Rel'is
a
de Eswdios No eame icanos. 11. º 9
(2
003
).
pp. 135 -
141
BOOK REVIEWS
RUSSELL D1NAPOLI. The
El11si e
P omi11e11ce
<
~
Maxwell
Ande son
's
Wo ks
in
he
Ame ic<111
Thea e .
Va
lencia: U. de Valencia,
2002.
The
Uni e si a
de
Valcnc
ia
's
«B
iblio
ec
a
Ja
ie
Coy
d'es
u
dis
nonl-
amc icans» appca s o be a new ou le o Spanish Ame icanis s. i s e y namc paying
homagc
o
one
o
ou
mos
dis inguished
ep escn a i es.
A ecen!
i le
in
hc
collec ion
is
Rus
se
ll
DiNapoli's
The
Elusi e P omine11ce
<~
Maxw
ell
Ande so11
's
Wo ks
in
he
Ame ica11
Thea e . In o ma i e. eadable and supe bly documen ed. i
co
ns ilu es he i s impo an s udy
o
Maxwell
Ande
son
e e publishcd
in
Spain.
I con css I was one
o
hose -alluded by Di
Napoli-
whose acquain ance wi h
And
e son's
wo k
was limi ed, ha ing ound him
mo e
o
en men ioned in
pa
ssing
e e en
ces
han discussed in d
ep
h.
Maxwe
ll Ande son is ce ai
nl
y no e y popul
a
wi h modc n audicnccs and qui e neglec ed
by
mos c i ics. Nonc heless, he ac ha
he
is
always
induded
among he mas e s
o
Ame ican
d ama
and acknowledged as a
subs an ial d ama is had always exci ed
my
cu iosi y. DiNapoli
's
wo k p o es an
cxccllen in oduc ion o his in e es
in
g albei con
o e
sia! playw igh and his ini ial
adm
i
ssion
ha
he
« ou
nd
his
[
Ande son
's
] p
lays
accep able.
bu
no
g
ea
.
Undoub edly
Ande so
n was a c a sman a w i ing
plays.
Bu g ea ness en ails a
mo e
han
ju
s
skill» ( 1
4)
was o me an inducemen o eading as I ook i as an
ou igh challen
ge
o
a a h
e
se iew.
Th
c book has ou sec ions
o
chap e s. In he i s one,
«D
ama in he Uni ed
S a es om he Beginnings o he Second Wo ld Wa », DiNapo
li
o e s a pano amic
ske ch
o
he his o y
o
Ame ican d ama. om i s
co
lonial beginnings o Wo ld Wa II.
Ob iously, he accoun
o
he las decades is mo e de ailed, his being hc pc iod when
Ande son
's
many wo ks we e p oduced. Though his his o y is pleasan
o ead,
i will
p obably say li le o
h
e expe ; mo eo e , as he e is no poin ha DiNapo
li
ies o
make and his ske ch has no ele ance o hc
la
c
di
sc
u
ss
ion
o
Ande son,
i
a he
de
la
ys he handling
o
cen al poin s and
co
uld ha e
bee
n
done
wi hou .
Th
c second chap c , «Maxwell Ande
son's
Plays: A C i ica! O e iew», aces
a
his o y
o
Ande son's
d ama
and
i s
c i
ica]
ecep ion.
In
sec ion
h ee.
disconce ingly
en i led
«
T aces
o
Ana chism»,
D
iNapoli
analyzes
he
way
Ande so
n
's
shi ing
ideological p
os
i i
on(s)
caused
ange . eluc ance o ake
him
se iou
sly
o .
om
he i ies
on,
sh
ee
indi
e c
nce
owa d
s
hi
s wo k.
DiNapo
li
136 Rook Re iews
examines he
playw igh s
ideological s ance and i s
p oblema ic
delinea ion, as
well
as
h
c
uniqueness
o
a
w i e
who,
by
managing
o
a
li
cna e
Righ is s,
Le is s,
Communis s and nea ly e c yonc clse, was sen enced o a
long
os acism. no
well
o e .
