The stories told by Berganza in Cervantes’s The Dogs Colloquy are not intrinsically misanthropic, but rather employ a theme of self-reflection. The constant shunning of “backbiting” as well as the stories themselves encourage a lesson on self-reflection rather than a simple hatred towards humanity.
The way Scipio repeatedly reminds Berganza to avoid “backbiting” is one such indication that their views of humanity are not strictly negative. Throughout the tale Scipio reminds Berganza not to backbite: “Let bygones be bygones, and don’t let’s do any more backbiting from now on” (42). “Backbiting,” as it is used in this story, is any excessively long and unnecessary complaint against humanity. If Cervantes wanted to create a strictly misanthropic text, he would not have held back his complaints towards humans. Instead, his characters attempt to avoid “backbiting,” as Scipio does in the above quote, to spend …show more content…
This conversation is especially unique because dogs are constantly in close proximity of humans, but are always treated as animals. This perspective allows for an up close look into human nature, since humans can show their true selves to animals. As stated by Berganza: “For a trifle, and without a thought, they put a knife in a man’s stomach as readily as if they were killing a bull” (37). “I have seen educated men who are fools and learned men who are bores” (44). “For this business of getting a living by doing nothing has many supporters” (50). Since these quotes come from a dog, they cannot be dismissed as mere gossip. Since dogs are unbiased in such matters, these quotes qualify as an analysis of human flaws. Berganza does not see humans strictly as savages, but rather as a misguided society in need of revision. This critique by Cervantes is not to simply berate all of humanity, but rather to encourage some self-improvement of us as
The way Scipio repeatedly reminds Berganza to avoid “backbiting” is one such indication that their views of humanity are not strictly negative. Throughout the tale Scipio reminds Berganza not to backbite: “Let bygones be bygones, and don’t let’s do any more backbiting from now on” (42). “Backbiting,” as it is used in this story, is any excessively long and unnecessary complaint against humanity. If Cervantes wanted to create a strictly misanthropic text, he would not have held back his complaints towards humans. Instead, his characters attempt to avoid “backbiting,” as Scipio does in the above quote, to spend …show more content…
This conversation is especially unique because dogs are constantly in close proximity of humans, but are always treated as animals. This perspective allows for an up close look into human nature, since humans can show their true selves to animals. As stated by Berganza: “For a trifle, and without a thought, they put a knife in a man’s stomach as readily as if they were killing a bull” (37). “I have seen educated men who are fools and learned men who are bores” (44). “For this business of getting a living by doing nothing has many supporters” (50). Since these quotes come from a dog, they cannot be dismissed as mere gossip. Since dogs are unbiased in such matters, these quotes qualify as an analysis of human flaws. Berganza does not see humans strictly as savages, but rather as a misguided society in need of revision. This critique by Cervantes is not to simply berate all of humanity, but rather to encourage some self-improvement of us as