Pecado de omisin

El Pecado de omisin es un cuento muy realista de Ana Mara Matute. El cuento, cuyo protagonista es Lope, abarca 5 aos y tiene lugar en el campo de Espaa. Despus de la muerte del padre de Lope, el chico fue dejado a su to, don Emeterio. El to le emplea como pastor, as debe vivir en las montaas cuidando los animales totalmente aislado. Cuando revuelve despus 5 aos le da ataque nervioso viendo las diferencias entre su vida desierta y la vida comda de la gente del pueblo. Por fin ocurre la tragedia: Lope mata a Emeterio porque piensa que es la nica manera de representar sus sentimientos y su odio. El ttulo refiere al pecado de Lope, es claro. No obstante, observamos otro culpable que es don Emeterio porque le manda a un chico joven a las montaas para deshacerse de la responsabilidad en vez de cuidarse y ensearse. "Emeterio Ruiz no se llevaba bien con aquel primo lejano, (...) Luego, al chico, le recogi una vez hurfano, sin herencia ni oficio, no le mir a derechas." La escritora nos dirige y nos muestra una crtica social fuerte: los nios necesitan la educacin.

Ana Mara Matute: The Fantasy of a Surrealist Writer

Posted on September 30, 1999 by Guest Author

by Mara L. Trigos-Gilbert Some of you may think surrealism is a plastic art term, from the paintings and sculptures that different artists create. Yet when I think about Ana Mara Matute, I associate her with Mr. Salvador Dal, the most famous Spaniard surrealist painter. Mrs. Matute is pretty much a surrealist, though Im not so sure if she would appreciate this title to her writing. The first time I read one of Mrs. Matutes work, I felt hypnotized. I wanted to keep reading, thought the short fiction came to an end. My eyes kept staring at the last words, Yes, yes, yes. There were so many possible answers since Mrs. Matute had left the readers imagination and content to fill in the explicit questions or arguments. I became at that very moment one of those expected readers, looking for answers. Certainly I must confess: I dont fracture my skull in literatures matters. I take them just as they come. Let them go just as they go, sensing little trouble in all of their aspects. Of course, there is always an exception. In this case one of Mrs. Matutes work is my exception. Pecado de omisin, which translated into English, means Sin of Omission. Most of the time Protestantism declares that a sin is a sin, not matter what. Sin doesnt have a size, a name, or a color. So pretty much, a sin is a sin, period. Yet I have met some Catholic people who have assured me that there is something called white lies. Important to say, white lies dont have a thing to do with ones skin color! A white lie is a little lie, nothing major or traumatic for both parts (to the one saying it and to the one receiving it). Lope and His Sin of Omission Mrs. Matute decided to name her sin in her story. This situation leaves two kinds of sins in this short story; one is sin of omission, and the other sin of commission. Lets start defining sin of omission: to disregard, to oversight, or to withhold someone or something. I think that its the perfect time to talk about Lope, the main character. Lope is a young teenager

