Social Hierarchy and Rural Life in The Holy Innocents
Historical Context and Time in The Holy Innocents
Historical Time
There is no specific date indicated in the text. However, in the second book, a reference allows us to determine the historical context. While mocking Nieves’ desire for communion, Master Ivan says, “The fault is not with them; the fault lies with the Council that is ruining their happiness.” This refers to the Second Vatican Council in Rome, which took place over three years (1962-65). Furthermore, the use of tractors, the massive migration to cities, and the beginning of the mechanization of the fields point to the 1960s. Therefore, most of the story’s events occur around the 1960s.
Textual Time
Delibes’ use of time intensifies the sense of many thematic elements of the novel. It appears in two different periods:
- A specific, concentrated time for the major events
- A dilated, deferred time for the remainder of the events
There is also a specific time where episodes that break the routine are found, contrasting with the normal time of the farm’s routine.
The Time of Events
As we can see, the story of the final events is told linearly and in a reduced time, which determines the rapid pace of the action: Paco’s accident, his replacement by the secretary Azarías, the death of the second Milana, and the murder of Master Ivan, which take place in the fifth and sixth books. These events occur in a short time: three weeks.
The story of the previous episodes is told with freedom in the use of time, presenting distant facts essential to justify the end. The pace is more leisurely.
Space in The Holy Innocents
For Delibes, the landscape is not merely a stage separated from the narrative. Instead, it has thematic relevance and plays an integrative role, as the characters are recognized in it, and conflicts and passions almost always reference the framework in which they occur. The space in which Delibes situates the novel The Holy Innocents, like the farms, does not belong in Castile. It is a large estate owned by a person where the ranking is very present. It is close to the border, as seen from La Jara by Azarías, “The Hill of Corzas,” but Delibes does not specify the scene of action.
The Landscape of the Farm
The elements that shape the landscape of the farm are thoroughly described. It has two parts:
A) The natural area is a large area that requires guards to obey the keeper. It is arable land, part of which is devoted to agriculture, though unimportant. Another part is dedicated to livestock. But the farm is primarily a large hunting ground for the enjoyment of the gentry and their guests.
B) The housing area that houses the residents of the farmhouse:
- It’s a closed zone, protected by a wall and a gate opened by Régula. There is a corral (open space) where the servants gather to celebrate the arrival of Mrs. Marquise. It is surrounded by workers’ houses, with more distant buildings where livestock is housed.
- Inside, there are three main buildings:
- La Casa Grande, the house of the farm owners, uninhabited except for the short periods when the owners are present.
- La Casa de Arriba, where the manager, Don Pedro, and his wife, Doña Purita, live.
- A small chapel where the bishop celebrates the Mass of the First Communion.
Significant Role of Space
- It is an essential factor in providing episodes with cohesion. In this sense, it is a large stage on which the characters move and the element that locks in the apparent disorder of the episodes.
- It reveals the hierarchical structure of large estates; each element of the landscape reflects the social differences of the beings who pass through it.
- It presents a dual attitude of man toward nature. The peasant man lives, resigned and happy, in perfect harmony with the land. The farm owners, however, only travel through it for fun or to control things.
In short, nature is likened to the humble characters in the novel. Azarías lives in a way that is absolutely equated with the animals: he feeds his birds, hunts, runs the tawny owl, relieves himself in the open, uses the flowers to clean up droppings, and cares for his niece as he does the owl or the young crow. Paco, El Bajo, is like a fine hunting dog with a keen sense of smell, essential to his master. The Niña Chica has a life less sensitive than the farm animals; she only feels and reacts, emitting piercing screams. The female characters of Azarías’ family do not identify as much with nature because they develop their work in confined spaces. This is what happens to Régula and Nieves, who never stop working on the housework.