I he
book had ended a e chap e h ee. one would
cel
a ce ain oundness
in
i and he ce ain y ha i had p o ed
o
shown wha i se
ou
o p o e
o
show; he
eal signi icance o in e es
o
wha e
e
ha is would
emain
open o discussion.
Howe e , DiNapoli's s
ud
y goes on. The e
is
a ch
ap e
ou .
and
his is, in my opinion,
hc one ha p esen s his mos o iginal con ibu ion o
Ande son
's c i icism. Howe e ,
I belie e ha he ma e ial deal wi h
in
his chap e dese es
an
independen book
and
no simply a
so11
o
disconce ing
a
e wo d
in
a wo k
which
is eally dedica ed
-as
e idenced by he i le-
o
an al oge he di e
en
subjec .
No
ma e
how
eebly
and
uncon incingly DiNapoli ies o connec bo h a so ne poin .
hei
en o ced symbiosis
emains puzzling.
Ce ainly DiNapoli's majo con ibu ion o
Ande sonian
c i icism
is
no
he
disco e y
o
hc elusi e p ominence
o
his wo ks in he
Ame ican
hea e -disco
c e
d
long
ago-
bu ha
o
Ande son
's
o iginal concep ion
o
agedy, whi
ch
sees
i
es
ing
on « he dyadic associa ion
o
an abs ae! he o wi h wo con as ing p o agonis s» (93).
I s ill oil o unde s and why he book was no a icula ed a o
und
his disco e y,
which
would mo eo e possibili a e a c i ica! eassessmen
o
he
Ande sonian canon,
as
hin ed by DiNapoli
.1
Bu as ny du y is no only o sing he p aises
o
DiNa
poli's
o he wise exce
ll
en
wo k. I
e
el I should poin ou so ne
o
he sho comings I pe cei ed.
Fo
ins ance.
a
poin s he au ho ial oice
ge
s los . To a ce ain ex en ,
his
is u
nde s
a
ndable
as
chap e s 1
o
3 a e abou Ande son 's c i ica! ecep ion and
he
chooses o s and asíde
in
o de o
Je
us
hea he opinions
o
c
i ícs and e iewe s. Bu o me his, mo e han a
jus
i
ica ion. is u he
p oo
ha chap e 4 - whe e his
oice
is
mo e loudly
hea d-
should ha
e
been he cen c
o
he wo k and no í
s
las
chap e
.
In
his sense, I
wo
nde whe he i was cally necessa y o
ha
e di ec access o
so
ma
ny c
i
ica] oiccs -pa icula ly wh
en
a e
so ne
pagcs
I
s a ed
ha ing he
eeling ha I was eading wha I had
jus
ead o e en had
ead
se e a! imes be o e-
o whe hc i would ha e been bc e o skip sume u
h
em
and
o
e
usa
me e accoun
u
majo ends in Ande sonian c í icism and assessmen , alluding o di ec sou ces in
pa en he ical ci a i
ons
o
wi h oo no es
i
so
ne
u hc explana ion we e equi ed. As
we absolu ely belie e DiNapo
li
has no in en ed
his
conclusions bu de i ed hem
om
eliable
sou ces
, we p obably
p e e
o gi e
ou
ime
ami
a en ion
o his
conclusions a hc han o his sou ces.
O
co
u se
I'm
no sugges ing hei elimina ion,
as hei p esence is essen ial o e en ual checking o a
mo
e in-dep h app oa
ch
bu
no necessa ily wí h such p ominence. Ce ainly I miss oo no es in he olume, no
l.
N
one
heless. 1 eel he e is a ce ain nai c e in DiNapoli's
bclie
ha he
dis n
e y
o
a new
c i ica] c:a ego y. alid o
so
ne
o
Ande son"s wo ks. will
c
awaken in c es in he
d
am
a is and esul
in a csh and cnhanced app ecia ion
o
his plays by p
o
duc:c s. edi o s and h
ea
i
c:al
audiences a
la
ge.
