips, hunger, tener distintos amos, examines the society to which it belongs. More descriptive than autobiographical.
-Author combines lenguaje culto to describe geography/cartography and el estilo llano de Alonso.
-autor ficcionalizado. antropofagía (fancy word for eating humans...) de los ingleses, nature is presented como adversa Alonso (tormentas, islas difíciles, insectos, escasez de agua...)
-Alonso Ramírez was a real person, but Sigüe. "añade o modifica" situations.
-As a Catholic, Alonso is divided from English, who are bárbaros, crueles, asesinos and, as the cherry on top, heretics.
-Sigüe adds stuff on la virgen de Guadalupe because he wants to make her FAMOUS. (or, could've been a way to avoid the censors)
Resumen
The story narrates the
tale of Alonso Ramírez, a young Puerto Rican
criollo born to a poor but hard-working family. Rejecting his father’s
profession of carpentry, he seeks his fortune in New Spain, first in Puebla and
then in Mexico City and points south. After attempting various jobs (most often
carpentry) and a few get-rich-quick schemes, Alonso marries and settles in
Puebla. His wife dies in childbirth nine months later, and Alonso gives up on
himself and on the Americas, self-exiling to the Philippines on a commercial
vessel.
As soon as Alonso
establishes himself in these islands and achieves managerial responsibility
onboard a commercial ship, he is captured by British (Protestant) pirates who
torture, abuse, and enslave him and his companions. He travels with the
ruffians through several Asian archipelagos, along the coast of India, around
the Cape of Good Hope, and eventually to the mouth of the Amazon River, where
he and his companions are set free in a pirated frigate with few provisions.
The small crew sails up
the coast of South America and navigates through the Caribbean Islands, always
fleeing the ports before docking in fear of further encounters with the British
or other hostile groups. In desperation, they finally disembark starving and
thirsty on the coast of the Yucatán (Catholic territory). Guided by friendly
Indians, they travel to the town of Tihosuco and then to Valladolid and Mérida,
receiving kindnesses from the church and hostility from the State officials
that they encounter in each town. Scattering his crew, Alonso is eventually
escorted to the court of Viceroy Gaspar de la Cerda, who sympathetically offers
aid and facilitates contact with Don Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora, who
compassionately transcribes this relation of Alonso’s sufferings).
Apuntes de la introducción
del texto
-
Siguenza was born into a noble Spanish family in
México City
-
He was educated by Jesuits but was expelled from
the Society after one night of bad decisions
-
Siguenza’s strong focus/interest on/in
scientific themes
-
The problems that Alonso Ramírez faces in the
work are representative of the problems the Spanish Empire was facing in the 17th
century
-
Lots of debate over the genre. Since the Spanish
Crown inhibited the publication or import of novels in the New World (in 1531),
lots of literary creations meant to entertain were disguised as historical
documents. This work contains many elements associated with the modern novel,
such as:
o
Believable protagonist who faces adversity
o
Detailed narration of events
o
Clear intention to entertain the reader
o
Attention to narrative techniques
-
Influence of Byzantine novel genre – topic of pilgrimage
through perilous waters toward a Christian goal of salvation (maritime setting,
series of misadventures, circular structure, importance of fate, use of
suspense, and flexible narrative time)
-
Influence of picaresque novel genre – first
person narrator, constant geographical and professional movement of
protagonist, episodic structure, autobiographical framework, and upward
aspirations of the lower-class protagonist
The Book's Introduction (different version)
-A.R. is poor son of carpenter, born in Puerto Rico 1662, left in 1675, died 1693, went around the world. becomes canónigo and knew our homefry, Sor Juana.