when his mother dies. He has already lost his father, so its his turn to support himself and his mother. One must understand that this is taking place in a small village of Spain, and long time ago when Spain had real economic problems plus a lot of taboo. Lope doesnt attend school for three years, going from one place to the next trying to earn some money to feed his mother and himself. His mother dies, and with her death all the tiny possibilities for Lopes success in life. Emeterio Ruiz Heridia and His Sin of Commission Lets define sin of commission: To entrust, to delegate, or to empower someone. While Lopes mother is still alive, they receive some sort of financial help from Emeterio, a cousin of Lopes father. Before Lopes mother dies, she requests Emeterio to take care of her son, to look after him. Emeterio employees Lope in his farm, taking care of his cattle in a remote place of the village in which they live. He gives the child the basics, forget candies or sweet stuff. Whether we are talking about candy bars or sweet talks, from man to man or from relative to relative. Lope always does what Emeterio says, just short commands like go here, and take that. There wasnt a personal relationship. There wasnt a tiny moment of true compassion toward this orphan, Lope. In Emeterios mind, life is hard, and one must earn some kind of support in order to survive. Wheres the Sin? Lopes & Emeterios Lopes sin is to remain silent, withholding deep inside Emeterios rudeness and greediness. Feeling as if he has been taken away the chance of living with dignity, he notices the crumbs that he has been given. Crumbs are never easy to accept, and a lot less to swallow them. Yet as the saying goes, necessity overcomes pride. Many are the thoughts that Lope may have had during his life in poverty, a life filled with crumbs coming from the so-called relative. He has to accept whatever he gets because hes full of nothing. Lopes sin is of omission; he knows about Emeterios unfair demeanor. Instead of talking it out or getting out of his precarious situation, he gets rich of repulsion toward Emeterio. The only thing that keeps Emeterio doing as he does, is the fact that he believes hes doing right, just by giving this child an opportunity to work. Details, Cause & Effect Lope never goes inside of Emeterios house. The very first night he expends in Emeterios care, is in Emeterios barn right there by the chickens, and perhaps other kinds of domesticated animals. He expends just one day in town, at Emeterios barn. Then Emeterio sends him to Sagrado, a place named Sacred when translated. Sagrado was far from town, or at least in a very hilly setting. Lope never goes to town, except for the time of the party. The name of the well known party of the town isnt given by Mrs. Matute. Yet its said that this party takes place once a year since summer, fall, and winter go by without Lope going to town, but on the partys day. In a bar Mr. Lorenzo, one of Lopes former teachers, sees him going to Sagrado. Mr. Lorenzo tells Emeterio that Lope is pretty sharp. He tries to tell Emeterio how important an education could be for the teenager. Yet Emeterios narrow vision stops Mr. Lorenzo from any more talk about the matter. In the end, Mr. Lorenzo doesnt do a thing, just goes with the crow, Emeterios explanations about the importance of this teenager working. Emeterio tells Mr. Lorenzo how senseless it all seems, informing him that Lope doesnt have a thing because of the lack of planning from Lopes father, not even a place to live or to die. As embarrassing as it may have been, Mr. Lorenzo doesnt argue with Emeterio, just nods in acceptance of Emeterios short speech. Lope isnt alone in Sagrado. There is a man, Roque el Mediano, close to fifty years old who is also a bit retarded. This is the only communication that Lope has with any human being year after year, though Roque never talks too much. Roque is one of Emeterios employees, for about around fifteen years. So here we have a young man, growing up practically in the forests with a very awkward companion. This is the only world Lope gets to know and understand. If it may help, picture that movie named Nell, though Im sure Lope speaks a very understandable Spanish, besides understanding well whats been said. The prove of this is when Emeterios daughter, Francisca, tells Lope how well Manuel Enrquez is doing in life, and the fact that is going to be a lawyer. Francisca doesnt care about Lopes feeling, or at least never thinks that this would make an impact in Lopes reaction. Yet Lopes reaction isnt fully fulfilled until he by his own eyes looks at Manuel. Five years have passed, five years in Sagrado. Came just on time for his check up from Emeterios doctor. He seems strong as an oak tree, a pillar of strength. That the doctor confirms about Lopes health. So this medical check up assures

