Fortunata y Jacinta

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Fortunata y Jacinta (Fortunata and Jacinta), was written by Benito Pérez Galdós in 1887. It is, together with Leopoldo Alas y Ureña's La Regenta (The Judge's Wife), one of the most popular and representative novels of Spanish literary realism. Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, the author went to Madrid, the capital, to study law at age 18. There he would create a literary world that was present in almost all his writings. The release of the novel created a sensation upon its release because of its scathing critique of the Spanish middle class, and for its frank sexuality. While criticized by political and religious leaders, it was praised by peers of Galdós for its realistic depiction of life amongst all classes in 19th century Madrid.

[edit] Plot summary

The story revolves around Juanito Santa Cruz. The scion of a wealthy family, he goes around carousing and womanizing with his friends. In one of these episodes, he is taken with Fortunata, a young woman of the lower class. This encounter ends with Juanito growing bored of Fortunata and disappearing from her life.

His mother decides to marry him to his cousin Jacinta. During their honeymoon, he tells her about his experiences in the poor neighborhoods of Madrid and talks to her about Fortunata.

As time passes, Jacinta realizes she cannot have children and she and the rest of the family become obsessed with this.

Ido del Sagrario is a poor man whom Juanito invited to the house with the intention of humiliating him for his own amusement. He shows up at the Santa Cruz home one day and informs Jacinta that Juanito had a son with Fortunata. Jacinta becomes very excited about the idea of having her husband's child, laying aside any feelings she had of betrayal. After consulting with Guillermina Pacheco (a saintly neighbor), the two women go through the Pitusín neighborhood. The baby's guardian is José Izquierdo, uncle of Fortunata, from whom they wish to buy the baby.

When she talks to her husband, the discussion turns farcical. He tells her that the baby was not his. He is certain that he had a child with Fortunata, but that that baby died some time after he married Jacinta.

Meanwhile, Fortunata has been living with various men, and living badly. If one man did not deceive her, he beat her, or abandoned her at the first opportunity. She was in Barcelona for a time, and on her return she moved in with Feliciana, an acquaintance of hers. Feliciana's boyfriend usually came to her house to visit with a friend of his, Maximiliano ("Maxi") Rubín. It is there that Rubín falls hopelessly in love with Fortunata. Soon the young man proposes to maintain her, and Fortunata, seeing this as an opportunity to escape her situation, accepts his offer.

Maxi lives with his aunt, Doña Lupe. After a certain point he wants to marry Fortunata. He consults his aunt and brothers. Everyone agrees that Fortunata should spend some time in Las Micaelas convent in order to reform herself. After the prescribed time passed, they married.

However, a trap awaits Fortunata in her new home. Juanito Santa Cruz has bought the apartment next door, and he bribes the newlywed's servant to sow discord between the couple. It did not take long before Fortunata took the bait. Maxi returns to his aunt's house, and Fortunata moves into the apartment paid for by Juanito.

With time, Juanito grows tired of his vulgar desires. He tries to get far away from Fortunata to the point of abandoning her again, this time leaving her a small sum to live on for a while. Fortunata bumps into Don Evaristo Feijoo, friend of her brother-in-law Juan Pablo. Feijoo proposes a sexual relationship in which she will live well and see new faces. She stays with him for a time, though they do not live together. This works out until Feijoo begins to think he is too old and Fortunata finds herself once again in the gutter. Feijoo advises her to return to her husband's house, and, after pulling a few heart strings, she does.

During this time she meets Segismundo Ballester, a co-worker of Maxi's from the pharmacy. Ballester is crazy for her.

Seeing Fortunata reformed makes Juanito Santa Cruz want her once again by his side. Fortunata, without even fleeing from the house, falls for him once more. Maxi gradually loses his mind. One day, in his state of insanity, he discovers that his wife is pregnant. Meanwhile, Juanito begins to tire of Fortunata yet again. Fortunata is sure that she is pregnant, and rather than explain to Doña Lupe ("she of the turkeys") what has happened, she simply gets out of the house.

Fortunata returns to her Aunt Segunda, in the place she was raised. She had her second child, attended by a doctor who was a friend of the Rubíns and of Segismundo.

Maxi is told that Fortunata is dead. He refuses to believe this and is able to figure out where she is and even gets to know the baby. Fortunata is told that Juanito Santa Cruz was betraying her with Aurora, a family friend of the Rubíns and an intimate of hers. As soon as she finds herself alone at home, Fortunata plans to get even.

In a few days she dies during a blood-letting. Before expiring, she writes a note in which she gives custody of her child to Jacinta.

Maxi, who didn't know whether he was too sane or too crazy, was sent to the insane asylum at Leganés. The same day as Fortunata's funeral, they also bury Feijoo.

[edit] Main characters

• Fortunata
• Juanito Santa Cruz
• Jacinta
• Maximiliano Rubín

Characters associated with Fortunata

• Juárez el Negro
• Camps
• Evaristo Feijoo
• Ido del Sagrario
• Nicanora
• José Izquierdo
• Rosita
• Juan Evaristo Segismundo
• Segunda

Characters associated with Maximiliano Rubín

• Olmedo
• Feliciana
• Juan Pablo Rubín
• Refugio
• Doña Lupe
• Nicolás Rubín
• Segismundo Ballester
• Torquemada
• Papitos

Characters associated with Jacinta

• Manuel Moreno Isla
• Isabel Cordero
• Gumersindo Arnáiz
• Guillermina Pacheco

Characters associated with Juanito Santa Cruz

• Aurora
• Don Baldomero Santa Cruz
• Doña Barbarita Arnáiz
• Estupiñá
• Jacinto Villalonga