Book
Re
..
ie
1
s
13
7
because
o
any
special
ondness
bu
because
hey
cou
ld
ha e
been
used
o
accommoda e all hose i esome de ails and ac s ha DiNapoli inco po a es in o he
body
o
he ex and
which
end up
ge ing
in hc
way
o
a smoo h ea<ling
and
p e cn ing you om ollowing he main a gumcn a ion.2
Cu iously cnough in a olume so s u ed wi h
a
c s, 1 was su p ised a
no
inding an index o quick c e ence. which would ha e been
o
g
ea
help in a book
which is
-c
hap e 4 excep ed- pe haps mos usc ul
as
e e ence. Also, so ne u he
edi o ial
wo k
in o de o a oid y
po
g aphical
mis akes
would ha e been nee
de
d.
Espccially in
chap e
h ee he e a e se e a! quo a ions o w
hi
ch
no
e e ence is
supplied. Apa om hesc
mino
e o s, he wo k
con
sis en ly main ains a high
s anda d
o
schola ship. as e idenced by i s excellen bibliog aphical sec ion.
Thc e a e a couple
o
s a emen s ha need cla i ica ion. The con en ion ha
«[
p] io o Wo ld Wa I, ealism in Eu ope had los
g ound
o he exp essionism
o
d ama is s like Tolle , S indbe g. Wedekind,
and
B ech » (32) has
o
be e o nula ed
as B ech 's i s plays we e ac ually no p oduced un il he ea ly we
nli
es. Also, he
asse ion ha a un
o
a hund ed pe o mances
o
Hwnle
was « he longes playing
cngagemen e e
o
Shakespea e's b ooding agedy»
(20)
needs speci ica ion as i is
ha d o
be
lic e ha he longcs un o Shakcspea e's play could be one
o
jus 100
pe o mances, e en i ha could ha e becn ou s anding in a pa icula con ex .
l
would ha e
abo
been mo e cla i ying had he au ho gi en in pa en hescs hc
yea
when each play was i s p oduced ins cad
o
he da e
o
pub
li
ca
ion
o
he
cdi ion includcd in Wo ks
Ci ed
. The aus c i y
and
sob ie y
o
he edi ion
-usual
ea u es in he ou p
u
o
uni e si y
p
esscs-
p obably accoun s o he absence
o
i
ll
us a ions
,
hough
a
imes
i
would
ha e
been
help u
l o
isualize
spcc
i ic
p oduc ions
o
Ande son
's
plays.
Un o una el
y,
DiNapoli's olume
<loe
s no lis o he i les in he «Biblio eca
Ja
ie Coy d
'es
udis no d-ame
i
cans» collec ion. I would ha e been g ea ly in e es cd
o know, cspecially
i
ali
o
h
em
a e
o
hc quali y
o
DiNapoli's. As I see i , his has
he unin cnded e ecl
o
encou aging you o ush o o h
e
i ems in he se ies and
is
, all
in all. a e y se ious a
ncl
honcs cndea ou and a ema kable a emp a opcning new
a cnues
o
acadcmic inqui y.
RAMÓN ESPEJO ROMERO
Uni e sidad de Se illa
DAVID
Rio
RA GAD
S.
Robe
Laxal
:
la
o:::
de los
ascos
e11
la li e a u a no eame i-
cmw.
n.
p
.:
Uni e sidad del País
Va
sco, 2002.
Nowadays, i seems u
nd
eniable ha one
o
he heal hics conse
qu
ences
o
he
«Canon wa s»
o
hc l 980s has been he
di
sco e y
o
a signi ican numbe
o
au ho s
2.
Excep ionally con using a e
DiNapoli
n ü an
e c enc
es
o he dozens o plays w i en
hy
Ande son.
138
Book R
e iews
who had b
e :
n neglec ed o a long ime. As a
cs
ul . he
li
c a y
canon o he
Un
i
ed
S a es has u ned no only mul icul u al, bu also mo e di
e
se
a
nd
appealing. O e
he
pas ew yca s. Da id
Rí
o Raigadas has become he ocal
o ce
in acing
h
c Jegacy
o
he
Ba
sque-Ame ican mino i y in U. S. li e a u e ami. o una cly,
his
many
e o s
ha e inally c ys alized
in
a majo
c
i ica! wo k which
upcns
innume able pa hs o
u u e esea ch on
hi
s ascina ing ield.
