The Spanish Short Story and Its Potential for the Secondary and College Classroom'

Luis Leal

ABSTRACT T h e modern Spanish short story provides a useful teaching tool for the high school and college teacher of all levels of Span- ish. Short stories can be read and analyzed in a limited period of time. They are adaptable to various levels of achievement and individual interest, as their diverse and significant themes and limited vocabulary have wide appeal to the student and offer many opportunities for group work. Since the short story concentrates on a single impression of life, it has an immediate impact upon the reader. This personal involve- ment provokes the student to feel, to think, and

to consider his own reactions and attitudes in light of what he has read, all of which makes for lively class discussion. While many short stories have universal themes, some have im portant moral implications; others treat of SQ

ciai or national conflicts, exposing the student to the psychology, language, and culture of other people. T h e short story is also a good me dium for teaching literary analysis, to both the mature and adolescent reader. The more ad. vanced college student may wish to study the C velopment of the short story from the early didactic tale to its present form as a work of art

T H E TEACHER who has decided to use a text of short stories in Spanish will have no difficulty in finding a collection that will in- terest the students and be appropriate for their reading level, for these range from the simple story with a graded vocabulary to the most elaborate and complex experimental types being written today. Some of the an- thologies available include not only modern and contemporary stories, but also earlier forms, such as the legend, the tradicidn, and even the tale, which is a forerunner of the short story.

It would not be difficult to find an anthol- ogy containing a medieval tale by don Juan Manuel, a romantic legend by Bkcquer, a tradici6n by Ricardo Palma, a horror story by Quiroga, and a fantastic short story by Borges or Arreola. Such a collection would be excellent to teach the differences between these short narrative forms and how they have evolved. The student could be slio~n how the primitive tale is concerned with ex- plaining the nature of things, the origin of the gods, the universe, and man himself, and how the tale often has not only a didac- tic purpose, but a moral one also. He could be shown how primitive man could learn from the animals and give expression to his lore in fables where the characters, the low- er animals, behave like man and have hu- man characteristics. He could be shown that the primitive tales were not the patrimony of a chosen people, but are found in all SD

cieties, no matter how primitive. The Popd Vuh, the Oldest book of the Americas* is an excellent example 'of the narrative art Of

LUIS LEAL (Ph.D., Univ. of Chicago) is Professor of Spanish at the University of Illinois. He has pre- viously held the position of Visiting Professor at the National University of Mexico, taught at the NDEA Institute of the University of Arizona at Guadalajara, Mexico, and served on the Graduate Record Exami- nation Spanish Test Committee. The author of nu- merous texts, his most recently published is Cuen- tistas hispanoamericanos del siglo xx (New York: Random House. 1972).

*This paper was originally presented at the 1971 Meeting of ACTFL, in Chicago, 25-28 November.

442

LUIS LEAL 443

the ancient maya-quiche people of southern Mexico and Guatemala. In it we find excel- lent legends, ethiological stories, fables, and even a mythology explaining the nature of the world.

The student could also be shown how the tale later loses its didactic or moral nature and becomes a form whose only purpose is to entertain, with people relating tales they had heard or tales about their personal ex- periences. And he could learn that it is not until modern times that the tale becomes a short story invented by a writer for the pul- pose of creating a work of literary art.

The modern short story as a work of art was first defined by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe tells us that a work of art must have unity of impression. For this reason the story must be short, and this brevity is one of the great- est advantages the short story has as a teach- ing device, for it can be read and analyzed in a relatively short period of time. The short story is a good teaching tool not only for the college classroom but also for the high school student, especially for the third and fourth levels of Spanish where we are apt to lose many of the students because of lack of interest. A good short story will not let the student take a passive or indifferent attitude.

Unlike the novel, which brings into play many people and many experiences and gives a complex impression of life, the short story concentrates on a single impression, with a limited number of people, often a single preeminent character. It is the crea- tion of this microcosm that enables the short story writer to communicate swiftly with the reader. The writer’s technique to communi- cate his theme through the medium of the short story lies within the realm of literary interpretation, and it is this technique of communicating, typical of the short story, that appeals to the student. However, com- munication alone is not enough. What the writer has to say must be meaningful. The meaning of a good short story always goes beyond the plot or incident that is being presented, and it is this meaning that leaves an impression upon the reader. A superfici‘il

short story may entertain the reader, but it is soon forgotten; on the other hand, a good story by Quiroga, Rulfo, Borges, or Cortazar, to name only a few of the most important contemporary short story writers in Spanish, haunts us for the rest of our lives.

