LA REGENTA by Clarín: text comment

The Regent, one of the most important novels in 20th century Spanish literature, has been studied for many years. Its plot, its narrative and its style have made this work one of the most relevant for more than a century. It is not, therefore, uncommon to think that her text comment can be very instructive and interesting, which is why it is often studied in high schools. Therefore, taking all this into account, in a Teacher we are going to provide a short text comment of The Regent by Leopoldo Alas "Clarín" for whom it may be of use. Let's go!

Divided into two parts of 15 chapters each, the first passing in three days and the second over three years, The Regentit is presented in an episodic character whose chapters are autonomous, but work as a whole.

Very briefly, The Regent is named after Ana Ozores, a woman married for convenience she with Víctor Quintanar, who was previously regent at the Audiencia. This woman's life is monotonous and boring and she begins to frequent the church in her town, Vetusta, in order to go to confession. There, over time, she meets Fermín de Pas, a young priest who takes charge of her confessions.

After confessing a number of times, the intimacy that exists between the priest and the protagonist it is such that she begins to fall in love with him. One day, while Victor was at the theater, Ana decides to write a letter to Fermín in the dark, with such bad luck that she, looking for paper, ends up trapped in a hunting cage of her husband. Coincidentally, Álvaro, a womanizer who was always attracted to Ana, passed by and took her out of the cage.

After time, at a party, Ana discovers that she is in love with Álvaro and, after the rumors spread through the town, Fermín, disappointed and jealous, decides to confess the romance between Álvaro and Ana to Víctor, who goes into a jealous rage and decides to challenge his lover to a duel his wife. He accepts and in the duel ends Victor's life and, immediately afterwards, flees the city.

A short time later, after being ill, Ana turns to Fermín, who rejects her with contempt and disappointment, finishing herself alone and passed out on the floor. At the end of the play, Celedonio, seeing Ana prostrate on the ground, decides to kiss her.

To make a good text comment of The Regent It is also important to talk about the main theme of the work. Many studies agree that the main or central theme of the novel is adultery. In any case, it is true that the work revolves around it.

Besides, the morality and manners it is evident throughout the novel and throughout the city of Vetusta.

Regarding its internal structure and being the novel divided into two parts of 15 chapters each one (from 1 to 15 the first and from 16 to 30 the second), the content is divided as follows:

• The first part focuses on the presentation of characters and the situation of each one of them, as well as Ana's wishes and memories of her.
• The second part is already focused on the relationship of Ana with Fermín and Álvaro, and his romantic concerns.

Therefore, we can say that the structure of the novel is circular since at the end of this we resort to elements that we saw at the beginning. And it is that the work begins in October in the cathedral of Vetusta, as in its completion.

Within the text comment of The Regent we must also pay attention to the narrator. In this novel we are faced with a omniscient narrator that he knows the characters perfectly, their wishes and thoughts.

Despite this, he is a passive and neutral narrator who is responsible for presenting the characters from different angles, perspectives or points of view.

The main place where the whole plot happens is the city of Vetusta, fictitious place whereby the author masked Oviedo.

Within it, many parts of the plot are found in The Above, neighborhood where the house of Ana and Víctor, the Casino and the church are located. Beyond these three interior spaces (the house of the protagonist, the Casino and the cathedral of Vetusta), events are also narrated in the Vegallana palace, as the main spaces of the novel.

We end this text comment from La Regenta talking about the weather. And, as we said, the work is divided into two main parts, one that happens in three days and another in three years. The plot focuses on the decade of the seventies of the nineteenth century.

There are many clues that lead us to conclude this throughout the novel, but it is important to keep this in mind.