Narcissism in Galdos' Dona Perfecta

CRITICS continue to discover new areas of meaning in Gald6s' Doiha Perfecta (1876) and to reaffirm its literary value.' This novel is evidently more complex than appears at first glance. Even a hundred years after Gald6s' publication of this work his protagonist remains an enigma in important respects.2 Not only is the narrator very sparing in his comments about dofia Perfecta, but he also postpones presenting them until almost at the end of the novel (Ch. XXXI); at this point he observes that she possesses un cardcter duro y sin bondad nativa (p. 496). Students of the novel have generally viewed her as an embodiment of religious fanaticism and intransigence, although recently Rodolfo Cardona has affirmed that the main theme of the novel is hypocrisy.' In any case, none of the usual characterizations of dofia Perfecta, however accurate they may be, and whether taken singly or in combination goes to the heart of the matter. 5

Art · Literature · Narcissism · Psychoanalysis · Spanish Literature · Psychology · Spanish Literature and Culture Studies