Combs, Colleen J.

Women in the Short Stories of Pedro Antonio De Alarcon

1997 0-7734-8424-8
Examining Alarcón as a transitional figure between the Romantic and realist movements, this volume explores the effects of his Romantic tendencies on his portrayal of women. A brief biographical background focuses in particular on his relationships with women. The work proceeds with a story by story analysis of the female characters in Alarcón's largest collection, Cuentos amatorios, including his two best known stories, "El clavo" and "La Comendadora". It also covers stories from Historietas nacionales, and Narraciones inverosímiles. Chapter six examines three narratives that he excluded from his Obras completas. Their exclusion is based on the greater Romantic independence and subjectivity the young author allowed his female characters.