Emeterio that his minuscule investment has been a wise move. This is the time when Lope stays in town just to attend the villages party. Something super interesting happens. Lope looks at Manuel and hears him mumbling some words that he couldnt understand. Manuel gets glad for having met him once again, but Lope looks at him a bit surprised. His classmate wasnt the smart, but so he was. His classmate wasnt a popular guy in the school that they attended. On the contrary, Manuel used to be the one wanting to hang around Lope. He still seem to be wanting to hang around Lope. Yet this time Lope doesnt understand this gentlemans refined manners. Manuel fingers seem so flexible, against the inflexibility of Lopes fingers. Manuel offers Lope a cigarette, but Lope has trouble taking the cigarette out of the silver square box, all so white, so well arranged. Lope for the first time acquires so much indignation, deep inside thinking that this was because of his bad luck, bad manager, the unmerciful Emeterio. He notices the difference between him and Manuel. One is the sophisticated, and the other the uneducated, the beast in town, Lope. Certainly here we must just say that he is a very uneducated young man. It isnt that he is a real beast, but at least someone far from any sort of social skills. This hurts Lope more than anything else; he sees how much of a waste his life has become, being so unimportant, so commoner. Now more than ever he understand that Emeterio hasnt been so fair after all. This is the most important moment in the story. Lope sees Emeterio entertained with his grandsons. Lopes Indignation Takes Shape Lopes blood starts getting thicker, almost like suffocating him. There he pick up a rock, almost the size of a red ruined brick. At that very moment, in front everyone Lope throws the rock toward Emeterios chest. Thats it. If you read this story, you will be almost speechless of such amazing end. This end is almost like an explicit or rhetorical implication. Of course, Matute gives us a bit more. The women there, including Emeterios thin and distasteful wife, start crying, and putting their veils in front of their faces to show their sorrow, and their lost. None of those women ever questions Emeterio, but give Lope a bitter short sermon. Their sermon is the typical question. (Dios mo, l, que le haba recogido. Dios mo, l, que le hizo hombre. Dios mo, se habra muerto de hambre si l no le recoge) Lets translate those words: My God, him, that was taken into his custody. My God, him, that made him a man. My God, he would have died of starvation if he wouldnt have taken him in. Lope gets carried by police officers, crying and saying, S, s, s. Yes, yes, yes. Now, you may see that this women favor Emeterio. In the end, Emeterio becomes the martyr, the one as the women say that gives Lope a place in the hills and food. Thats all what he gets from Emeterio. Lets Judge the Facts As you may imagine, we do a lot more for people that arent related to us. Therefore, how are we to do less for our own relatives? This is the matter that Matute nails. Mercy, that Emeterio doesnt get to know a bit, or at all. He thinks that his way is the only way as many people think, or perceive life. Yet Matutes perfection doesnt have a size. She comprises her storys most exciting or climaxed parts with a giant suddenness, almost innocence. Her story is as people may say, JUST RIGHT. It isnt something that will make you cry from the start, or at lot less something that will cause you to hate at first glance. In this story, readers want to keep reading before making a wrong conclusion. One may say that this isnt Matutes best story since it is too short. As far as Im concern, this is one of her best stories, short and powerful. In less than ten minutes, Matute causes us to think, to judge, and to conclude giving a final vote. Like a Court Trial This story is different because here you get to be the judge, right there in the silence of your comfort. You are the one to decide how bad or good Lope has been. You may give Emeterio a break since in the end he dies. Yet there is a question pending: Are we going to forgive Emeterio, or people in general, because in the end they become the martyrs? Or are we to forgive people because they truly deserve it? Many religious people may argue this thought, almost saying that forgiveness isnt deserved. Yes, they have a point, but its super difficult to forgive those who dont want to be forgiven. Even more if I recall well, David, one of the guys who contributed to write the book of Psalms, requests God to show him his unnoticed mistakes, in order for him to take care of those undesirable traits. Thats willingness. How are we to work with those who dont seem to have a problem, though they do? It is as if we are the ones having a problem, but them. Am I making myself clear? I think so. Lope, Beyond Physical Needs This thirteen years old, then eighteen, doesnt want Emeterios social statues. What he doesnt have, he craves: a father, a mother, a family. Of course, we ought not to deny the fact that material stuff doesnt count because here we would be a bit, if not a lot, hypocrite. Lope never gets the opportunity of having a man to man talk. All he ever knows is work plus

work, from helping his widow mother to helping himself to survive. We have a sad picture which Mrs. Matute treats with a lot of respect and tact. Mrs. Matute gives the right persona, so she writes it in third person. Someone else is telling us what happened which indeed makes it more believable. If Lope tells the story, we could be a bit skeptical. If Francisca or Emeterios wife tells it, we are still skeptical because we would say, Of course, she is saying it to us perhaps a lot different from what in reality happened. Thats a very fair thought. Ha, Mrs. Matute takes care of her writing as well as she takes care of her readers. What I See in Sin of Omission Im not so sure if to feel like Christopher Columbus in America, or if to feel just as a mere lucky person who has read this Mrs. Matutes story. I have taken a lot time, thought, before I truly decided to write about Sin of Omission. Sometimes we read articles, stories, or researches that get into our skin. They just dont come and go from our life. They stay forever within us. I must confess that Mrs. Matute isnt my first favorite writer since I dont have a very-first favorite writer. There are many writers out there who arent been read just because of our societys greatness. This isnt Mrs. Matutes case. She is a giant among all writers, a magnificent woman. I have had the opportunity to read some of her interviews. Funny, I have understood Matute from two sides, the interviews and her stories. Conclusion Mrs. Matutes Attitude Toward Life & People: Doesnt know how to hate. Doesnt get mad. Tolerates a lot. Too lazy to get into fights or great arguments. Doesnt like the matter of choosing, writers, since to choose means to reject. Doesnt consider herself a commoner, but someone with personality. Knows that she is an individualist. Doesnt go to the bull fights in Spain because cares too much for the beasts. Will stop writing when she dies. Considers herself Catalan, Spaniard, and European. (Note: People from Barcelona, Spain speak Catalan. It isnt Spanish, but it isnt a major change, as it is Galician, though Catalan is a bit more popular in Spain for Economic reasons. So Mrs. Matute stated in her interview, when asked what she considered herself the most, that shes all that Catalan, Spaniard, and European.) Articles P.S. The only thing I would object, is the fact she doesnt go to bull fights. Im a bull fight lover. Thats fine. Among tastes and colors, authors arent set apart.