LA TRANSFORMACIÓN DE CARÁCTER EN DOÑA BÁRBARA Y EL SEÑOR PRESIDENTE

Se puede notar una semejanza impresionante en la relacion entre Santos Luzardo y Marisela, los protagonistas de Dona Barbara, y la de Miguel Clara de Angel y Camila Canales en El Senor Presidente, dentro de un analisis de las dos novelas. El tema de este articulo se enfoca en estas relaciones, en la transformacion que ocorre primero en las mujeres y la metamorfosis subsiguiente de los hombres.  Gallegos y Austrias tenian motivos basicamente similiares al escribir sus novelas; ambos querian subrayar la injusticia y corrupcion en las dictaduras de sus paises. Vemos primero a Santos Luzardo que de un hombre con una herencia salvaje se vuelve un hombre “civilizado” bajo la influencia de Marisela. En El Senor Pesidente vemos una transformacion parecida en Cara de Angel, el favorito del cruel dictador. Pero para comprender bien tales transformaciones, hay que estudiar primero el caracter de las mujeres que tienen tanta influencia. Las dos, Camila y Marisela, son muy parecidas al principio en el sentido de que son jovenes, inocentes y sin ninguna afectacion. Pero las dos rapidamente se encuentran en un mundo distinto, corrompido y violento. Santos y Cara de Angel tambien tienen varios atributos en comun. Dentro de cada uno hay un conflito entre lo bueno y lo malo; tienen una maldad que las mujeres han de absolver. Vemos cierta compasion dentro de cada hombre, pero sin embargo los passos hacia la transformacion son dificiles. Es solamente posible cuando los protagonistas se dan cuenta de la necesidad de las mujeres. Marisela y Camila descubren a los hombres la virtud que existe dentro de ellos. Marisela ayuda a Santos cuando reconoce la verdad de la matanza del Brujeador; Camila convence a  Cara de Angel que tiene que renunciar a su afiliacion con el Presidente. Gallegos cree ademas que es la union de Santos y Marisela, que representa la union de los buenos aspectos de la ciudad y del campo, sera importante para el futuro de las llanuras de Venezuela. Igualmente, en El Senor Presidente, Asturias mostra el hijo de Camila y Cara de Angel, la misma esperanza para el futuro bienestar de Guatemala.

The protagonist of Dona Bárbara, Santos Luzardo, was bom in the plains area of Venezuela, but was educated in Caracas, where he obtained a law degree. Upon his arrival home, he faces a struggle to repossess his lands, which had gradually been usurped by dona Bárbara, and to overcome his savage heritage. He discovers after a time that his efforts at imposing law and justice on the area have been futile; after he resorts to barbaric means, he is transformed by Marisela into a "civilized" man again.
El Seiior Presidente is a novel of tyranny, a study of human emotions and reactions under a brutal dictatorship. In the midst of beggars, politicians and the military who throng the capital, Miguel Cara de Angel stands out as the favorite of the President. The noveI traces his fall from grace, an ironic twist of the traditional story of Lucifer's fall from Paradise; the fall of the favorite is precipitated by his relationship with Camila Canales.
Because of their significant role in the transformation of the men, one must first study the education of and character change within Marisela and Camila. Fifteen years old at the start of the novel, their naivete is symbolized by their soft feminine names whích represent delicate flowers. Marisela had been raised in a rural environment, in total isolation from the outside world, knowing on1y Lorenzo, her father, whose alcolholism had prevented his being a real father, and Mr. Danger. Because of Santos Luzardo, "Ia Bela Durmiente" is gradually transfigured from a barefoot, disheveled, almost animal-like creature into a beautiful and sensitive young woman, who leams to appreciate the 121 Estudos Ibero-Americanos, III (1977) de!icate nuances of !ife. When Santos sees her for the first time, he is dismayed by her filthy appearance, but he soon becomes aware of her underlying beauty. "Santos se detuvo a contemplarla. Bajo los delgados y grasientos harapos que se le adherían al cuerpo, Ia curva de Ia espalda y Ias líneas de Ias caderas y de los muslos eran de una be!leza estatuaria ... "2 Unaware of her former surroundings, Marisela becomes cognizant of both her own beauty and that of the countryside. In a gesture symbolic of a spiritual as well as a physicai baptism, Santos has her wash her face.
