BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-03-25
EIOctra" +" and lhe recent
disturbances in Spain.
Effect on the Spanish People
A HIT AGAINST THE CLERGY

The appearance of " electra" a new
drama by the celebrated playwright Perez
Gald6s, coming as it did c'CSe upon the
widespread agitation throughout Spain
produced by the marriage of Prince Charles
of Bourbon to the Princess of AsturlaS,
mas been an event of fal more than ordinary
significance. The play, voicing tae sup
pressed discomfort of a large part Of the
people, has famed into flame the shoulder
ing elements of an:iB9urbon feeling, and
has thus attained a celebraty and popularity
beyond tfe widest dreams of It's a.-thor and
his friends. 1t concentrates, TO speak,
in tremendous outburst of passion, the
protest of the Spanish people against exist
ing abuses and oppression, typ!fied in the
popular belief by the reacti nary and clerical
leader, the Count OF Oastrta, father Of the
bridegroom and formerly one of the UarlSt
chiefs.
The plot of 4" Electra is given in an
extensive review by Stnor Zeda, (he "ntic
of La Epocd, and is in substance as follows:
A Young girl loses her mother, who had
not led a conventiOnally correct life She
is cared for and educated by her father, a.
narrow old man, and by her aunt, very
pious woman The iather. in his fanatica
zeal, waits the poor child to expiate, in a
convent, the sins of these who brought her
into the world. In this MANNER the coaleS
of father, mother, aud daughterswil rest
some day together in The land Of tie grave
and enjoy III COMMON celestial happiness.
The daughter, cOnsecrated to God, VIII be
like the Host, offered on the altar OF
sacrifice, In eXplatl0n Of TIE CRIMES OF her
parents. Electra Is. however, in love with
an electrical engineer man Of liberal,
modern thought, wise, good, noble, and
generous the type OF the legendary hero,
the trOubadOur, who, with the lapse Of TIME,
has laid aside the sword to mdnpu ate the
aembic aud the retort. Pantjt the father
of Electra, may be considered as the
personification of religious faBatlclsm, the
engineer as the embl III Of progress, aud
Electra as the symbol OF tie young life II
Spain. The young glrl desires TO enjoy lite
and the legitimate Charms tt Offers but the
history Of her mother, the ascetic and mystic
ideas OF the father, and tue practical ap-
pllcatiOn of the axiom, :. The end iuStteS
the meanS,D employed by Panttja, compel
the poor child t. bury herself III the cloister.
At length, after fierce struggle, the
progressive principle oyerc0meS the reacti0
nary. In other words, Electra, aScaplng
from the convent, thanks to her mothers
advice, who rises from the grave to give it
to her, throws herself into tue arms OF the
young engineer.
In " Elec ra,n Seno. Zeda continues, the
contrast between two words which lepel
each other, between the conventional house
- nl1 4
represents industTy-the IDEAL OF m0dero
Spain brings before us the sociological
problem conceived by GaluGs. Elccra
yearning for the life OF the world, 0. huna
nifty, hees, at the first opportunity, from
the gloomy palace, with VS. as Of Mysticism.
to the workshop, throbOng with HE, and
IN which the evolution of progress is elab0-
rated
In this drama there are three stages Of
ascent before the climax is reached. The
procedure employed by Gald6S is more IN
the nature of novel than a drama. he
playwright lncllnes 20 analysis, he speuds
time on side lights, and Is SLOW AZ uufUldng
his plot, all of whca Iaugpes the puDIc
accustomed to authors attacking lmmtdiattn
the core of the subject.
Speaking OF tie approach to the climax Of
the play, Senior Zeda says:
whatever Judgment may be formed
concerning tue Inst three acts, IN the fourth
tue soul OF the spectator feels aS if bathed lh
light and purify. The di amatc crisis of the
situation, the deliriOuS joy of that poor child
wounded IN her two great loves, that of
her mother and her lover, the efforts of the
tools of the convent 20 prevent her eSca &c
and bury that young life in sterlity, while
IN the background, in the leafy remote p9r-
tionS OF the garden, sounds the monotJneus
chant Of the choir Of chldren-all that is so
beautiful, so grand, Of such deep human
significance, that, in Seeibg it, the neart
throbS, tears guSh to the eyes, and the cry
of admiration rises TO the lips That is ar.
sublime art. Only privileged intellect, IS
great as the greatest OF the world, could
aItain those sacred heights, which men of
genius alone tread upon
Senor Zeda condemns Ga dos tor marrng
his play by the irrelevant introduction of
scenes and situations bearing on the present
political conditions of Spain, and thus
needIeSsly lnffamin the passions of the
multitude. Some of the characters intro
duced by Gald6s are, according to the critic,
monstrosities aud wholly false to nature.
Thus, Pantoja, the father OF Electra, is
painted in the darkest cOlors. 1t is not CUT
of regard for the spiritual welfare OF bis
innocent daughter that he consigns her to
the living tomb of a convent, but to save
his own soul from future WRATH and des
tructiOn he is a coward, traitor, slanderer,
egoist, and misantnrope, The very lncarna-
tion OF medieval Span. In strla,ng contrast
TO him is Max mo, the soul OF honor, good,
generous, noble, aud dignliied; the angelic
spirit Of bis country, regenersted, enlighten. |