The Error of Thinking that the Picture of Actual Dreams can be Used in only one Way

Abstract

In 1914, the Spanish novelist, dramatist, poet and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno published one of his well-known works, Niebla. Unamuno allows that his characters speak and speak although they say nothing at all: in this way the author begins believing he takes his characters by the hand, but in the end becomes his characters´ fiction. And not only does Unamuno give free rein to his characters´ dialogues but describes thoughts and feelings in great detail too; as a matter of fact, he uses expressions of the kind of (Unamuno 1996, 180) "si Augusto hubiera podido leer en el espíritu de Rosario� (`if Augusto could have read in Rosario´s spirit´), or (ib, 204) "¡Oh, si pudiesen verme por dentro, Víctor, te aseguro que no dirían tal cosa!� (`Oh Victor, if they could see inside me, I am sure they would not say such a thing!´). Up to this point there is nothing special about Niebla, but before committing suicide, Augusto decides to consult Unamuno: that is, the main character has a meeting with the author. But as soon as Augusto begins to tell his life and misfortune, Unamuno invites his character to save himself such a work because "de las vicisitudes de su vida sabía yo tanto como él� (`I [Unamuno] knew the ups and downs of his life as well as Augusto himself´). Unamuno proves his words quoting Augusto´s secrets; so the character, absolutely terrified, trembling and as if he were in front of an unbelievable being, murmurs: "puesto que usted parece saber sobre mí tanto como sé yo mismo, acaso adivine mi propósito� (`since you seem to know about my life as much as I do know, maybe you should guess my intention´)

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

  • This entry has no external links. Add one.
Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

  • Only published works are available at libraries.

Similar books and articles

Kierkegaard's aesthete and unamuno's.Jan E. Evans & C. Stephen Evans - 2004 - Philosophy and Literature 28 (2):342-352.
Tragic Sense of Life.Miguel de Unamuno - 1921 - New York: Dover Publications. Edited by J. E. Crawford Flitch.
The tragic sense of life in men and nations.Miguel de Unamuno - 1972 - [Princeton, N.J.]: Princeton University Press. Edited by Anthony Kerrigan & Martin Nozick.
Unamuno; an existential view of self and society.Paul Ilie - 1967 - Madison,: University of Wisconsin Press.
The pessimistic spirit.Joshua Foa Dienstag - 1999 - Philosophy and Social Criticism 25 (1):71-95.
Other Voices: Readings in Spanish Philosophy.John R. Welch (ed.) - 2010 - Notre Dame, USA: University of Notre Dame Press.
Kierkegaard's Aesthete and Unamuno's Niebla.Jan E. Evans & C. Stephen Evans - 2004 - Philosophy and Literature 28 (2):342-352.
The existentialism of Miguel de Unamuno.José Huertas-Jourda - 1963 - Gainesville,: University of Florida Press.
On Miguel de unamuno's idea of reality.Jose Ferrater Mora - 1960 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 21 (4):514-520.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-11-17

Downloads
17 (#742,366)

6 months
1 (#1,042,085)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references