-"erudito mexicano" Sigüenza y Góngora (Sigüe) wrote down his adventures
-A.R.-vida novelesca. Traveled from P.R. to Mex to Phil. to Oriente
“Personajes”
-
Alonso Ramírez – protagonist; a young Puerto
Rican criollo born to a poor but hard-working family
-
Bel – English captain of the pirates
-
El condestable Nicpat – the one kind English
pirate
-
Miguel – particularly cruel Spanish pirate who
has become a heretic
-
Juan de Casas – Alonso’s only surviving Spanish
companion
-
Pedro – Alonso’s black slave
Temas/ideas importantes
-
Estilo de escritura
o
Escribe
en primera persona (desde perspectiva de Alonso Ramírez)
o
Testigo
de vista (ej: “vide y toqué con mis manos”)
o
Uso
de retórica
§ La hipérbole/la inexpresabilidad –
·
ej: “ayudándoles
la brisa y la corriente cuanto no es decible”
·
ej: “con
individuar uno u otro se discurrirán los que callo”
§ Modestia afectada/humildad –
·
ej: el hacerse
cobarde/gallina por ser español para convencer a los demás de que quiera ser
esclavo suyo e ir para América
§ “I don’t want to
bore you”
-
Elementos picarescos
o
Son
especialmente evidentes en el primer capítulo del texto
o
Comienza
con la genealogía del héroe
o
Hay
la amenaza constante del hambre
o
El
héroe es motivado a dejar su familia por un deseo de ascender socialmente
o
Sigue
a un amo, y a la muerte de este, tiene que empezar por su propia cuenta
-
Elementos
de vidas de santos
o
Alonso
sufre torturas y privaciones, pero no colabora con los piratas protestantes
(los ayuda sólo lo bastante para que no maten a sus hombres)
o
Se
cuida de sus hombres, hasta dándoles una especie de extrema unción y un entierro
cristiano si mismo
o
Dios
y la Virgen los salvan en los momentos más oscuros (la Virgen responde a su
petición de lluvia cuando mueren de sed)
-
El
paisaje antagonista
o
Llegados
a Yucatán, tienen que andar por la selva y el monte buscando a gente que los
ayude
o
Casi
mueren a causa de la dificultad del terreno y la falta de agua
o
Ejemplo
temprano del tema de la selva antagonista que vemos en La vorágine, Horacio Quiroga, y Rómulo Gallegos
-
Religión
o
Heavy critique of the protestant Christians
§
The pirates are protestant – depicted as all the
more violent and horrible due to that
§
Mentions that the protestants attempt to forbid
Catholicism
o
Exaltation of Catholicism
§
Image of Catholicism as the “one true religion”
o
Some hints of interest in conversion (with
Indians, to Catholicism)
-
The human element
o
The English pirates suck.
o
The Indians are not necessarily trustworthy
§ Example:
The English pirates get Alonso’s Indian boatswain to share some info. “repreguntando con cariño a mi
contramaestre de quien por indio jamás
se podia prometer cosa que buena fuese, supieron de él…”
o
Some Indians
are helpful
-
Demonization
of the pirates
o
They are heretics and prevent lovely faithful Catholics
from practicing
o
Tons of destruction and torture, even without
reason/motivation
o
Cannibalism
o
Whenever the pirates kill anyone, they do so in
a cruel way (by surprise after the people have treated them well, burning them
alive, etc.) and there’s no mercy!
Notes from the book:
Letter from Siguenza to Viceroy of Mexico (Gaspar
de Cerda)
-
Lots of flattery of viceroy in the long greeting
– says all his titles and calls him “Excelentísimo”
-
Basically thanking viceroy for his previous
attention – I hope you like this work too (and pay attention to it like you
have to my other works)
-
Little description of the trials suffered by
Alonso Ramírez
Note of approval from censor
Opens up with a note from censor. Calls the work an "estudiosa tarea". His misfortunes aren't so bad #1 because they've already happened and #2 because someone was smart enough to write them down. Classical/biblical references. Work is useful, doesn't need to be censured.
Chapter 1: Motives to leave the patria
-
Desire to entertain the reader – “Quiero que se entretenga el
curioso que esto leyere por algunas horas”
-
I don’t want to bore you or annoy you (rhetoric) so I’ll just tell you the
most noteworthy things, and I’ll omit the unnecessary/repetitive/boring things.
"se suelen deducir máximas y aforismo que entre lo deleitable de la narración que entretiene cultiven la la razón de quien en ello se ocupa" (this smells of la ilustración)
Says his dad is prob. andaluz. Mom is puertorriqueña. Father also carpenter. Becomes a page on a ship at age 13. Saw city of Puebla and liked it so much that he wanted to stay and be a carpenter there. Then, I got hungry and hated my "resolución indiscreta" that brought me to leave PR.
