Adulterio femenino, divorcio y honor en la escena decimonónica española. El debate social en la recepción de &lt;em&gt;El nudo gordiano,&lt;/em&gt; de Eugenio Sellés (1842-1926)

Francisco Checa Olmos,Concepción Fernández Soto

doi:10.3989/rdtp.2014.01.008

Abstract

In the second half of 19th century Spain, discourse on social stability and female subordination —also referred to as «domesticity»— found its place in the theater through the representation of such themes as honor, female adultery, virtue and death. At the same time, theatrical discourse reinforced the current ideology and morality —even psychological and legislative discourse— and sanctioned behavioral models that sought to undermine the prevailing bourgeois social order. As a methodological example, we refer to the work entitled El nudo gordiano, by Eugenio Selles y Angel, one of a generation of playwrights born around the decade of the 1840s. The ending proposed by this author, namely, the death of the adulterous wife, occupied the center of all the possible immediate reactions, including responses from spectators, critics and analysts, authors and jurists, etc. For this reason we also discuss the critical reception of this work, taking note of its social and literary repercussions.

Highlights

we refer to the work entitled El nudo gordiano
of a generation of playwrights born around the decade of the 1840s
The ending proposed by this author

Summary

Universidad de Almería

RESUMEN El artículo muestra cómo en la España de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX el discurso de la estabilidad social y de la sumisión femenina —también llamado de la «domesticidad»— se asienta en el teatro a través de la representación de temas como el honor, el adulterio femenino, la honra y la muerte. Como ejemplo metodológico se toma la obra El nudo gordiano, de Eugenio Sellés y Ángel, autor perteneciente a una generación de dramaturgos nacidos en torno a la década de 1840. We refer to the work entitled El nudo gordiano, by Eugenio Sellés y Ángel, one of a generation of playwrights born around the decade of the 1840s. The ending proposed by this author, namely, the death of the adulterous wife, occupied the center of all the possible immediate reactions, including responses from spectators, critics and analysts, authors and jurists, etc. For this reason we discuss the critical reception of this work, taking note of its social and literary repercussions.

FRANCISCO CHECA OLMOS y CONCEPCIÓN FERNÁNDEZ SOTO

BIBLIOGRAFÍA CITADA