Best works of Hispanic literature? Let’s discuss.

This semester I have been enveloped in Hispanic literature in a way that I wish I was back when I resided on Calle de Cervantes in Spain.

Best works of Hispanic literature? Let’s discuss.

“El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de La Mancha” - Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Alcalá de Henares, Spain)

Naturally, our starting point must be the book that is frequently labeled as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works ever written. I feel a particular sense of obligation to Cervantes, after spending those six months sitting out on my balcony in Madrid, listening to tour guides speak on the writer’s legacy and unintentionally becoming part of the photos taken by tourists fascinated with our apartment building.

The book is about a man, Don Quijote, who is convinced that he is a knight and sets out on a series of noble missions (misadventures) with his companion Sancho Panza. In the world Quijote lives in, the windmills are giants he must fight, his inns are castles, and the neighbor girl who reeks of BO from working in the yard all day is the princess he is destined to marry. Meanwhile, Panza is attempting to keep Quijote attached to the earth instead of floating away with a balloon full of his imaginations. It is a satirical novel about societal norms at the time while exploring themes of identity, self-discovery, and impact of those closest to us.

Throughout the entirety of this novel, both Quijote and Panza question their identity and their understanding of the world around them. Quijote has a very idealistic outlook on the world while Panza is strictly realistic, highlighting the tension between fantasy and reality. Quijote’s idealistic perspective encourages a more positive approach to life, emphasizing the importance of optimism and imagination. Meanwhile, Panza’s realistic view grounds the narrative, reminding readers of the practical considerations and challenges of everyday existence, and how we should all live in the present.

This book is oftentimes referred to as the first modern novel written about friendship. Although Panza and Quijote have very different ways that they look at the world, they still could not go about their life without the other one. By the end of the story, both Quijote and Panza evolve, adopting elements of the other’s perspective. This mutual influence causes a subtle, yet significant, shift in their identities and shows the impact that relationships can have on one’s identity.

“A su retrato” - Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico)

I used this poem for one of my Spanish essays this semester and I compared it to Luis de Góngora “Soneto CLXVI” and although Sor Juana’s poem is a response to Góngora’s, Sor Juana’s poem is the valid one between the two.

Sor Juana’s poem is an exploration of vanity, self-deception, human mortality, and the place that women held in the society she was living in. It draws contrasts between being worried about your physical appearance and the greater importance of intellectual ideas. She claims that anyone who is preoccupied with their looks is just a fragile flower in the wind, susceptible to anything human nature throws at them. Although she does not claim to be a strong flower. This poem is about her own personal vanity and inner tension between being glad she is attractive and wishing she could be an intellectual that does not care about her physical appearance. This internal fight represents the conflicting societal expectations placed on women during her time. I believe it is a powerful thing that a woman who is attempting to climb the ranks of a patriarchal society in order to become a successful poet decides to write about her own personal vanity like this. However this seems almost like a calculated step on Sor Juana’s part – it is now seemingly impossible, or unnecessary, for an outsider to insult her by calling her “vain” because she already called herself vain.

Although it speaks on the same themes, this is different from Góngora’s poem because his poem compares a woman’s features with natural elements to display how a woman should be appreciative of how she looks when she is young because her features will change over time. His final verse is a way of telling women that they can try to be deceitful by fooling everyone into thinking she is beautiful but one day, just like nature, she will become dust and then nothing. Góngora is getting on a high horse and preaching about vanity and deceitfulness to women while Sor Juana writes on vanity using herself as an example allowing readers to feel connected  and seen instead of feeling as though they are being taught by a disapproving authority figure. As Lennon’s professor says, “I wouldn’t let Góngora near my daughters.”

Since Sor Juana was writing during the 17th century, it’s surprising that her work has been preserved and is now being taught in this manner. Other works of hers include, “A una rosa”, “Esta tarde, mi bien”, and “Hombres necios.”