Then I went to Mexico City and worked for a merchant (mentions trade of cotton, blankets, cacao). Yet, life wasn't easy and conditions "atropellan la gana de enriquecer". His amo gets sick and dies. Marries first wife (esposa de "mucha virtud", dies in labor.) Again...bad conditions "estimula a solicitar la salida del puerto."
Ch. 2.
leaves Acapulco for Phillipines. Records some specific sailing terminology. Names all the islands they sail by. (This kind of description is definitely reminiscent of a chronicle). Manila is described as a real gem of a city. Then, mentions some cities in India, criticising "los estragos que en ella hicieron los franceses y holandeses por poseerla". He's in touch with people of many nationalities. He was out and about and notices two enemy canoes headed towards him. Shots were fired! "llovían las balas". Notes how they cut the bullets in half to have twice as many, "nuestra ridícula resistencia". The enemies are English pirates; they make fun of the Spaniards for their weak defense.
Ch. 3.
Pónense en compendio los robos y crueldades que hicieron estas piratas en mar y tierra hasta llegar a la América)
Since he was the leader of his ship, the captain of the other ship "me recibió con fingido agrado". Promised freedom if he told them which island was the richest. He said he didn't know b/c he was coming from the other direction. BUT, A.R. actually send him to an island (which he lied saying was unpopulated) where he's hoping the local Indian population will catch the pirates off guard cause a little skirmish and have pirates taken prisoner. Maestre Bel is the leader of the ship, an Englishman. They had lots of weapons and (humorously) "ollas llenas de varios ingredientes de olor pestífero". Pirates decide to rob India (it's closer and might be more lucrative). They tie him up, along with his mestizo friend. Treated with "cruelísimos tratos de cuerda". They say they have killed one of his companions and threaten to do the same if he doesn't tell them what they want. His remarks: "díjeles con humildad que hiciesen de mí lo que les pareciese porque no tenía nad que añadir a mis primeras respuestas". Later it's revealed that they were lying and didn't even kill a companion, it was dog's blood. They get mad at him about lying, saying that island was despoblada when it wasn't. They gave him a serious beating (yet, picaresquely, escapes death!). When pirates went to the island, for reasons "que yo no supe, asintieron a éllo los pobres bárbaros." The indios readily traded their daughters to the English for a blanket... Mentions that English make it seem like "no vivían mientras no hurtaban". English EAT one of the people who burned in the fire. To A.R., this is a "tan bestial acción". A Ginovés pirate, drunk with power, cuts off the hands of two portugueses "por leves causas". Makes observations about the peoples of the islands that they pass...
Also, these guys aren't just after gold, but also DIAMONDS.
Pirates make it to an island and say that they're English "y que venían cargados de géneros nobles y exquisitos para contratar y rescatarles diamantes." (seem like they're pretending to be more noble than they are on this one island they visit). Then, attacks, saqueos, gunfire, deaths....rhetoric: "No hubo pillaje que a este se comparase por lo poco que ocupaba y su excesivo precio."
English attack/rob/burn a boat of moros. No one is strong enough to fight back...yet.
Now they're off to Madagascar and find out that a navío inglés is just about to enter the port, so they decide to wait for it. But when they realized que venía muy bien artillado, they made friends...AR was told to lie and say that they were paid voluntary sailors. Two of the men didn't say lie...and they got 900 lashes! Once again, AR escapes death. AR knows how to deal with the pirates "con afectada humildad". Off to coast of Africa. After a few months of traveling he thinks they've arrived at the Amazon river.
Chapter 4
Danle libertad los piratas y trae a la memoria lo que toleró en su prisión.
One of the pirates says "Bástanos haber degenerado de quienes somos, robando lo mejor del Oriente con circunstancias tan impías." Feeling guilty. They decide not to ditch AR in the Amazon, with all of the indios bárbaros, b.c that would be ungrateful for his slave-like work for them. So, they gave him and his crew a fragata and off they went with an astrolabe, some rice and water, medicine, artillery. AR thanks God (nuestra primera acción) and Guadalupe. Mentions how he kept a hidden portrait of the virgin, even though the English had thrown away their rosaries as "supersticious".