A similar awakening takes place in Camila. An unassuming naive girl, she is jolted into the real world by Cara de Angel. Like Marisela, she lacked a maternal figure and was neglected by her father, a general. To the real world she prefers the world portrayed in photographs, and in her childhood she chose to remain aloof and unemotional. "Desde Ia penumbra dei cortinaje dei terciopelo, o!iendo a polvo, asomaba Camila sus ojos verdes al cristal de Ia tarde dominguera. Nada cambiaba Ia crueldad de sus pupilas de vidrio helado para ver desde su casa 10 que pasaba en Ia calle."? Unlike Marisela's gradual awakening into a beautiful world, Camila wakes up in the Tus-Tep bar, into an atmosphere of corruption and vice. The abruptness of the transition, within the chapter, between her childhood memories and the shadowy world of the Tus-Tep, indicates just how radical a change has been wrought in her !ife. Marisela is initially frightened by Santos; Cara de Angel appears to Camila as an evil and powerful mano Camila despairs about her father and fears her new surroundings, and Cara de Angel attempts to comfort her. Her tears represent her baptism just as the cleansing of Marisela's face awakened her to a new away of !ife. Camila's initiation into love is emphasized by a play on words: "Pero si ya pasó, si ya pasó ... entredecía Cara de Angel al oído de Camila, que lloraba a mares ... "(84).4 Just as Marisela and Camila share many attributes and undergo parallel awakenings, so Santos and Cara de Angel have many aspects in common. Their transformations are similar, both because of their inherent qualities and because of the wornen's influence. Within each man there is a conflict between good and evil; despi te the fact that Santos' name imp!ies saintliness and Cara de Angel's indicates an angelic nature, they both have qualities of evil which must be absolved by the women. Santos, the we!l-bred, educated urban man initially in his eagemess to try to shoot an alligator. Bom in the plains, he still maintains the potential for violence beneath his civilized and sophisticated veneer. He is warned by Lorenzo, "Es necesario matar al centauro que todos los !laneros llevamos por dentro" (73-74), and he must struggle to control his savage instincts, which are part of his heritage. The foremost example of the savagery that exists within Santos' family ís the killing of his brother Felix by his own father.
Cara de Angel is also presented in a dual light; he is referred to as "belIo y malo como Satan;" within him lies the same conflict between good and evil that rages within Santos. He first appears when he comes to the rescue of Pelele. "EI que hablaba era un angel: tez de dorado mármol, cabelIos rubios, boca pequena y aire de mujer en violento contraste con Ia negrura de sus ojos varoniles" (27). He frequently wears a black rnufflet partially obscuring his face, further accentuating his internal dichotomy. Like Santos' family history, his !ife as the President's favorite is given as the rationale for his evil behavior. Santos was influenced by witnessing crime and violence on the plains; Cara de Angel has observed the destructive forces of the govemment.
Prior to their first meeting with the women, there are indications of good instincts within the men. Santos is determined, despite the obstac1es, to civilize and re-educate the people in the plains. Recognizing the problems inherent in this type of life, he feels it is role to render justice and to impose rules on this lawless society. "Por una parte ... el deseo de consagrarse a Ia obra patriótica, a Ia lucha contra el mal imperante, contra Ia naturaleza y el hombre, a Ia búsqueda de los remedios eficaces" (43).
The first appearance made by Cara de Angel also suggests his compassion. We see him in the role of the "good Samaritan" when he stops to help Pelele. "Cara de AngeI, al ponerse en contacto en y tratar de salvar al Pelele, está simbólicamente tratando de redimir y salvar su humanidad podrida ... "5 lt is after these initial intimations of inherent goodness that the protagonists meet the women who will be so vital to them. In each case, the first encounter occurs under similar circumstances. The men are seeking the girls themselves. Santos feels protective as soon as he meets Marisela; at first sight of Camila, Cara de Angel is likewise struck by an overwhelming desire to save her from harm. The fact that the girls have been somewhat neglected by their fathers is significant because the men have to fill a void. This becomes particularly acute after the death of both fathers. Each father is an 'enerny of the ruling power: Lorenzo had been scorned by dona Bárbara and violently hates her; General Canales is an enemy of the Presiden t. These circumstances create a type of "darnsel-in-distress" situation; chivalrous instincts are aroused in the men. A whole new set of emotions is unveiled. However, neither of the men is irnrnediately aware of the fact that he is in love, and both prefer not to acknowledge it.
As we have seen, when Santos first meets Marisela, she is semi-savage and barbaric. A great deal of attention is paid to the taming of Marisela; there is a parallel drawn in one chapter between the taming of La Catira, amare, and Santos' education of Marisela. This educational process is a major step in Santos' personal metamorphosis, because it is his first opportunity to perform a charitable act. This is further demonstrated by his taking Marisela into his home, to protect her from the brutal Mr. Danger, as well as teach her proper behavior.