“El etnógrafo” - Jorge Luis Borges (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

This is a short story about an ethnographer, Fred Murdock, who is convinced by his professor to live undercover with a western tribe to see their way of life and report on it. Murdock is on board with the plan until one night when he finally vocalizes his dreams. The next day he returned to Texas without warning, and told his professor he would not be revealing the secrets of the tribe.

As an ethnographer, Murdock’s job is to study and document the culture of a particular society or group. The story in a whole raises questions about the nature of industries like ethnography, anthropology, and journalism and where boundaries should be drawn between the observer and the observed. Especially in a case like Murdock’s where the subjects of the tribe don’t know they are being observed, the relationship between the observed and the observer can be exploitative.

However even if this paper would have been written, there is a good chance that what Murdock wrote would not have accurately represented the culture at large because it’s impossible to adequately describe the intricate life of others. It explores the idea that the truth and secrets of life can only be revealed by experiencing life, it is not a thing that can be written. Everything is subjective, and those professors did not live in the tribe as Murdock did, and therefore it is most likely the secret would not have the same effect on the professors as it did on Murdock.

It is also important to speak on the aspect of adaptability and the impact of a prolonged exposure to a foreign culture can have on someone. Spending a long time in a culture far different from your own can significantly broaden one’s perspective, increase empathy, and create a more self-sufficient, confident, and open-minded person. Through Murdock’s time living with the Western tribe, he experienced all of these effects. These improved characteristics also influenced Murdock's view on his career, as he realized that the subjects he traveled to observe were real people, not just specimens.

“Romance del Conde Arnaldo” - Anonymous

This poem has a similar idea to “El etnógrafo”, as it pushes the idea that things have to be experienced first hand. In the poem, a Count was standing at the shoreline and saw a sailor on his boat in the ocean. The sailor was singing a song that made the sea calm, the birds sit on the mast, and fish jump out of the sea into his nets. When the Count asked the sailor to teach him the song, the sailor responded, “You’ll have to come with me to see.”

Through this final sentence, it alludes to the idea of the incompleteness of second-hand knowledge and how information can be incomplete or hold prejudices when it is learned exclusively through teachings and descriptions. When people experience life for themselves, they have a personal transformation and can learn more effectively from their mistakes.

This song turned poem was written in the early 16th century with an unknown author. This begs to bring up the Virginia Woolf quote, “For most of history, anonymous was a woman.” The quote reflects the reality that during this time period, women’s contributions in numerous fields were often overlooked or attributed to men. Although it is unresearched as to whether this particular poem might have been written by a woman, it is important to note that throughout much of history, societal norms limited women’s opportunities for education and professional recognition.

“Dos Palabras” - Isabel Allende (Lima, Peru)

I particularly liked the main character of this short story. Belisa Crepusculario was born to a family so poor that her parents did not name any of their children for the same reason one doesn’t name cattle, they did not believe the children had a future. But Belisa survived, named herself, and saved her life by discovering writing. She found out that she can do business with words, and became a master at selling words. The Coronel tracks down Belisa and kidnaps her so she will write him a speech, as he wants to run for president. She writes him a beautiful speech that causes all the townspeople to fall in love with him. However Belisa gives the Coronel two free words, which she whispers into his ear, and he becomes obsessed and can’t think of anything but Belisa, so he brings her back to him.

Allende published this story following a time of various civil wars happening around Hispanic America, and the story was set during the Mexican Civil War. Therefore the events that happen in this novel are a way of saying that words have a lot of influence over people and instead of starting wars, people can use words.

Many people assume that the two words Belisa whispered to the Coronel were “te amo”. However I like to think otherwise. This poem is all about dismantling the social construction of gender as Belisa is a self-taught, resourceful, independent young woman which are all qualities traditionally associated with masculinity. The Coronel, who is described as ruthless at war, is also turning to Belisa for help, when usually it is the woman who is written to need help. I would like to suggest more mirthful words such as “chisgarabís” (“nonsense”), “Espantapájaros” (“scarecrow”), or “Zurumbático” (“eccentric”).

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We have far more works that need to be discussed. To be continued, I suppose.

Yours truly,

Calihan