Estimadas personas,

Si acaba de recibir esta noticia entonces ya es miembro virtual del «Coloquio Cervantes», obra de Kurt Reichenberger y A. Robert Lauer.  El plan es distribuir un tema de discusión cada semana a los colegas interesados en Cervantes, con el propósito de que inspire al diálogo.  Los colegas pueden responder al tema de discusión entrando en el simposio <http://www.ou.edu/cervantes/coloquiocervantes.html> y mandando un mensaje a los colegas.  También puede responder mandando un mensaje por e-mail a <[log in to unmask]>.  Esta información será vista por todos nosotros.  Kurt hará una selección de las respuestas y sacará adelante un libro.  Por lo tanto, al mandar mensajes, es necesario que incluyan sus nombres completos.  A la vez, hay un «chat room» del Coloquio Cervantes; sin embargo, funciona sólo cuando hay al menos dos personas en el sistema, ya que la comunicación es virtual y en vivo.  Para tal dirección tienen que entrar dentro del sistema: <http://modlang.ou.edu/cervantes/>.  Las instrucciones están en español.  Si no desea recibir mensajes del Coloquio Cervantes, favor de indicármelo.  También se puede hacer entrando en los archivos del Coloquio: <http://www.ou.edu/cervantes/coloquiocervantes.html>.  Espero que este sistema haga posible la comunicación--y publicación--casi inmediata de aspectos cervantinos en este año tan especial de 2005.

Saludos cordiales de

A. Robert Lauer & Kurt Reichenberger

Favor de ver abajo la carta inicial de Kurt Reichenberger (en español e inglés) y el primer tema de discusión:

Estimados amigos y amigas:
Desde Navidad aparecieron Cervantes y su mundo I y II, volúmenes valiosos con más de 30 artículos, gran parte de ellos sobre el Quijote de 1605. Pronto será publicado Cervantes y su mundo, vol. III, con otros veinte y cuatro artículos escritos por distinguidos cervantistas. Con los 24 capítulos en Cervantes, el Quijote y los mensajes destinados al lector y otros 12 en Cervantes and the Hermeneutics of Satire tendremos alrededor de cien opiniones decididas y sustentadas con rigor crítico.
Considerado bien una situación tan favorable, proponemos la fundación de un simposio virtual con el título «Coloquio Cervantes». Como han visto, existen hasta cien asuntos críticos que valen la pena ser discutidos con elegancia y fervor académico. Intentamos presentartes en el «Coloquio Cervantes» cada semana un tema nuevo, interesantísimo. El de la semana actual es: «Cervantes, ¿es un feminista?»
El de la próxima semana será: «Catalina de Palacios, ¿co-autora del Quijote de 1605?»
Las contribuciones serán publicadas lo antes posible.
Un cordial saludo
A.R.L.   K.R.

Dear Colleagues,
Since Christmas, Cervantes y su mundo, vols. I and II, appeared; these are stately volumes with more than 30 contributions, mostly on the Quixote of 1605. Soon, Cervantes y su mundo, vol III, will be published by Edition Reichenberger, with an additional 24 articles, written by distinguished Cervantistas. Together with the 24 chapters in Cervantes, el Quijote y los mensajes destinados al lector, and 12 chapters in Cervantes and the Hermeneutics of Satire, we come to an amount of about a hundred theses sustained with most solid arguments. In such a favorable situation, we propose the institution of a virtual symposium with the title «Coloquio Cervantes». As you will have noticed, we have about a hundred literary items, which are worth discussing with elegance and academic rigor. We intend to present to you in the «Coloquio Cervantes» every week a new subject of common interest to be discussed. The one of this week runs: "Cervantes, is he a feminist?"
The one for next week will be: "Catalina de Palacios, is she a co-authoress of the Quixote of 1605?"
The different opinions will be published in a nice little volume as soon as possible.
Best wishes
A.R.L.   K.R.

Primer asunto crítico para dialogar. Puede responder a la siguiente tesis, en español o inglés, mandando un mensaje a
<http://lists.ou.edu/archives/cervantes-l.html> o al siguiente número electrónico: coloquiocervantes@ou.edu

Was Cervantes a Feminist?

Some Irritating Thoughts on the Quixote of 1605

The title alone might cause an astonished frown. For Gender Studies, as a rule are engaged, but sometimes lacking seriousness. Is Don Quixote, mirror of knighthood, feministically contaminated? That sounds like a joke, even high spirited experts of Gender Studies would not dare to utter similar assertions. Nevertheless, as soon as we start scrutinizing closely some crucial situations and persons we are confronted with astounding results. Of the men present in the novel no one is really sympathetic. Only Don Quixote himself. But as we are told already in the first chapter, he has lost his mind.
As far as the women are concerned it is completely different. First of all we have Dorotea. Don Fernando sneaked in, promised to marry her and then abandoned her. A fact, not gentlemanlike at all. Dorotea has left her parents' house, has clothed herself like a young man and gone in search of her noble seducer. She is prudent, energetic and helpful. This becomes obvious when she is told the crazy plan of the parson to bring Don Quixote home to his village. For she resolutely declares that she will play the part of the unfortunate princess far better than the fat parson or the barber. The amused reader certainly agrees. At any rate, Dorotea plays her part of the unfortunate princess so perfectly, that Don Quixote is convinced at once. Also, Cervantes loves her with all his heart. And he shows his sympathy. Not by exaggerating her beauty or her other perfections. On the contrary. He makes her human by attributing her little shortcomings. When she tells her story, how Don Fernando seduced and then abandoned her, she scolds and reviles like a muleteer. And when she tries to describe her journey, she confounds seaports with other cities, blushes and looks for an evasion. Just, like a beginner in school. And exactly those blunders, skillfully chosen by Cervantes, make her so lovable to the reader. •1•