Cara de Angel purportedly goes to General Canales' house to warn him to escape; however, he is actually involved in a potential assassination. He also plans to seduce Camila, but almost immediateIy his feelings for her cause him to change his pIans. He arranges for the general to escape safely and seeks refuge for CamiIa. His protective instincts are further aroused when he witnesses the rejection by her relatives. He lies to her about them in order to shield her from being hurt. "Mentia por ternura, por querer ahorrarle hasta el último momento el dolor que ahora va a sufrir" (124). When Camila becomes deathly ill, he believes that if he performs merciful acts, God will allow her to recover; as with Santos, this is his first chance to perform a totally selfless ate. He helps a woman who is searching for her son, and then surprises even himself by warning Major Farfán of an attempt on his life. "AI marcharse el mayor, Cara de Angel se tocó para saber si era el mismo que a tantos había empujado hacia Ia muerte, el que ahora, ante el azul infrangible de Ia maííana, empujaba a un hombre hacia Ia vida" (177).
Despite the rapid pace of transformation in the character of the men after their encounters with the women, the changes are difficult ones. Since she is the daughter of Estudos Ibero-Americanos, lI! (1977) dona Bárbara, and therefore not worthy of his affection, Santos does not consider Marisela as his equal; Marisela herself is aware of this disparity. Consequently he is tOm between keeping her near him and sending her away to the city. Never having experienced love, he is frightened by and resists the prospect of falling in love. "Marisela, fruto de una unión inmoral y acasa heredera de Ias funestas condiciones paternas y maternas, no podía ser Ia mujer en quíen pusiera su amor un hombre sensato ... " (170). Santos finds himself at a crossroads between his good and evil instincts. At the same time that he is performing these compassionate acts, he is acquiring more of the lawless nature of the plainsman, and is aware of this internal dichotomy. The more time he spends in the region, the more his own violent impulses are aroused. His efforts to bring some semblance of justice into the area are thwarted by the combined deceptions of dona Bárbara and No Pernalete. In retaliation for the murder of Carmelito, Santos orders the burning of the Mondragones' house, and he shoots one of the brothers who resists. This return to the way of his ancestors leads ultimately to the shooting of EI Brujeador, sent by dona Bárbara to kill Santos. In the encounter it is EI I!rujeador who is murdered, and Santos believes himself responsible; that he in fact has fulfilled Lorenzo's prophecy.
Viene para Luzardo el momento en que se pregunta si su propia sangre no está determinado dei mismo modo, y en que siente solo 10 embriagador en Ia existencia de los jinetes y vengadores llaneros. Es el momento en que él, un segundo Harnlet, percibe Ia voz vengadora du su família, parece inevitable como base para poderse sostener dentro de Ia vida pero que enreda también en acciones apasionadas y precipitadamente violentas. 6 Like Santos, Cara de Angel deliberates about abandoning Camila. He already has enough humanity within him to feel guilty because his original intentions were unworthy ofher. "'Estoy cooperando a un crimen -se dijo -; a este hornbre 10 van a asesinar al salir de su casa.' Y en este supuesto, que a medida que le daba vueItas en Ia cabeza se le hacía más negro, alzarse con Ia hija de aquel moribundo le parecía odioso, repugnante, tanto como amable y simpático y grato de aiiadidura a su posible fuga" (70-71). In a sequence of tortured dreams, he agonizes over his love for Camila which he realizes is antithetical to his role as the President's favorite. "Su instinto le acusaba de estar en ese desosiego por no haber tomado a Camila por Ia fuerza" (142). In Chapter 38 the dual nature of Cara de Angel's personality is further emphasized by a scene of simultaneous creation and destruction. He makes love to Camila, and at the moment of climax, there is also presented a scene in which a chicken ís brutally slain by a maid in another part of the house. The altemation of these scenes serves to underscore the difficulty of total renunciation of evil in Cara de Angel.
The final transformations are brought about by Camila and Marisela in par allel ways, when the protagonists begin to acknowledge their need for the women. In both cases there has been a reversal of roles. Santos was the original educator of Marisela and manages to save her from Mr. Danger; Cara de Angel brings Camila into the real world and tries to protect her and save her life. Now it is the women's turn to protect. Santos finds that he is leading the life of a typical plainsman; personal cleanliness and the condition of his house are unimportant. It is Marisela who forces him to heed these affairs again.
