La memoria de las mujeres públicas en las novelas contemporáneas de Benito Pérez Galdós
The memories of ill-reputed women in Benito Pérez Galdós’s novels

Summary/Abstract: During the times when Galdós published his best novels, memory was one of the most recurrent themes, which the Spanish narrator could not ignore. “Maladies de la mémoire”by Théodule Ribot and “Matière et mémoire” by Henri Bergson were two widely read and commented works at the time. Another topic that deeply interested the author of “Tristana” was the condition of women, and María Zambrano embodies the preponderant role that women acquire in Galdós’s novels. The Canarian writer created many types of women, of all layers of the society and of very different characters. Among them there are several prostitutes, whom he never judges. The mysteries of the memory of these women are impenetrable. Some of them, despite prostituting themselves, are in love with one man and erase from their mind the memory of any other. In “Fortunata y Jacinta”, Fortunata loves Juan Santa Cruz and, if she could, she would never be unfaithful to him. The same thing happens to Eloísa with José María in “Lo prohibido”, to Isidora Rufete with Joaquín Pez in “La desheredada”, to Dulce with the protagonist of “Ángel Guerra”. They would like nothing more than to be able to share their lives with that one man and forget about everyone else.

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