San Manuel Bueno, mártir

written by Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo

[II] 438 - 487

Summary:

Told by Ángela Carballino. Raised in a religious household and town, a firm believer in the Catholic religion. She lives in a village Valverde de Lucerna, situated between a beautiful lake and a solitary mountain.

 

Her brother Lazaro wants her to be educated in a big city, away from the crude town so she is sent outside of the village to a larger city. Everyone here knows about Don Manuel. His presence draws her back to her village where she becomes a personal assistant of sort for him. He is all about caring for his people, and they cling to him, and his magnificent voice, as an anchor, especially Blasillo, a mentally disabled man who hangs on his every word, representing the blind faith of the town. Don Manuel greatly disliked being idle, alone with his own thoughts.

Lázaro returns from the Americas rich and with strong feelings of progressivism: he is dismissive of religion and anything associated with it. He is determined to move his family to a larger and more progressive city. However, when his mother dies, her greatest wish is for him to convert for her, and just before she dies he promises to pray for her. This brings him into greater contact with Don Manuel and Lázaro realizes he is not like other priests. He eventually decides to convert to Christianity, or at least that is what he tells the town, and enters into the orbit of Don Manuel. He never misses a mass, and becomes a disciple of sorts to Don Manuel. The day of his baptizing however he confronts Angela with the fact that neither he nor Don Manuel believe in resurrection,and both are unsure as to what happens after death, although Don Manuel claims at times to believe that a person dies completely, he is fairly uncertain and vague at others. Don Manuel does know that his religion is the consoling of others, and nurturing the belief in an afterlife in his followers brings them consolation, which is why he will never tell them the truth.

 

Don Manuel is tormented by the possibility, and indeed as he sees it the probability, that there is no life after death, and lives in constant conflict with himself and with the prospect of suicide. The philosophy he follows, to which Lázaro has been converted, is that the non-existence of an afterlife must be hidden to others at all costs so that they may live a happy life. Lázaro argues that Don Manuel is a saint not because of his unwavering belief in Christianity, an organization Lázaro continues to see as outdated, but because he sacrifices his life for the happiness of others (there are continual allusions to Don Manuel's Jesus-like qualities).

 

Don Manuel’s physical health gradually worsens; on the day of his death he admits that God exists, but because he has seen God's face he cannot be admitted to the promise land (allusion to Moses). He wants Angela to continue praying for all people, and to keep her faith, which she is able to do even though her spiritual advisor can not. Then he is taken to the church where he gives one final sermon, begging that the people continue to live a peaceful and happy life, and continue on with their faith. Then they begin to pray, and as the reach the point in the Creed that talks about resurrection and life after death, Don Manuel passes, with Blasillo at his side.

Lázaro dies soon after, following his teacher. Only Ángela is left, and even she is not sure if she retains faith in Christianity. She writes a testament of the events that occurred in the town then hides them. The preceding chapters we discover are that testament. She alone knew the truth behind Don Manuel, and she feels the need to capture it in some way, but she is unsure what to do with this truth.

 

Unamuno then becomes the narrator. Angela had given him her story and he chose to publish it. He feels actions speak louder than words and the truth wouldn’t change anyone’s mind.

Symbolism:

Lake = Don Manuel, tranquil appearance but a lot of unknown turmoil beneath the surface, cannot blindly accept the idea of an afterlife like the rest of the town which is shown when the snow does not stick to the lake’s surface

Mountain = townspeople, everything is exposed, accept the idea of an afterlife which is shown when the snow sticks to the mountain

Themes:

-existentialism

-idea of reality versus dreams

-el engaño y el desengaño, la honra y la deshonra

-la fe y la razón, la justicia divina y la vida

-la prosa peninsular desde el Medioevo hasta el siglo XX

 

Translation:

http://teachers.ausd.net/classlink/getfile.ausd?fileid=56285

[erin b.]