The short story is personally important, for it encourages the reader to feel and to think. Since the high school or college stu- dent is in a formative stage and is susceptible to change, the short story is an especially suitable vehicle for making him aware of his own personality-the short story is a good mirror of human behavior. But it is important to keep in mind that significant stories serve this purpose better. Such stories not only entertain, but also are instrumental in shaping the students’ attitudes and social behavior. Each short story can provoke a dif- ferent emotional reaction, but the reader will not only laugh and be amused at the humorous story; he will not just feel sad or cry, or have feelings of pity or sympathy up- on reading the emotional or love story; nor just feel the excitement of the adventure or sports story; nor just idly dream with the fantasy or science fiction; but he will also question his own behavior in the light oE what he has read. He will consider his own reactions and attitudes when reading a psy- chological story or one dealing with preju- dice or satire. Each student will react emo- tionally and intellectually according to his own unique personality, and this can pro- vide the basis for a well-motivated class discussion. The teacher is missing one of the advantages of using the short story in the classroom if he bases his discussion sole- l y on the factual material of the plot. In a story like “Father’s Day” by the Peruvian Hector Velarde the reader will laugh at the total lack of understanding on the part of the Englishman who visits the city of Lima for the first time, but the student can be shown how cleverly the author manages to criticize the social conditions, especially poverty, in his country. And the perceptive student will be able to transfer this meaning and apply it to his own city or country. While reading a story like “La Sefiorita

444 The Spanish Short Story

Cora” by Julio CortPzar, the student will not only sympathize and pity the young boy who suffers so much when he falls in love for the first time; he will react emotionally by iden- tifying with the young hero and perhaps realize the complex nature of life through the tragedy of the boy’s untimely death. The absurd adventures of a chicken in a strange chicken yard, as told by Rafael Maluenda in his story “La Papacha,” will provide laugh- ter, but they will also reveal the irrational nature of social and racial prejudice. An- other story, “Scorpio,” by Julio Ram6n Ri- beyro, shows us to what extremes hatred and envy can lead.

Such stories, with their diverse and sig- nificant themes, can give the student a fresh insight into his own self and can become part of his experience, for the short story deals with the individual in relation to himself- his problems, desires, prejudices, fears. The novel can also offer insight into human na- ture, but the short story, with its compressed form, can immediately involve the reader into an interplay of personal, emotional, and intellectual reaction in one sitting. I t is one of the most economical art forms, and the reader must be alert and aware of the im- portance of all its parts. Even the title is important, as in the intense stories of Borges, for example, where every word counts. In the story “En la casa de Asteribn,” Borges gives us hints as to the nature of the hero. But i t is not until the last word in the story that we realize that the person speaking is Minataur, and that the house of Asteri6n is the labyrinth at Crete. In the short story “Apocolipsis” by the Argentinian Marco De- nevi, the speaker tells about the extinction of the human race during the thirty-second century when machines had attained such perfection that man did not have to do any- thing, not even think. All he had to do was press a button. While the machines multi- plied, man began to disappear, until there was only one man left. He forgot to discon- nect the machines just before he disappeared, so the machines kept on working, as one of them relates. In less than one page Denevi expresses a prokound theme-the extinction

of man by his dependence upon the ma- chine.

Because of this principle of restiaint the most difficult short story to write artistically is the adventure story, since emphasis falls upon the action and there is no time to dwell upon artistic embellishment. Thegood writer of an adventure story, however, knows how to present a gripping tale that is not only interesting for what it tells but also for its esthetic elements. Excellent examples ot this are “Una caceria trigica” by Jose Vas- concelos and “En la playa” by Salvador Elizondo. The death of the hunters by wild boars in the first story holds our attention while the skillfully blended descxiption of the jungle fascinates us. “En la playa” is also about hunting, but in this case a manhunt. The lack of motivation for the killing gives the story a new dimension for it leaves the reader limp, and trying to supply his own motivation.