Rob
c
Laxal
-who
dicd on Ma ch 23, 2001-has
ound
a
knowledgcab
le
in e p e e
o
hc six een wo ks he lc behind, se e a]
o
whic
h we e nomina ed
o
he Puli z
e
P ize. By he
i
me
o
his dea h, Laxal had long
becn
hailcd as ' he
o
i
ce'
o he
Bu
sque-Ame ican
ex
p
e
iencc. cxplo ing
h
e a e
o
he
huusands who mi
g a e
d
o he Uni ed S a es mos ly
o
econom
ic
casons
and
o e
n se led in Ne ada
as
shephe ds. This book o e s a comp ehensi e s udy
o
how
he
image
o
bo h
Bu
sques
and Basque-Ame icans un olds in many
o
La
xal
's
wo ks.
Sincc Laxal s i
ll
emains a !a gel y unknown igu e in hc
Ba
sque Coun y
and
he es
o
Spain. Da id Río s a s by o e ing a de
ai
led biog aphical s udy
o
he
w i c 's li c: he pays sp :cial a en ion
o
he social. economic. and e hnic ac o s
ha
mo i a ed his pa cn s' mig a ing
o
hc Uni ed
S a
es in he
ea
ly wen ie h cen u y,
whe e hey me and ma icd. Bo n in Cali o nia in 1923. R
obe
Laxal spen mos
o
his
liF
e
in
Ne ada. whe e his b o hc Paul e en ually heco ne i s
se
na o and
hen
go e
no
in
1966,
hus
ea i ming
hc
suc
cess
ul
adap a ion
o
so ne
Basqu
e-
Ame icans in he «land
o
oppo uni ies».
As
Rí
o
Raigad
as
ap ly
dem
ons
a
es.
m
os
o
La
xa
l 's
ic ional and
non-
ic ional ex s e
ge
on
h
c au obiog aphical, dealing wi h he di icul p ocess bo h
he
and his pa cn s had o endu e in
o de
o
su
i
e
in a social
and
e hnic en i onm
en
ha some imes
me
he Basques wi h indi e ence and c en hos
i
li y. His main
wo
k,
Sll'ee P omised L
and,
published in 1957 o
c
i ica! accla
im.
has been
co
nside ed
by
William Douglass as ' he classic' li e a y ex
o
hc Basque diaspo a.
On
he one hand
i
sc u inizes he nig a
o y
expe ience
o
Laxal "s own a he , and on he o
he
he ip
ho h
o
hcm
oo
k in 1953 o hei homeland. which ascina
ed
he a is so much
ha
he would e u n a numb
e
o
im
es
in he ollowing dccades.
Swee
P omi.1·ed Land se
om
h
e b
eg
inning many
o
he dis inc i e ea u
es
o he au ho "s li e a y uni e se:
emphasis
on
he
Ba
sq
ue
ea
li y, a
ea
lis ic a
nd
in im
a e
app oac
h
o
e en s, an
cpisodic s uc u e, and a concise dic ion wi h s
udcl
en poc ical ou bu s s which pe haps
is no su icien ly quo ed he e.
Ac
co
<l
ing o
h
is c i ica! s
u
dy, in Laxal
's
wo ks he diaspo ic no emen o
he Ame ican
co
n inen eaches symbolic dimensions and becomcs an ini ia ion i e. a
quasi- ny hical
jou ney
wi h
p o ound conno a ions which a e discussed
he
e in g
ea
de ail. Clea
e
id
ence
o
i is he ilogy Laxal published la e in his
ca ee
depic ing
he e olu ion
o
he Inda 1 amil
y.
again w
i
h a
ma
ni es au obi
og
ahi
ca
l sub ex . The
Busque Ho el
(l
989), Ch
ild
o
he Holy Ghos ( 1992). and
The
Go e
mo
'
.1·
Ma11sio11
(l
994)
o e
mul iple insigh s
on
h
e benc i s
and
he isks
o
assimila ion o
h
e
Basque-Ame ican m
in
o i y.
