Saint Emmanuel the Good, Martyr

The novel suggests that enlightenment and consciousness can be a burden rather than a liberating force, leading to despair and a profound sense of loss. It highlights a tragic irony in which the pursuit of knowledge could lead to the loss of comforting illusions that bring meaning and happiness to life.

This idea underpins Don Manuel’s internal conflict between faith and doubt and his efforts to balance his public duty with personal disbelief. Don Manuel suggests that awareness often exacerbates suffering, even in the case of relatively mundane, worldly concerns: “[Envy] is nurtured by those who are bent on believing themselves envied, and persecutions more often come from a persecution complex than from any persecutor” (59). This insight reflects his belief that knowing the full extent of one’s misfortune can inflict greater pain than the initial troubles. This concept illustrates how enlightenment can lead to increased despair rather than liberation or comfort. Don Manuel’s decision to conceal his existential doubts from the community is motivated by this understanding; he aims to shield his parishioners from the additional burdens that enlightenment might bring. As the story progresses, Angela’s journey from innocence to doubt is triggered by her father’s books, but her existential doubts deepen when she learns of Don Manuel’s disbelief. This mirrors the priest’s own dilemma but also underscoring his commitment to preserving the happiness of the community: Don Manuel’s tears in response to Angela’s doubts reveal his guilt and sadness over passing his existential burden onto her.

Don Manuel’s doubts center particularly on the existence of an afterlife, a belief that, the novel suggests, mitigates the existential dread associated with consciousness of one’s mortality. This sentiment is encapsulated in Don Manuel’s remark that “[Religion] consoles them for having had to be born in order to die” (81), Death hangs over his own head constantly, however, which is symbolized by him sleeping next to the wooden planks that will make his casket decades in the future: “After cutting six planks from [the matriarchal walnut tree], which he kept at the foot of his bed, he chopped the rest into firewood to warm the poor” (61). Despite his efforts to give his life meaning by serving others, this imagery conveys his ongoing battle with despair.

More broadly, the novel suggests that enlightenment might ultimately lead to doubt rather than certainty. Unamuno mentions this in the Prologue, alluding to parallels to Don Manuel and Don Quixote: “It would be the most complete joke on the world if someone who had expressed the deepest truth were to have been not a dreamer but a doubter” (46). Instead of the fulfillment one might expect, the search for deep truths often results in questioning and skepticism, challenging the notion that enlightenment brings peace or happiness. This paradox underscores the narrative’s exploration of how the pursuit of knowledge can strip away the innocence and simplicity that contribute to contentment, positioning doubt as the essence of enlightenment.