Pepita Jiménez (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

At a glance:

Characters Discussed

Luis de Vargas (lew-EES deh VAHR-gahs), a seminary student, preparing for the priesthood, who is home for a vacation. He corresponds with his uncle, the dean of the seminary, about his own changing attitude toward Pepita, his father’s prospective young bride.

Don Pedro de Vargas (PEH- droh), his understanding father, who is well satisfied to have his son give up the priesthood in order to stay home and marry Pepita.

Pepita Jiménez (peh- PEE-tah hee-MEHN-ehs), a charming young widow.

Gumersindo (gew-mehr-SEEN- doh), an elderly moneylender, briefly married to Pepita.

Antoñona (ahn-tohn- YOHN-ah), Pepita’s duenna, who does more than her share to further the romance of Luis and Pepita.

The Vicar, who wants Pepita to marry Don Pedro.

Currito (kew-RREE-toh), Luis’ cousin, who takes him to the casino. There, he gambles with the count and eventually fights a duel with him.

Count de Genazahar (deh gehn-ah-sah- AHR), who borrowed money from Gumersindo that he will not repay to the widow. When he makes slighting remarks about Pepita, he and Luis wound each other with sabers.

Bibliography:

Bianchini, Andreina. “Pepita Jiménez: Ideology and Realism.” Hispanofila 33, no. 2 (January, 1990): 33-51. An examination of the novel’s relationship to ideology and idealism. Discusses the three-part structure of the work.

DeCoster, Cyrus C. Juan Valera. New York: Twayne, 1974. A very good resource for study of Valera’s works. Contains an overview of Juan Valera’s life and literary career and analyzes his literary characters and themes. There is a chapter devoted to Pepita Jiménez.

Lott, Robert. Language and Psychology in “Pepita Jiménez.” Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 1970. A well-regarded study of the language and psychology found in Pepita Jiménez. The first part is an analysis of language, style, and rhetorical devices. The second section is a psychological examination of characters.

MacCurdy, G. Grant. “Mysticism, Love and Illumination in Pepita Jiménez.” Revista de Estudios Hispanicos 17, no. 3 (October, 1983): 323-334. This article is an original approach to studying Valera’s treatment of mysticism, love, and illumination.

Turner, Harriet S. “Nescit Labi Virtus: Authorial Self-Critique in Pepita Jiménez.” Kentucky Romance Quarterly 35, no. 3 (August, 1988): 347-357. Examines the omniscient narrator, the writer, the use of irony, and the relationship to virtue.