Module 4: I, Juan de Pareja

a.       I, Juan de Pareja begins with Juan telling the reader about his life born into slavery. He describes his mistress with love as well as fear since she is a moody woman who hits as well as caresses. Juan takes care not to anger her and tries to be attentive so as to earn his treats, which really are scraps that she discards like leftover chocolate. His mistress makes sure he receives all of his sacraments through the Church so he feels special because of that. She also decides to teach him his letters so that he may take over that task for her as well. Juan feels proud that she chose him, although the reader can tell that it is more for her convenience than a reward for him. Upon her death, he is passed on to her heir Diego Velasquez. The Journey is hard and filled with cruelty that Juan has never experienced. In the protection of his mistress, he was disciplined and loved, but with this transporter, he is neglected, beaten and starved. When he finally arrived to his destination, he is so distrustful of his future that all he cares for is what kind of master he has. The person who takes him in, gently washes away his dried blood and applies his bandages with care reveals himself to be the master. Over time, Juan sees that he is a good master and treats Juan fairly. Juan learns that he likes to paint, but is unable to due to Spanish law. As Juan’s life continues, other characters come and go. He is given his freedom by his master in a touching manner and continues on as his assistant. He later marries and shortly after, the mistress dies. Master also dies shortly after from sadness, or so Juan thinks. With his inheritance, Juan decides to move back to Seville with his new wife. He reunites with his old friend Murillo and settles into life there. 

b.      Trevino, E. B. d. (1965) I, juan de pareja. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

c.       I did not look forward to picking this book up. The illustrations were sort of dull and didn’t add to the book. Although you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, which is what I usually do. I look at the title and illustration first then, read the jacket if I’m still on the fence about it. Upon reading the book, I began to appreciate the tale that was unfolding about his life. The tragedy of his mother passing at such a young age helped to feel sympathy for the character, in addition to his life as a slave. Reading about his mistress was also sad because he didn’t really know true affection in his younger years, just the good moods of his spoiled mistress. I found it interesting to read about the life of a slave in a different setting. Overall, I felt that the book was very well-written. Its chapters flowed and held a bit of suspense and surprise that made you keep on reading to find out what happened next in his life. The point in the story where Juan is cared for and treated by an unknown person who ends up being the master made me want to cry. I was happy to see that he really was with a good master after all. If Master was a bad person, would he have taken the time to wash, bandage and treat his with such care? At the same time, I was hoping at every turn in his life that he would be freed but that was a long time coming. This book reminds you that slavery is wrong and cruel even with the most generous and kind masters. Juan may have ended up in a “good” home, but he is still denied the liberty to live his life as he wished and pursue the things he enjoyed the most for fear of the Law or displeasing his Master. I was touched by the way that Master gives him his freedom. I was sure that he was about to receive punishment for having broken the law. Unlike most tales of slavery, Juan is able to fulfill his wish to become a painter and enjoy his life.

d.      Figueroa, M. (1997). Children's books in spanish. School Library Journal, 43(5), 154.

e.       Since this book is long, I think it would work best with a book club. Students could gather on a weekly or biweekly basis and talk about the events that have unfolded. I would try to divide the novel into four sections so that readers would not get too far ahead or lose interest waiting for their classmates to catch up. A good skill to practice with this would be analyzing the changes that relationships undergo.