While The Ba
sq11e
H
o
el ( 1989) is an ob i
ous
ec
ea
ion
o
Laxal
's
pe sonal
cx
p
e
ience as an immig an in he Uni ed S a es, Child
o
he Ho/y Ghos is bo h a
li e al and me apho i
ca
l sea ch o he wo ld
hi
s pa en s le behind
in
Eu ope. since
Book
Re ie11·s
139
he p o agonis cmba ks on a symbolic jou ney back o he Basque Coun y in o de o
ace hei oo s. Da id Río ca e ully poin s ou ha his
is
he i s occasion
in
which
a emale
cha ac
c is he
p o agonis
in wha
o he wise
ends o
be
a ma kedly
mascu
li
nis li e a y domain. The p o agonis 's mo he , Mai ia,
is
p esen ed as a ic im
o
he p ejudiccs
o
he pa ia chal Basque socie y,
so
ha
she inally decides o
esca
pe
away ac oss he Ocean; he p o o ypical image
o
he
S a uc
o
he Libe y ha
appea s a he
end
o
Clzild
o
he
Holy Ghos unc ions
as
a symbol
o
eedom in an
ob ious pa io ic <liscou se celeb a ing he Uni ed
S a es
. Finally,
The
Go e no ' s
Mmzsion is commonly conside ed a ailed a emp on
Laxal 's
pa o w i e a poli ical
no el by ic ionalizing he success ul ca ee
o
his
b o he
in
Ne ada
<lu ing
he
1960s. Whilc he no el acknowledges he success
o
so ne second-gene a ion Basqu
es
like Paul
Laxal
in hci land
o
adop ion, i also
ale
s
o he des uc i e na u e
inhe en in assi
mila ing
oo
excess
i
ely
« he
Ame ican
way
o
li e
»,
since his
adop ion can 1mply o gc ing
one's
oo s o e en
bc aying
hem. In o de o p o e
his hypo hesis, Da id Río pays special a en ion o
he
disin eg a ion
o
he s ong
amily ies
o
Basque cul u e in he Uni ed S a es,
and
in
his analysis he makes
ex ensi e use
o
We ne Sollo s' well-known heo e ical concep s o «consen » and
«descen », as
he
o en does h oughou he en i e book.
In
se e a!
o
his mino miscellanous wo ks. Laxal included igne es depic ing
scenes
o
adi ional u al li e in he Basque Coun y.
Majo
idiosync a ic ea u es o
Basque e hnic iden i y a e unde sco ed: he in luence
o
he Ca holic Chu ch. he
al i udes owa ds he law, he
de
pendcn
cc
on o ali y,
he
s ong amily li e.
he
ha monious ela ionship wi h na u e,
o
he concep ion
o
ime. Howe e , gi en ha
Laxal 's pe spec i e ne e ceased o be a o eign one,
Da id
Río docs no hesi a e o
no e se e a! imes ha his imp essions can be a he id
ea
lized and educ i e a imes.
Ne e heless. Laxal managed o co e in a e ile way new g ound ha widens
he scope
o
con empo a y U. S. li e a u e wi h a dis inc i e oice. In his epea ed
a emp s o explo e and unde s and he Basque idcn i y in bo h con inen s and he
ha dships
o
s a ing a new li e in a o eign <lis an land, he con ibu ed o enla ging
he
U.
S.
li c a
y
canon and added o i s mul icul u
al
ichness.
I
Robe Laxal has
igh ully become he oice
o
he Basque expe ience
in
he Uni ed S a es, wi h
hi
s
in o ma i e wc
ll
-documen ed
o e iew
Da id
Río
Raigadas
has c
on i m
ed his
posi ion as he oice
o
Robe Laxal in li e a y s udi
es
.
JUAN
IGN
ACIO GUIJARRO
GON
ZÁLEZ
Uni e sidad de Se illa
Ca
nne
Manue
l,
e<l
. TeachinR
Ame
ican Li e a u e in Spmzish Uni e si ies. Biblio eca
Ja ie
Coy
d'es u lis
no d
-ame icans. Valencia:
Dcpa amen
de
Filología
Anglesa i Alemanya, Uni e si a de Valencia, 2001 . ISBN 84-370-5340-4. 133
p.