Also the feminine trio in the inn of Juan Palomeque has the sympathy of Cervantes and the reader. Tired from the long ride, Don Quixote immediately goes to sleep. But the others prefer to chat a bit and the innkeeper and his women join them. They come to speak of Don Quixote and his madness, for the innkeeper and the women know him already from a very turbulent night. It turns out that the innkeeper has also two books on chivalry a traveller left behind some time ago. He cannot read, but at harvest time groups assemble in the inn and there is always someone who reads for an interested audience. The innkeeper particularly enjoys the bloodiest battles most. And when the parson wants to convince him of the deceitfulness of the books of chivalry, he is obstinate and comes out with a nice argument: those books wear the approbation of the king himself, so they could contain no lies.
Then the parson asks the women. Compared with the wild exaggerations of the innkeeper, their commentaries are rather realistic. And very characteristic for each one of them. The wife of the innkeeper admits at once a sympathy for the books of chivalry. At harvest time, when someone was reading to a company, her husband sat there listening openmouthed. That was fine, for she had a peaceful time and could do her work without him meddling with it or standing in the way. The next who answers the question is Maritornes, the ugly Asturian maid. She is enraptured of the books of chivalry, especially of the appetizing love-scenes, when the knight holds the lovely young lady firmly and kisses her tenderly. Such scenes, she assures, fade away like honey on your tongue. Another aspect is named by the adolescent daughter of the innkeeper. She likes the tender complaints of the knights-errant. But confesses that it is hard to understand why they do not marry their beloved ones.•2•

Cervantes, infatuated with revealing situations, has succeeded in presenting the «libros de caballerías» from rather surprising points of view. In the discussions between experts and fans of those books the debate is mostly concerned with the categories of Aristotle, History vs. Poetic inventions, Truth vs. Fantastic exaggerations, or the complexity of probability. Cervantes breaks the fetters of the traditional discussion in a most unconventional way. At the same time, he succeeds splitting up the feminine trio in the house of Juan Palomeque in manner, not only striking, but most amusing. Everyone of those women has well-determined features and evokes our sympathetic interest. But only at the rim of the scene. As for Cervantes, the outstanding star of them is the prudent, energetic and humorous Dorotea. A peach of a girl.

Kurt Reichenberger

Notes

(1) With respect to Dorotea see «La ingeniosa Dorotea y su voluble don Fernando». In: Kurt & Theo Reichenberger, Cervantes. »Don Quijote« y sus mensajes destinados al lector. Traducido por Pablo Álvarez Ellacuria. (Estudios de literatura 93). Kassel 2004. pp. 115-128. – Mª Carmen Marín Pina, «Don Quijote, las mujeres y los libros de caballerías». In: Cervantes y su mundo II. Eds. Kurt Reichenberger / Darío Fernández-Morera. (Estudios de literatura 94). Kassel 2005. pp. 309-340.

(2) With respect to Maritornes see «La noche pasada en lo que don Quijote creía castillo y la lasciva Maritornes». In: Kurt & Theo Reichenberger, Cervantes. »Don Quijote« y sus mensajes destinados al lector. o.c., pp. 71-75. – Joan F. Cammarata, «Descifrando los códigos de clase, cultura y poder en el mundo de Cervantes». In: Cervantes y su mundo II. o.c., pp. 86-100; – "Typological Forays: Maritornes, the Asturian Maid, and Her Hagiografic Model." In: Kurt Reichenberger, Cervantes and the Hermeneutics of Satire. (Estudios de literatura 94). Kassel 2005.

As a matter of fact, due to the exaggerated agressiveness of some authoresses, the terms “feminism, feminist” etc. sound rather despective. I am convinced Kurt does not mean that, but that by reading attentively the Quijote, he has adopted from Cervantes the trick to shock the readers by fresh formulations, thus stimulating them to decided reactions.

Well, what is your position in this case? Cervantes, is he, or is he not a feminist?

Responda en español o inglés a:
<http://lists.ou.edu/archives/cervantes-l.html> o al siguiente número electrónico: coloquiocervantes@ou.edu
The Editor

NB:  Con la disculpa de todos, este mensaje será mandado dos veces (una por correo electrónico y otra por medio de la lista de distribución)

Prof. A. Robert Lauer
The University of Oklahoma
Dept. of Modern Langs.,  Lits., & Ling.
780 Van Vleet Oval, Kaufman Hall, Room 206
Norman, Oklahoma 73019-2032, USA
Tel.: 405-325-5845 (office); 405/325-6181 (OU dept.); Fax: 1-530-364-9575 (private)
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