Now that he's free, Alonso reflects on all of the horrible work they had to do as prisoners of the pirates. Describes all the difficult work. In their last year of imprisonment, they are given kitchen duty. The meat they prepare is weighed so that none of it is taken. We also had to sew things for them, shave them. One of his comrades, Juan, can't keep up with the workload. Captain Bel makes him drink excrements to punish him. AND he "accidentalmente recuperó la salud"!!! So now, that becomes the cure for lazy people.
One of the ingleses, Cornelio, comes to him with a secret (wanted to have mutiny and kill Captain Bel). Then, Cornelio told Bel that AR wanted to kill him. AR knows he's going to get it so he tries to prep for death. They torture him (I've had quite enough reading about torture). He tells Bel the truth and then he's in trouble for being a traitor. Again, his life is hanging by a string but he manages to survive. Then, AR describes a particularly cruel Spanish pirate who brags about having abandoned catholicism for a life as a pirate.
Chapter 5
Navega AR y sus compañeros sin saber dónde estaban ni la parte a que iban, dicense los trabajos y sustentos que padecieron hasta varar tierra.
Rhetoric: "Basta de estos trabajos, que aun para leídos son muchos, por pasar a otros de diversa especie."
Starts talking about "current" time, now that they're free. Back at sea for 6 days, see land. They see another boat with an English flag and Alonso worries that the English people would have thought he killed some English sailors to get the boat (rather than him being a victim of pirates), won't believe his story.... so they go running (or sailing, rather). See English again and decide they'd rather die of hunger than tolerar impiedades. The English said it was a good island for trade and Spaniards said oh ok thanks... Then they left on the ship, fleeing English. Make it to French island, Guadalupe.
Rhetoric: "No se espante quien esto leyere." Since I'd never left my homeland as a child, I didn't know the names of the islands around it.
His goal "surgiésemos a merced suya, en aquella isla, persuadidos que haciéndoles relación de nuestros infortunios les obligaría la piedad cristiana a patrocinarnos" (on the French Isle, since French are Catholic, too). But, they opposed because some in his group were "colored" and not Spanish (and thus, less deserving of humane treatment). So they left and went around some islands. Running out of food/water, so they try go ashore, but have some difficulties on their boat. What to do? Acts of contrition and prayer! So, he jumps off the boat and serves as andaribél- lifeline....
Everyone is saved. (below is the image from my book)
Chapter 6
Wind was blowing, no shelter, begged to God. Out of water, prays to Guadalupe. They find some pond water. Then, take their arms off boat. People are getting sick from no water. Found some wild pig. Prays to Guadalupe again; aguacero falls. Mentions annoyance of mosquitos.. "God was helping me make my men move on from that place." We felt like the only place where we were headed was towards death. (Mainly, it's AR and his buddy Juan de Casas as the leaders here.) Finds his friend Francisco de la Cruz dying- he cries! He buries him. Mentions he has an esclavo named Pedro (un negrillo). Meets some people (two indigenous servants and a Spaniard, Juan Gonzalez) who say they're Catholic and he is SO thankful- "fue común entre todos el regocijo." They share their food. AR offers an escopeta. They turn over their weapons so indios won't be scared of them.
Chapter 7:
Go to an island with an old building, handmade wells full of water. Find some indios in the Sierra and want to capture them, take them to town to make them Catholic. Juan González acts as an interpreter. The indios give him a two pound chunk of amber.
Rain falls. Lose most of their bastimento and their gunpowder. "Pasamos excesiva hambre".
Finally make it to town. Nice church with tres naves. Gives thanks to God right away.
Alonso is happy they're safe and together. One of the townsmen says he's an old friend of Alonso's and that if he gives him the slave Pedro, he will help him out. Alonso doesn't buy that lie and says he's worth at least 300 reales (**In terms of perspectives on the other, we should probably formulate an idea about the role of Pedro in this relación**).
Alonso goes to live with Governor, who gets his words down in a decreto real. Yet, "las molestias que pasé en esta ciudad no son ponderables" (rhetoric) Everyone wants to hear his story a million times as entertainment, but they don't even give him food or anything. The Bishop was the only one who helped him.
The indio servants were the ones who fed him. Then, escribano gives him his papers to go free! (he also gets some money from selling Pedro). Then I kissed the hands of your majesty, who sent me to to Sigüe, who helped me out quite a bit and "me excusó de gastos"
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