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Anales galdosianos [Publicaciones periódicas]. Año XII, 1977
organic character of this group is insisted upon by Galdós' description of the disposition of Riego's
portrait: « El retrato descansaba en tierra y se movía adelante y atrás, poco seguro en manos de sus
portadores » ibid. ). We receive a visual image of Riego's head lowered and nodding to and fro
on the agitated body of the organism. If not too facetious, the English phrase referring to an Oriental
code of honor might be appropriate in describing this physical manifestation of the psychological
phenomenon now taking place: the organism is «losing face».
We have already, on several occasions, noted the importance of oratory in La Fontana de Oro with
respect to the activation of the group-organism. Calleja activated his small and senselessly violent
group by shouting: « ¡Señores, serenata a Morillo! » (p. 57). The « orador favorito » gave
resolution to the group at the Fontana de Oro, which, re-uniting on this next day and having swelled by
the addition of new components, we have referred to as the Riego group. The scene in which Lázaro-
idea was rejected by the audience which then accepted the « orador favorito » also underlines the
significance given by Galdós to the spoken word 27 . Today, Lázaro has been accepted as the « voz
» which provides the organism with intelligence and cohesiveness, and once more we shall see the
importance of speech. Le Bon recognizes this: « L'orateur, en communication intime avec la foule,
sait évoquer les images qui la séduisent. S'il réussit, son but a été atteint; et un volume de harangues
ne vaut pas les quelques phrases ayant réussi à séduire les âmes qu'il fallait convaincre ». 28
27 Carroll B. Johnson refers to Lázaro's «characteristic preoccupation with sound... which imply
speech», and to «the intimate relationship which exists between Lázaro and sound, especially speech».
Op. cit. , 116. Galdós' fear of having to speak in public is well-known, e. g., at a banquet in his honor,
Galdós asked José Castro y Serrano to read his speech for him. See: H. Chonon Berkowitz, Pérez
Galdós: Spanish Liberal Crusader (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1948), p. 171. Cf.,
«Without the gift of oratory...» Ibid. , p. 210. Federico Carlos Sainz de Robles indicates a dislike in
Galdós even for general conversation: « De estos amigos, con ninguno le ligó mayor simpatía que con
Mariano, el campanero sordo de la Catedral. Tal vez porque, teniendo tal defecto, se liberaba el gran
silencioso que era Galdós de darle conversación. » Introducción to Obras completas , tomo I, p. 55.
It should be noted, however, that a more recent study states: «Don Benito, contrary to the myth, was
really an entertaining and delightful conversationalist with his intimates.» Walter T. Pattison, Benito
Pérez Galdós (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975), p. 15.
28 Le Bon, p. 35.
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