Jennet Rodriguez Betancourt

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después que los paguemos a peso de oro; desvelémonos pues; y cuando todo esté allanado, reclamemos la protección del Gobierno, que nunca se la niega a un pueblo que pide medios para instruirse; venzamos todos los obstáculos, y digamos entonces al Soberano: “Somos religiosos, somos leales, somos honrados, somos hospitalarios; sólo nos falta que nos permitáis ser sabios” (33). The vignette exposes enormous deficiencies and neglect, but the author’s opinion and adamant disgust, inferiority, and shame are carefully masked by addressing the parents to pay more attention to the needs of their children’s education and to respectfully ask for the Colony’s assistance. From the start Alonso dedicates this vignette to the “padres de familía” and not to Spain. In fact, he exalts the Peninsula and puts the burden on the parents, yet between the lines he has uncovered the injustices and inequalities that Puerto Rico’s educational system was facing while trusting that the “Soberano Protector” would permit the people to become wise and enlightened. In Scene IX, Escritores Puertorriqueños, Alonso revisits the topic of education and begins “La literatura, ha dicho un escritor célebre de nuestra época, es el termómetro verdadero del estado de la civilización de un pueblo…” and continues “…la literatura marcha sin avanzar más de lo que permiten las circunstancias del país…” (69). Alonso continues to stress the magnitude of decent educational opportunities, “Cuando una juventud ávida de instrucción la adquiera en las escuelas del país a que ahora puede alcanzar un reducido número de privilegiados; cuando esta juventud se dedique a profesiones que en el día se miren con desprecio, porque son casi ignoradas, entonces estará el grano de sazón y brotara dando después abundantísima cosecha. Sembrar en un campo cubierto de malezas es perder el tiempo y la semilla” (70). After Alonso discloses the existent educational truths, he inserts a significant literary analysis of a remarkable poet, SantiagoVidarte, who has flourished in spite of the 18
underprivileged circumstances. 156). At this point , Alonso masters the role of a literary critic incorporating and examining verses from different poems (La Vida, Insomnio, Mis Memorias) in which the poet illustrates his enormous talent while vibrantly describing the island’s beauty. He evidences that if Santiago Vidarte was able to create such exceptional work under such appalling conditions; what would occur if the circumstances were otherwise. He ends the scene describing the death of this gifted twenty-one year old poet, who in the arms of friends repeatedly rambled “…los nombres de sus padres y el de su patria, anadiendo siempre: es preciso estudiar…” (Alonso 80). Although Alonso is frustrated with education in Puerto Rico, he does not want to disturb colonial authority and he continuously inserts writings that carry concealed transcripts. Most importantly, “El fue nuestro primer costumbrista y el primer escritor que se ocupo críticamente de la obra de un poeta puertorriqueño” (Martínez Masdeu 156). Manuel A. Alonso published El Gibaro as a collection of vignettes masterfully weaving stories and articulating customs and traditions that should not be forgotten. Yet between the lines, this cultural mannerist depicted the language, customs, and traditions of this romanticized peasant to shield his own discourse. A discourse that did not want Puerto Rico to be independent from Spain, but that pleaded for justice, equality, and respect from the imperial power. From the very beginning the title in El gíbaro, the protagonist is the inoffensive rural peasant who must be educated and cultivated in order for Puerto Rico to move forward. Immediately it is this country-folk figure who takes center stage and not the already mistrusted writer, Alonso. While illustrating vivid snapshots of the clothing, music, dance, festivities, and daily life of this simple jíbaro, an identity in formation 19
Page 1 and 2: The Criollo Voice in Alonso’s Jib
Page 3 and 4: Rico to develop any type of autonom
Page 5 and 6: produced the first writings El Giba
Page 7 and 8: mountains of the island as their sh
Page 9 and 10: nostalgia and a deep urgency to rev
Page 11 and 12: These scenes on the surface portray
Page 13 and 14: concerns about the needs of more th
Page 15 and 16: Barcelona who does everything, but
Page 17: capitalista” (Díaz 41). Within t
Page 21 and 22: glimpses of the past; whereas, a re
Page 23 and 24: Bibliography Acevedo, Ramón Luis.
Page 25 and 26: Hernández, Carmen Dolores. “AUSE
Page 27 and 28: Works Cited Acevedo, Ramón Luis.
Page 29: Rivera Rivera, Modesto. “GLOSA FI

Jennet Rodriguez Betancourt

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