George Eliot, The Spanish Gypsy

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Set in fifteenth-century Andalucía, Eliot’s narrative poem, conceived as early as 1864 and finished in 1868, tells the story of Fedalma, a young woman experiencing the clashing of two duties.

Raised in luxury and as a Catholic by her fiancé Don Silva’s family, the heroine was born a Gypsy. In a reversal of the usual child-stealing plot involving Gypsies, she was snatched from her parents by marauding Spaniards during a raid against the Moors. Her origins first appear to burst out from behind a façade of nurtured control when she dances publicly and sensuously in the town square to the horror of her husband and the Catholic religious authorities:

Raised in luxury and as a Catholic by her fiancé Don Silva’s family, the heroine was born a Gypsy. In a reversal of the usual…

731 words

Citation: Matthews, Jodie. "The Spanish Gypsy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 October 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7798, accessed 19 March 2024.]

7798 The Spanish Gypsy 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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