This olumc is included in he ecen ly ini ia ed collec ion
o
wo ks on No h
Ame ican S u<lies edi ed by he Uni e si y
o
Valencia. a welco ne addi ion
o
he

140
Book Rel'i
ews
expanding p oduc ion on Ame ican S udics in Spain which has gi en ise
o
such
a
lu
a
bl
e
an
d
usdu
l ini ia i es as he ca e ully edi ed bilingual edi ions
o
Ame ican
ex s p oduccd by he Tall
e
de Es udios No ea
me
icanos
o
he Uni e si y
o
León,
am
ong o
h
e s. In i s
h
eme, he book also links up wi h
he
inc
easing conce n w
i h
eaching in highe educa
i
on ha has il e ed om Ame ican
and
B i ish acad
emia,
e lec ed. o ins ance, in he collec ions on
hi
s subjec
issued
by
he
MLA
(Op i
o
11
s
j
ó
Teachiní{ and Appmaches o Teac/Jing).
o
in he clca
ly
didac ic in e
n
whi
ch
guid
es
he e
di
o s
o
wo
ks such
as
he 4 h
cd
i ion
o
he
H
ea h
An lw/ogy
<~
Ame i
ca
n
Li e a 11 e.
pu
bl
ished wi h an accompanying ol
um
e
o
sugges ions
o
eaching.
One
o
he mos aluable ea u es
o
Teaching Ame ican Li e a u e is ha
i
bcgins by linking, h ough i s i s
wo
a icl
cs
. Uni c si
y
edu
ca
ion o he l
e e!
i
mm
edia ely p eceding i . ha is, seconda
y
schoo
ling. a
conn
ec i
on
which is
oo
o en o
go
en wi h di e esul s o bo h le els. In
hi
s
espec ,
Be
ni
o Cam
acho
Ma ín, he au ho
o
one
o
hem. makes a lucid,
i
somewh
a
opiniona ed. analysis
o
he de
c.:l
ine
o
he eaching
o
li e a u e in seconda y schools, bo h in e
nn
s
o
he
hou s de o ed o i and a eas co e cd. and in e
ms
o he
much
-denounced educ ion
o
h
e slllden s' le e!
o
knowledge and in e p e a i e ski
ll
s.
The
emaining a icles
-so ne
in English, so ne
in
Sp
anish
-
<leal
wi
h
di e en
aspcc s
o
hc caching
o
Ame ican l
i
c a u e. wi h a ma ked
emp
hasis
on
lwcn ie h
cen u y na e ials and especially on
A
ican
-Ame
i
ca
n li e a u e; in ac , he book will
be
pa icula ly use ul o eache s
o
hc la e . This imbalance in con en is a na u al
esu
l
o wha hc book ne e ies o
hi
de, ha is, i s o igins in a Scmina
011
eaching
o ganized by he Uni e si y o Valencia. Howe e .
h
e wcaknesses o
h
e book a e
also
ela ed o i s o igins. and so ne could ha e bcen a oided wi h a s ic e p ocess
o
selcc ion and edi ion.
So
me a icles which ob iously may ha e wo ked we
ll
as o al
p escn a ions lack
h
e elabo a
i
on bo h in con en and o m
h
a wou
ld
be expec
cd
in
w i en wo k
o
h
is ca ego
y.
including any bibliog aphical e e cnce. O he s a e ali
oo
ob iously d awn s aigh o n he eaching p ojec s equ
i
ed o ull p o esso ship
in
Span
i
sh
Uni
e s
i ies: a ew ha c he
mo e
se
ious law
o
s aying om
he
eaching issue al ogc h
e
and si
n
pl
y p esen ing pa icula eadin
gs
o
indi idual
wo ks.
E cn so, hc e a e use
u
l p ac ica! sugges ions and ideological
co
nside a ions
o be d awn om mos . ami
h
e book also includes some excellen ma e ia
l.