The short story can be socially important. Besides helping the reader to understand life and its problems and how people may react, the short story can help the student under- stand the world and its people. Today an abundance of good short stories is being published in all Spanish speaking countries. While the themes of many of them, like those of Borges and Arreola, are universal, many treat of internal social conflicts. Be- sides getting an insight into the national cul- ture, the student can also be exposed to the psychology and the language of the Spanish speaking people, deepening his understand- ing of another culture. He can compare how a Valencian of Blasco IbPiiez differs from an Ecuadorian of JosC de la Cuadra or a Mexi- can Indian of Rojas GonzPlez. He can learn about the nature of the conflict between Paraguay and Bolivia during the Chaco War in such stories as “El pozo” by Augusto CXs- pedes; and if he wants to hear the other side of the story, he can read a cuento by the Para- guayan Augusto Roa Bastos. These stories will also introduce him to a wealth of region- al linguistic expressions, revealing the rich- ness of the Spanish language.

The teacher should be particularly careful

LUIS LEAL 445

to select stories with significant themes and not just those that present local color or types. The novelist Alejo Carpentier has said that it is not enough for the Spanish-Ameri- can narrator to paint a Mexican Indian or a Venezuelan cowboy; his task is to show us what there is of the universal in the local people. He tells us that what should be of interest to a narrator in describing a village funeral should not be the external funeral ritual but the attitude that the village peo- ple have toward death. Let us illustrate what Carpentier had in mind by comparing two stories. In the long story “Nieves,” the Mexi- can Roa Bircena gives an unparalleled de- scription of how tequila is made, but i t has nothing to do with the development of his story. On the other hand, Rojas Gonzilez, who is from the same State of Jalisco in Mex- ico, in his story “Guarapo,” skillfully blends the description of the processing of sugar cane with the personal tragedy of one of the workers, mangled in the mill. The story is made poignant by the narrator telling the story to his young son as an example ol hu- man injustice, without openly moralizing.

Some short stories also have moral impli- cations. This is an important function that should not be overlooked. Stories like “El despojado” by Felix Pita Rodriguez and “El caballo de coral” by Jose Onelio Cardoso ex- emplify the principle that money is not the most important thing in life. Other stories like Rafael Delgado’s “El desertor” and Manuel Rojas’ “El vaso de leche” provide examples where compassion as a way of life is better than revenge or indifference toward the misfortune of others. In Ciro Alegria’s beautiful story “La piedra y la cruz” two characters, the old Indian and the young boy, representative of different cultures, teach us to be tolerant of others’ traditions and beliefs.

Besides fulfilling the pedagogical objec- tive, teaching the short story fulfills another one-the esthetic. We believe that a student will find more pleasure in reading a work of literature when he can understand some- thing of how a theme can be skillfully and artistically expressed, and when he can

understand some of the techniques the writer uses to achieve his purpose.

Even an immature reader can learn some- thing of literary analysis. Quiroga’s “Ana- conda,” an animal story, is interesting and can be read with ease in an upper level high school class. It is an excellent one for intro- ducing the student to literary analysis. Hu- mor, satire, and irony abound in this ad- venture story of serpents who react as hu- man beings when they are confronted with annihilation by progress. For the more ma- ture reader, structure, style, and character- ization may be stressed. The whole field of literary criticism is open for the college stu- dent. The adolescent reader, however, needs help and guidance in learning how to inter- pret literature, and the short story is an ex- cellent medium with which to start. The student can learn to recognke images and symbols; he can learn to recognize the pre- dominant element in the story, be it setting (ambiente), incident (intriga), or character (personaje); he can learn to appreciate how the author takes advantage of point of view to make the best use of his materials. A psy- chological story most likely will be in the first person interior monologue, as Juan Rulfo does in “Macario.” Is there a good plot? Is the action well motivated? Is the setting appropriate to the theme? Is there enough meaning to the theme to make the story worth reading? Is it artistically written? Has the author shown restraint in present- ing humor, pain, horror, sentimentality, morality, symbolism? These are some of the questions a student should ask himself be- fore and after reading a short story to help him with its literary interpretation.

In addition to what we have said about the personal, social, moral, and esthetic values of reading short stories, and how they may provide a good introduction to literary in- terpretation, short stories also provide good material for discussion and composition. Many publishers offer taped stories with their texts which can proye an added enjoy- ment and learning experience for the stu- dent.

