From: Cervantes: Bulletin of the Cervantes Society of America
12.2 (1992): 149-50.
Copyright © 1992, The Cervantes Society of America
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Eduardo Urbina's reading of Sancho Panza augurs
well as the first monographic study of the Serie Cervantina within Anthropos's
collection titled “Hispanistas. Creación, Pensamiento,
Sociedad.” The handsome binding and print is easily surpassed by Urbina's
lucid and penetrating analysis of Sancho's role in Don Quijote. More
specifically, Urbina's study chooses as its “punto de partida y premisa
la intención paródica del Quijote, actualizada en la
creación de Sancho como personaje” (17). In addition he proposes
that a more fitting genesis for Sancho is the pattern established in the
squire-dwarf character in the romance of chivalry.
He critically examines in the introduction
(7-16) other readings of Sancho, opining that it is impossible to trace “un
análisis válido y coherente de Sancho saltando de episodio
a episodio, de parte en parte, sin hacer caso de la imposición de
relaciones intertextuales y paródicas” (8). Although one may
want to question his use of the term “valid” in literary analysis,
by approaching the character Sancho Panza from an intertextual perspective,
with a focus on parodic intent, Urbina certainly offers a satisfying and
comprehensive reading.
Chapter 1, “El escudero en la literatura
caballeresca” (17-46) begins the process by considering Partida II,
Title 21 of Alfonso X's Siete partidas, Llull's Libro de la Orden
de Caballería, don Juan Manuel's Libro del caballero y del
escudero, as a theoretical base, and proceeds to the role of Ribaldo
in Cifar and Gorvalán in Tristán de Leonís.
From these texts he devises a taxonomy of squireship and in Tirante el
Blanco he finds that various squires offer specific characteristics which,
selectively combined, form Sancho's character.
In Chapter 2 (47-84) we come to Sancho's closest
forerunner, “Gandalín modelo paródico,” as the title
indicates. Here Urbina's reader will slap his or her forehead (reader may
choose) and exclaim “Of course!” If don Quixote models himself
after Amadís, would it not only be natural for Sancho to model himself,
at least tacitly, after Amadís' squire? Although major similarities
and disparities between both squires exist, a major fountain of parodic waters
springs from Sancho's self-interest as compared with Gandalín's essential
selflessness as regards Amadís. Urbina skillfully wades in
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these waters when he treats Sancho in the 1605 and the 1615 versions of Don
Quijote, chapters 3 (85-134) and 4 (135-90), respectively. A conclusion
(191-94), bibliography (195-205), and index (207) round out the contents.
As regards the Arthurian dwarf, the characteristics
that Sancho shares with Ardián of Amadís include 1) a grotesque
appearance, 2) a comic function, 3) ignorance, and 4) being mounted on a
lesser beast (palafrén/rucio) than is their knight. Ardián,
Urbina points out, is as loyal to Amadís as is Gandalín. Sancho
is the opposite of Gandalín except in dedication and fidelity to the
master. The parodic power invested in the dwarf, however, unleashes a new
demythifying esthetic that opens the way to exploration of the paradox that
sustains him, that paradox consisting of the dwarf being beyond the confines
but still dependent on “‘the support of the social group to which
he belongs’ (Welsford, art. cit., 55)” (76). Sancho fits into this
mold.
Earlier Urbina elucidates the common love-honor
conflict as central to chivalrous adventures in which a triangular relationship
is established between the knight, lady, and squire. Gandalín, for
example, waits for Amadís to satisfy his love interest in Oriana so
that the chivalrous, the honor adventure can occur. Gandalín becomes
superfluous once Oriana is possessed. Herein lies a major difference between
the two works, for, since Dulcinea is non-existent, Sancho can never lose
his function as squire, with all its ramifications. Urbina ably summarizes
the differences synoptically as follows:
Amadís de Gaula revela el siguiente patrón: conocimiento y unión de la pareja; separación; intervención del escudero; disminución del esudero; unión de la pareja. En el Quijote observamos, en cambio: concepción de la dama; intervención del escudero; separación de la pareja; disminución del caballero; unión de la nueva pareja don Quijote-Sancho. (137)
Urbina spends the rest of his study ably explaining and elucidating the various
ramifications of this paradigm.
Although previously published studies by Urbina
inform several sections of this inquiry, the entire venture forms an integrated
work of considerable scholarly merit in which Urbina reveals himself to be
not only a sensitive reader of the Quijote, but also a master of
expounding his insights. Urbina's reading has clarified several puzzlements
I have had regarding Cervantes' magnum opus. Although I cannot say that Urbina's
assessments always persuade (“Don Quijote y Sancho comparten un mismo
estado, la locura —simpleza en el escudero—” [92], for example),
his readings are more often convincing than not and really merit reading
themselves.
The few typographical errors do not detract
from the impact of the author's thesis, a thesis that will offer fertile
ground for furthering that bittersweet “différance.”
| ANTHONY J. CÁRDENAS |
| University of New Mexico |
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| Fred Jehle jehle@ipfw.edu | Publications of the CSA | H–Cervantes |
| URL: http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/cervante/csa/articf92/cardenas.htm | ||