Revisiting ‘place’ in a realist novel: ‘Thinking space’ in Galdós’s Torquemada en la hoguera (1889)

Departing from the premise that Galdós’s close engagement with space and place deserves to be at the forefront of scholarly attention, this article provides an in-depth study of their significance in Torquemada en la hoguera. It begins by analysing the relationship between the novel’s locations and the real world, demonstrating that the author codes the city of Madrid to express social concerns and promote reader engagement. It then proceeds to examine the public and private spheres, before highlighting the “place of the imagination” in the novel. It reveals that, as in Galdós’s press articles, reality is used as a springboard in Torquemada en la hoguera and, drawing upon recent theories, it posits that places serve as a framework for engaging readers with contemporary concerns and as an imaginative springboard for Galdós. They trigger what is effectively a “thinking space” for the author and it is through unravelling their significance that we can fully appreciate Galdós’s psychological sensitivity, the novel’s modernity, its symbolic value, and imaginative depth. The article concludes by proposing that Galdós’s works deserve to be re-examined as “Novels of the Geographical Imagination” and urges readers to revisit the significance of space and place therein

Slave Subjectivities in the Iberian Worlds (16th-20th centuries)

Le monde ibérique a joué un rôle clé dans le commerce mondial des personnes réduites en esclavage à partir du XVe siècle. Les spécialistes des formes ibériques d'esclavage sont confrontés à la difficulté d'accéder à la subjectivité des esclaves, étant donné la rareté des sources autobiographiques. Ce livre offre un exemple convaincant de méthodologies innovantes qui s'appuient sur des archives et des documents alternatifs, tels que les dossiers inquisitoriaux et de procès, afin d'examiner les subjectivités individuelles et collectives des esclaves sous la domination politique ibérique. Il explore des thèmes tels que la race, le genre, le travail, la mobilité sociale et l'émancipation, la religion et la politique, mettant en lumière les expériences vécues par les personnes réduites en esclavage dans le monde ibérique, de l'océan Indien à l'Atlantique.The Iberian world played a key role in the global trade of enslaved people from the 15th century onwards. Scholars of Iberian forms of slavery face challenges accessing the subjectivity of the enslaved, given the scarcity of autobiographical sources. This book offers a compelling example of innovative methodologies that draw on alternative archives and documents, such as inquisitorial and trial records, to examine enslaved individuals' and collective subjectivities under Iberian political dominion. It explores themes such as race, gender, labour, social mobility and emancipation, religion, and politics, shedding light on the lived experiences of those enslaved in the Iberian world from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.El mundo ibérico desempeñó un papel clave en el comercio mundial de personas esclavizadas a partir del siglo XV. Los estudiosos de las formas ibéricas de esclavitud se enfrentan a dificultades para acceder a la subjetividad de los esclavizados, dada la escasez de fuentes autobiográficas. Este libro ofrece un ejemplo convincente de metodologías innovadoras que recurren a archivos y documentos alternativos, como actas inquisitoriales y de juicios, para examinar las subjetividades individuales y colectivas de los esclavizados bajo el dominio político ibérico. Explora temas como la raza, el género, el trabajo, la movilidad social y la emancipación, la religión y la política, arrojando luz sobre las experiencias vividas por los esclavizados en el mundo ibérico desde el Océano Índico hasta el Atlántico.O mundo ibérico desempenhou um papel fundamental no comércio global de pessoas escravizadas a partir do século XV. Os estudiosos das formas ibéricas de escravatura enfrentam desafios no acesso à subjetividade dos escravizados, dada a escassez de fontes autobiográficas. Este livro oferece um exemplo convincente de metodologias inovadoras que recorrem a arquivos e documentos alternativos, tais como registos inquisitoriais e de julgamentos, para examinar as subjectividades individuais e colectivas dos escravizados sob o domínio político ibérico. Explora temas como a raça, o género, o trabalho, a mobilidade social e a emancipação, a religião e a política, lançando luz sobre as experiências vividas pelos escravizados no mundo ibérico, do Oceano Índico ao Atlântico