In conclusion, then, the short story is a

446 The Spanish Short Story

good choice for any class level-its short form, its economy in the presentation of ma- terials, including vocabulary, and its im- mediate impact upon the reader, all should appeal to the student. They can be read and discussed in a limited period of time, are adaptable to various levels of reading achievement and individual interest, and lend themselves easily to group work which is so popular in the public schools today.

Appendix

Suggested Readings in Spanish Short Stories

First Year Riva Palacio, Vicente. Cuentecitos. Graded

Spanish Readers, Books 1-5, Alternate Series. Boston: Heath, 1944 (volume includes stories suitable for levels 2, 3, and 4).

Tardy, William T. Bedtime Stories in Spanish. Dallas: Banks Upshaw, 1960.

Flores, Angel (ed.), Selecciones espafioles, a Ba- sic Spanish Reader. New York: Bantam, 1967.

Fox, Arturo A. Otras Gentes. Otros Modos. New York: Holt, 1967.

Second Year Rodriguez, Mario B. Cuentos Alegres. New York:

Holt, 1967. Osborne, R. E. Cuentos del m u n d o hispdnico.

New York: American Book, 1967.

Third Year Rodriguez, Mario B. Cuentistas de hoy. Boston:

Houghton, 1952. Maurino and Fucilla. Cuentos hispanoameri-

canos de ayer y de hoy. New York: Scribners, 1956.

Leal, Luis. Amado Ner-uo, sus mejores cuentos. Boston: Houghton, 1963.

Garcia-Prada, Carlos, and William E. Wilson. Tres Cuentos. Boston: Houghton, 1949.

Fourth Year and Fifth Year George D. Schade. Trece relatos hispdnicos. New

York: Odyssey Press, 1959. Yates and Dalbor. Zmaginacidn y fantasia. New

York: Holt, 1968. Arratia and Hamilton. Diez cuentos hispano- - arnericanos New York: Oxford Press, 1958. Walsh, G. M. Cuentos criollos. Boston: Heath,

1965.

Torres Rioseco, A, Relatos chilenos. New York: Harper, 1956.

Shoemaker, W. H. Cuentos de la joven genera- cidn. New York: Holt, 1959.

Leal, Luis, and J. Silverman. Siglo Veinte. New York: Holt, 1968.

Walsh, Donald, and Lawrence B. Kiddle. Cuen- tos americanos. 1948; rpt. New York: Norton, 1970.

Lamb, Ruth S. Cuentos misteriosos. New York: Ronald Press, 1969.

Batchelor, C. Malcolm. Cuentos de acd y de alld. Boston: Houghton, 1962.

Reedy, Daniel R., and Joseph R. Jones. Narra- ciones ejemplares de Hispanoame'rica. Engle- wood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1967.

Coleman, Alexander. Cinco maestros: Cuentos modernos de Hispanoamtrica. New York: Harcourt, 1969.

Yates, Donald, Joseph Sommers, and Julian Palley. Tres Cuentistas hispanoamericanos. Toronto: Macmillan, 1969.

Crow, John A., and Edward Dudley. El cuento. New York: Holt, 1967.

For More Advanced Students Rojas Gonziles. El diosero. Mexico City: Fondo

de Cultura Econbmica, 1952. Quiroga, Horacio. Cuentos de la selva. Buenos

Aires: Losada, 1954. Anderson-Imbert, and L. Kiddle. Veinte cuentos

hispanoamericanos del siglo xx. New York: Appleton, 1956.

Anderson-Imbert, and L. Kiddle. Ve'einte cuentos erpanloles del siglo xx. New York: Appleton, 1961.

Quiroga, Horacio. Cuentos de amor, de locura y de muerte. Buenos Aires: Losada, 1967.

Leal, Luis. Cuentistas hispanoamericanos del siglo xx. New York: Random House, 1972.

Borges, Jorge Luis. Cuentos de Jorge Luis Borges. Godfrey, Ill.: Monticello College Press, 1958.

Borges, Jorge Luis. Ficciones. Buenos Aires: Emece, 1956. - El Aleph. Buenos Aires: Emece, 1957. Arreola, Juan Jose. Confabulario y varia inuen-

cidn. Mexico City: Fondo de Cultura Econ6- mica, 1955.

Rulfo, Juan. El llano en llamas. Mexico City: Fondo de Cultura Econbmica, 1965.

Rivera, Tomis " . . . y n o se lo tragd la tierra." Berkeley, Calif. Quin to Sol, 197 1.