PERFUMING POSTERITY: SMELL AS IDENTIFIER AND PRESERVER OF EARLY MODERN SPANISH CULTURE

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation examines the presence and function of the sense of smell in Early Modern Spanish literature. It studies the use of the olfactory in key works of the period and analyzes how each one reflects a certain contemporary aspect of Spanish culture and society. Though its role in literature has not been considered as widely as that of the other senses, smell's indubitable presence in the works and its unique qualities allow for a singular approach to the texts in question as they serve to preserve the beliefs, themes and trends of Renaissance and Golden Age Spain. This work analyzes four texts, one from the late Middle Ages and three from the Early Modern period: Fermoso cuento de una santa enperatrís que ovo en Roma & de su castidat (14th century); La Celestina, Fernando de Rojas (1499); Don Quijote, Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra (1605 and 1615); "La inocencia castigada," María de Zayas (in Desengaños amorosos - 1647). These selected works permit an analysis of the function of smell within a variety of themes and across the span of the period. Serving to orient us in our search for literary scent, Chapter 1 presents considerations for the study of the olfactory in literature - how the senses have been perceived over time, how smell differs from the other senses and how smells are represented verbally. Chapter 2 deals with Fermoso cuento de una santa enperatrís que ovo en Roma & de su castidat and the way that the medieval saint-sinner dichotomy is reflected in pleasant and foul smells, respectively. Chapter 3 reviews the historical, cultural and social changes that took place in Iberia from the end of the Middle Ages into the Early Modern period to better understand changing perceptions and how they appear in literature during this time. Chapter 4 studies La Celestina and the title character's sensorial (olfactory) manipulation of others in the work. Chapter 5 looks at the role of smell, contrasted with the other senses, in Don Quijote's creation of Dulcinea. Chapter 6 analyzes the martyrdom of women in marriage as presented through smell in "La inocencia castigada." The epilogue briefly considers the role of smell in Lazarillo de Tormes and its implications for further study of the olfactory in literature.