The next major indication of Marisela's role in the transformation of Santos comes when she leams of dona Bárbara's desire to practice witchcraft on Santos, and despite her superstitious fear, she confronts her mother face to face. Marisela accuses dofiar Bárbara of being a witch and a physical fight ensues, stopped only by the appearance of Santos. The final step in Marisela's salvation of Santos comes with the murder of El Brujeador.It ís important to note that Santos' most violent actions, the shooting of the Mondragones and the buming of their house, and the attempted shooting of EI Brujeador, ali take place after Marisela has moved away from his house, an indication of how essential a role she plays for him. After the incident with EI Brujeador, Santos finds Marisela at her father's deathbed. The revelation of her true feelings and tendemess greatly affects Santos" attitude towards her, and he confesses to his crime. Refusing to believe that Santos is capable of such an action, Marisela seeks an explanation. She recognizes the impossibility of Santos' actually being the person who did the kílling, because of the location of the bullet, and further finds that it was actually Pajarote, and not Santos, who had fired the fatal shot. It is therefore through her newly-found awareness and sensitivity that Santos is redeerned.? It is after this revelation that dona Bárbara decides to abandon the region, leaving everything to Marisela and freeing her to marry Santos. "Santos Luzardo y Marisela ... son, respectiva y complementariamente, Ia empresa que hay que acometer, una y otra vez, y Ia esperanza que estamos obligados a acariciar, con incansable terquedad; Ia obligación de hoy para Ia sosegada contemplación de maíiana.?" It is their union which will affect the future of the plains; it represents the joining of the favorable aspects of the city and the country. Education and the peaceful tactics of the civilized world, united with the humanitarian instincts and bravery of the plains, will presumably be engendered in the children of Santos and Marisela.
The same reversal of roles takes place in El Seiior Presidente. After comforting Camila and trying to appease her worries about her father, Cara de Angel again returns to the President; still unable to break the link to evil. Gradually, however, Camila becomes vital for his existence; this is a counterpoint to the earlier suggestion that it was through his good deeds that she did not die. Their need for one another is emphasized by the interplay of their dreams -Camila's delirium is alternated with that of Cara de Angel in such a way that they become one and the same (pp. 178-184). Even then Cara de Angel remains tom by his love for Camila and his feeling that he still must servethe President. "Cara de Angel, llamado con gran prisa de Ia casa presidencial, indagó el estado de Camila, elasticidad de Ia mirada ansiosa, humanización del vidrio en los ojos, y como reptil cobarde enroscóse en Ia duda de si iba o no iba; el Seiíor Presidente o Camila, Camila o el Seãor Presidente ... " (220). Camíla's tempering influence on Cara de Angel is apparent in their marriage; despite his strong desire for her, he waits until she is ready before consummating their relationship. As their love intensifies, Cara de Angel's position as favorite is swiftly dirninishe d, and his downfall inexorably approaches. The next step parallels the episode in Dona Bárbara in which Marisela, despite her fear, confronts dona Bárbara and is rescued by Santos. In El Seiior Presidente, Camila, overcoming her fright, braves a meeting with the President at a palace reception. Cara de Angel remains hidden Estudos Ibero- Americanos, 111(1977) in order to protect her when the Presidente demands a meeting with only the women. Cara de Angel's break with the President has been finalized; his distrust ís now manifest. The sensitivity of Marisela which revealed to Santos the truth of hís crime, and which therefore redeemed him, is paralleled by the insight which Cara de Angel receives from Camila as to the true nature of the President. However, together with his rejection of everything that the President represents comes his destruction, and he is imprisioned. It is because of Camila's love that Cara de Angel is able to withstand the atrocities of the dungeon. Despite ali the indignities, he refuses to surrender to despair. It is only after he is deceived into believing that Camila had betrayed him and become the President's mistress that he is totally destroyed. Just as Santos reverted to savagery when Marisela was away from him, now Cara de Angel yields to animalism when he believes that Camila has abandoned him. As seen in their delirium, Carnila is Cara de Angel's "other", his alter ego; it is virtually impossible for him to go on living when she no longer exists as she was. Despite this pessimistic and tragic ending," Cara de Angel's redemption is now complete, since he has totally renounced his affiliation with the President. This salvation is apparent in his child, Miguelito;' o who will be raised in the country by Camila, and who represents the same hope for the future that the children of Santos and Marisela symbolize.
The similarities in the lives and relationships of the two couples is quite striking, and in both relationships it ís the woman who, after being transformed herself, instills a greater sense of virtue within the mano Marisela saves Santos by recognizing the truth and Camila conquers her anguish at Cara de Angel's disappearance and musters ali her strength in order to raise their sono In contact with such strength and goodness, the men must be redeemed. Santos Luzardo is softened by Marisela's gentle spirit, and Cara de Angel is transformed into a compassionate, noble mano

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NOTES I El Seiior Presidente was written over a long period of time, but because of political reasons was not published untill946.