Staurofila

Staurofila
Author María Nestora Téllez
Original title Staurofila. Precioso cuento alegórico
Country Mexico
Language Spanish
Genre Novel, Allegorical novel
Publisher Grupo Editorial Exodo
Publication date
 2005
Pages 280
ISBN 9707370408

Staurofila is a novel composed at the end of the 19th century by the Mexican author Maria Nestora Tellez (1828-1890), who described it as an allegorical tale. Because Maria Nestora Tellez suffered a childhood illness that left her blind, she dictated the story to her assistants.[1] It was first published in Spanish in 1889, anonymously, at the request of the same author, and was released again in 1893 with the mention of the creator, after her death. Since then, it has been published in Mexico on several occasions until today. It has been described as "a novel of adventures with chivalrous features, an extensive fairy tale, and a hagiographic novel immersed in the hispanic, medieval and Renaissance literary tradition.".[2]

The novel is a didactic narrative that the author told her students to allegorically describe the principles of Christianity, as well as the spiritual growth, and even some eschatological themes. It consists of an allegorical story that describes the daily struggle to maintain freedom, love and life, which are considered gifts of God. By its style, it could be considered an analogous and previous work of those with a relatively similar allegorical style, like the Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings, but with a clearer and more direct symbolism. It has been influenced by the Song of Songs and the works of St. Francis de Sales, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Ávila.

Symbolism of characters, places and some objets

Name Meaning given in the novel Symbolism
Staurofila Lover of the Cross Human Soul
Filautia Self-love Human body
Helios Dicaias (Prince of Lights, medical doctor) Sun of Justice Jesus Christ
King of Lights God the Father
Buletes Counselor Spiritual Counselor (priest or religious superior), Church guided by the Holy Spirit, angel (in the anticlerical environment in Mexico after its Reform War, it is understandable that the note of the book identifies Buletes not with a priest or with the Church, but with an angel).
Quejaritomene Full of Grace Saint Mary
Theophorus The one who bears God Saint Joseph
Warriors and wise men Saints and martyrs of the Church
Shepherdesses Religious women, devouts
Villagers Faithful Christian and other "good will" non-Christian people (at first many did not identify the doctor as the Son of the King)
Roe deer Inspirations from the Divine Grace or from the Guardian Angel
Protaner First man Adam, father.
Protogina First woman Eve, mother.
Proscope Stumble Temptation.
Peirasy Temptation Envy (Pleasure to cause envy in others)
Pseudo-Epythropus False Custodian The "world" (understood as the socially accepted evil).
Apollyon Destroyer Abaddon, Antichrist
The Serpus Snake Satan, Lucifer, the Devil
Prodotes Traitor Traitor
Tree of Perfumes The Cross of Jesus
Kingdom of Lights Heaven, Paradise
Desert of Tears The Earth (earthly reality)
Castle of the Black Shadows Life in sin, or close to it.
Dungeons of the Castle of the Black Shadows Hell
Mount of the Three Mansions Prayer. See and compare to The Interior Castle, or The Mansions, of St. Teresa of Ávila.
--The Cave Retreat, the prayer of recollection. See and compare to The Interior Castle, or The Mansions, of St. Teresa of Ávila.
--The Castle of the flank Other prayer levels of stillness and contentment. See and compare to The Interior Castle, or The Mansions, of St. Teresa of Ávila.
--The Castle of the Summit Mystical prayer of union with God. See and compare to The Interior Castle, or The Mansions, of St. Teresa of Ávila.
Mount of Myrrh Prison for criminals sentenced for their crimes to extract myrrh from the tree of perfumes Suffering, sacrifice. Union to Jesus Christ in suffering and sacrifice.
Field of the Three Mines Jewelery extraction and polishing place Purgatory?
Long and thin bridge without handrails, on deep and dark precipice Death
Mark of the Serpus on the neck of Staurofila Mark left by the breath of the Serpus when escaping by the disobedience of Protaner and Protogina Original sin, concupiscence.
Awl Abnegation act or sacrifice.
Wines, flowers and jewels of the Black Shadows Objects Staurofila should be taken care of in the Castle of the Black Shadows.. Pleasures, pride, greed.
Lamp, fan and necklace given by Quejaritomene Objects given to Staurofila by Quejaritomene in order to be a help on the way. Light to discern good from evil, fan to drive away attraction to evil, Rosary.

Structure

Staurofila is divided into a prologue, 33 chapters divided into three parts, and an epilogue.

Reception and criticism

The work has attracted readers originally within circles of religious education, later to public interested in the mythological and epic genres, and recently to people interested in works of Latin American women of 19th century. Its novelistic formula has been difficult to classify and considered as unconventional and atypical, both by the mythological plot and its theological symbolism, different from the narrative conventions prevailing Mexico during that time, as by the fact of having been developed by a blind woman, within a society with a rigid patriarchal structure.[3] This Is what has recently attracted people interested in works by Latin American female authors.[4] It is important to note that although there is a tendency to identify the protagonist as the ideal woman from the time the novel was written, Staurofila actually represents the soul in general, from both women and men. In recent years, from the academic and literary point of view, more extensive work has been done regarding analysis, exegesis and hermeneutic reflection of this novel, based on given methodological proposals, such as that of Dr. Gloria Prado-Garduño.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Tellez, Maria Nestora. Staurofila (in Spanish). México: Grupo Editorial Exodo. 2005. p. 280. ISBN 9707370408.
  2. 1 2 Prado-Garduño, Gloria. Creación, recepción y efecto: Una aproximación hermenéutica a la obra literaria (in Spanish) (Second edition-First electronic ed.). México: Universidad Panamericana A.C. 2014. p. 203. ISBN 978-607-417-264-5.
  3. ↑ Matin-Flores, Mario. Novelistas mexicanas al borde del siglo y de un ataque de olvido. VI International Symposium of Literary Criticism and Writing of Women of Latin America v. 3. Argentina: EUCASA / BTU. 1998. pp. 88–96. ISBN 950-851-046-3.
  4. ↑ LaGreca, Nancy. Rewriting womanhood: feminism, subjectivity, and the angel of the house in the Latin American novel, 1887-1903. United States of America: Penn State Press. 2009. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-271-03439-3.
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