Glossary
Ambigüedad (Ambiguity)
The quality of being open to more than one interpretation, intentionally used by Unamuno to leave San Manuel's true beliefs uncertain.
Example:
The profound ambigüedad surrounding San Manuel's faith forces the reader to actively engage with the text and question the nature of belief and doubt.
Angela Carballino
The narrator of the novella, a devout woman who deeply admires San Manuel and struggles to reconcile his saintly public image with the private truths she uncovers.
Example:
Through Angela Carballino's first-person narration, readers gain an intimate, yet often biased, perspective on San Manuel's complex character.
Blasillo
A mentally disabled man in the village who embodies simple, unwavering faith and serves as a symbol of pure, unquestioning belief.
Example:
The innocent devotion of Blasillo highlights the stark contrast with San Manuel's complex internal struggles and intellectual doubts.
Desdoblamiento (Doubling)
A literary technique involving the division of a character into two or more distinct personalities or selves, often representing internal conflict.
Example:
San Manuel's public persona as a saintly priest and his private self riddled with doubt exemplify a profound desdoblamiento of his being.
El tiempo lineal y el tiempo circular (Linear and circular time)
A thematic concept contrasting chronological progression with the idea that certain events, themes, or questions recur cyclically throughout history or a character's life.
Example:
While the story progresses in tiempo lineal, the recurring nature of existential doubts suggests a tiempo circular in humanity's search for meaning.
Existential questions
Fundamental inquiries about the meaning of life, existence, freedom, and human nature, often explored in philosophical and literary works.
Example:
San Manuel's secret doubts force him to confront deep existential questions about faith, purpose, and the afterlife.
Flashbacks
A literary device where the narrative shifts to an earlier time, providing background information or context to the current events.
Example:
Angela uses flashbacks to recount her memories of San Manuel, allowing the reader to piece together his life and her evolving understanding of him.
La asimilación y la marginación (Assimilation and marginalization)
A theme that explores the tension between conforming to a group's norms and feeling isolated or excluded from it, even when physically present.
Example:
Despite being beloved by his community, San Manuel experiences a profound sense of marginación due to his secret doubts, unable to truly asimilar into their collective faith.
La dualidad del ser (The duality of being)
A central theme exploring the internal conflict within individuals, particularly the struggle between opposing forces like faith and doubt, or public and private selves.
Example:
The theme of la dualidad del ser is powerfully embodied in San Manuel, who lives a life of outward sanctity while harboring profound inner skepticism.
La espiritualidad y la religión (Spirituality and religion)
A theme that contrasts personal, inner spiritual experience with the formal, organized practices and doctrines of institutional religion.
Example:
The novella questions whether true espiritualidad can exist outside the confines of traditional religión, especially through San Manuel's actions.
La imagen pública y la imagen privada (Public image and private self)
A theme that examines the contrast between how an individual appears to others and their true inner thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
Example:
San Manuel meticulously maintains his imagen pública as a devout priest, while his imagen privada is consumed by doubt and despair.
La introspección (Introspection)
The process of examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, often leading to self-discovery or profound internal conflict.
Example:
San Manuel's constant introspección about his faith leads him to a deeper, albeit painful, understanding of his own existential dilemma.
La naturaleza y el ambiente (Nature and environment)
A theme that explores how the natural setting influences characters, reflects their inner states, or provides symbolic meaning within the narrative.
Example:
The serene beauty of la naturaleza y el ambiente around Valverde de Lucerna often serves as a stark contrast to the turbulent inner lives of its inhabitants.
Lázaro
Angela's brother, a logical and skeptical intellectual who initially questions religious beliefs but eventually comes to understand and even participate in San Manuel's 'holy deception'.
Example:
Lázaro represents the conflict between modern reason and traditional faith, challenging San Manuel's beliefs before ultimately becoming his confidant.
Metaficción (Metafiction)
A literary device in which a work of fiction self-consciously draws attention to its own status as a constructed artifact, often by breaking the fourth wall or commenting on the act of storytelling.
Example:
While San Manuel Bueno, mártir focuses on existential themes, a novel employing metaficción might feature a character who knows they are in a book.
Metáfora (Metaphor)
A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as', implying a deeper symbolic connection.
Example:
The lake in the village serves as a powerful metáfora for the hidden depths and turbulent secrets beneath a seemingly calm surface.
Miguel de Unamuno
A prominent Spanish writer, philosopher, and academic from the early 20th century, known for his exploration of the conflict between faith and reason.
Example:
Unamuno's philosophical essays often delved into the profound existential questions that later permeated his fiction, like San Manuel Bueno, mártir.
Narrador fidedigno o no fidedigno (Trustworthy or Unreliable Narrator)
Refers to the credibility of the narrator; a trustworthy narrator is objective, while an unreliable one may have biases or limited understanding.
Example:
While Angela is largely a narrador fidedigno, her deep admiration for San Manuel might subtly influence her interpretation of his actions and words.
Personaje (Character)
An individual represented in a literary work, whose actions, thoughts, and interactions drive the narrative and explore themes.
Example:
San Manuel is a complex personaje whose internal conflicts between duty and doubt are central to the novella's exploration of the human condition.
Punto de vista (Point of View)
The perspective from which a story is told, influencing what information is revealed and how characters and events are perceived.
Example:
The first-person punto de vista of Angela Carballino provides an intimate, yet subjective, lens through which the reader experiences San Manuel's story.
San Manuel Bueno
The protagonist of the novella, a beloved village priest who secretly grapples with profound doubts about his faith and the existence of God.
Example:
San Manuel Bueno dedicates his life to comforting his parishioners, even as he himself finds no solace in the beliefs he preaches.
Second Spanish Republic
The historical period in Spain from 1931 to 1939, characterized by significant political and social upheaval, including rising secularism and modernization efforts.
Example:
The tensions between traditional values and progressive ideas during the Second Spanish Republic are clearly reflected in the ideological struggles within Unamuno's novella.
Secularism
The principle of separation of the state from religious institutions, often associated with a decline in religious observance or belief in society.
Example:
The growing secularism of the early 20th century challenged the traditional religious authority that characters like San Manuel represented.
Símbolo (Symbol)
An object, person, or idea that represents something else, often a more abstract concept, adding layers of meaning to a text.
Example:
The mountain peak overlooking Valverde de Lucerna acts as a símbolo of the unattainable truth or the distant heaven San Manuel doubts.
Símil (Simile)
A figure of speech that directly compares two different things using 'like' or 'as' (como or cual in Spanish) to make a description more vivid.
Example:
The priest's voice was described as 'suave como el murmullo de un río', emphasizing its calming effect on the villagers.
Traditional Catholicism
The long-established religious and cultural practices of the Catholic Church, deeply rooted in Spanish society, especially in rural areas.
Example:
Despite the rise of modern ideas, Traditional Catholicism remained a powerful force in the lives of the villagers, shaping their daily routines and moral compass.
Trama (Plot)
The sequence of events in a story, including the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Example:
The trama of the novella centers on San Manuel's internal struggle with faith and the profound impact his secret doubts have on his community.
Valverde de Lucerna
The fictional, isolated village in Castile and León where *San Manuel Bueno, mártir* is set, emphasizing introspection and the characters' internal battles.
Example:
The remote setting of Valverde de Lucerna amplifies the characters' struggles, making their internal conflicts feel even more profound and inescapable.
Yuxtaposición (Juxtaposition)
The act of placing two elements side by side for comparison or contrast, often to highlight their differences or create a specific effect.
Example:
Unamuno uses yuxtaposición to starkly contrast San Manuel's outward displays of piety with his inner turmoil and lack of belief.