Father Apolinar and Nazarín, two models of religiosity in the nineteenth-century Spanish novel

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to carry out a rigorous description and analysis of the figures of Father Apolinar and Nazarín. These two models of religiosity have some similarities, but above all many differences, reflected and contrasted in the text. Pereda included Father Apolinar in one of his works (Sotileza) and portrayed him as a humble person, who spiritually cares for the fishing population and teaches. It corresponds to the image of a priest identified with the life of the people: he cared for the needy and shared their poverty. Galdós, on the other hand, invented Nazarín, considered a saint and a simple in equal parts. He is also called a mystic, a beggar, a mendicant or a madman. This character becomes a symbol in the story and is compared to Jesus Christ. Galdós received criticism pointing out a clear Russian influence, but the writer denied it; his inspiration was only Spanish.