I would
highligh . among i . Isabel
So o's
«Teaching
A
ican Am
e
ican Li e a u e in Spain
»,
wi
h i s in clligen dc ence
o
he need o be conscious
o
h
e ideological and pe sonal
elemen s w
hi
ch a e insepa a
bl
e
om
eaching.
and
which cons i
u
e «a
ce
11ain
a
i
ude::
o
li
c
which in u n in luences choices and ac
i
ons
» (36), a de ence backed up wi h
ex ensi e
es
ea ch and e e ences o di
ec
eaching ex.pe icnce. Ma ía F ías's ex .
also cen e ed on A ican Ame ican Li e a u c.
is
ex emely ho ough, exhaus i ely
wcll docu nen ed and ye manages
o
kcep eac
l1
ing-o ien
ed
h oughou :
apa
om
h
e
h
eo e
ical-ideological in oduc
i
on,
she
o e
s se e a! appendic
es
including a
d
e a
ilcd syllabus. a speci ic bib
liog
aphy.
and
sugges ions o bo h p ac ica! and
heo e ical classes. as well as a sam
pl
e exam. 1 his, oo. is de i ed om a eaching
p ojec , i
is
om a
hi
g
hl
y elabo a ed onc. Finall
y,
Juan Ignacio Gu
ija o
«'
And I
Book Re iews 141
only am escaped o ell hee'
»,
on caching Mohy Dick, combines a deep knowledge
o
he
subjec
wi h a i id
and
o en
humo ous
analysis
o
his pe sonal eaching
expe ience, in whi
ch
a s ong sense
o
us a ion
al
his awa eness
o
he limi a ions
o
many s uden s is balanced wi h a s ubbo n op imism.
His accoun
o
his e olu ion om an abs ae! o a
mo e
sociohis o ical eading
o
Mel ille
's
wo k in his eaching
o
he no el ac s
as
a aluable eminde
o
he
cons an in e ac ion ha should exis be ween eaching, lea ning and esea ch. Many
o
hc essays insis on his in e ac ion, as wcll as on an ex emely idealis ic app oach
o he
eaching
p ocess;
Sco
De ick's
a icle
on
Eme son
in
he
class oom
summa izes his app oach which conside s he aims
o
eaching
o
be « o s imula e hc
mind, o encou age c ea i i y.
o
ins ill c i ica! hough
and
o cul i a e he cou age o
disag ee»
(76).
In ac ,
he
collec ion
sugges
s
ha
he e
a e many ac i e
and
conce ned eache s
in
Spanish uni c si ies, o he
poin
ha so ne
o
he c i icism
le elled by ce ain w i e s a he supposed passi i y and unconce n
o
o he eache s
secms a he oo icious. No wi hs anding, i is ue ha he essays as a whole show a
g ea e awa cness
o
he wo k
o
o he Spanish au ho s in he same ield han is usual:
o ins ance, Ca me Manuel's bibliog aphies on me hodology include ample e e ence
o Spanish wo ks, especially
in
he mo e gene al sec ion.
These bibliog aphies. oge he wi h a sec ion on isual ma e ial also compiled
by
he
edi o
,
cons i u e
he
closing
sec ion
o
he
o
lum
e.
Thei
undeniab
le
use ulness, o my nind, could ha e been imp o ed
by
a g ea e balance be ween
sec ions (so ne unjus ly b ie , so ne excessi ely de ailed)
o
by a p e ious, mo e
limi ed and less ambi ious, <le ini ion
o
in en ions.
Fo ali i s weaknesses, hen,
h
e olume is good e idence
o
he heal hy s a e o
Ame ican s udies
in
Spain, and
o
he exis ence
o
a
g oup
o
de o ed and conce ned
eache s which should in igue, encou age and exci e new gene a ions
o
s uden s.
Teache s will ind in
i
use ul sugges ions, bibliog aphical e e ence, and ideo
lo
gical
s i nulus o hei wo k.
MARÍA
ANGELES TODA IGLESIA
Uni e sidad de Se illa