Compare and Contrast

In El estudiante de Salamanca, the contrasts that the author creates between Elvira and Don Felix are very strong. If Elvira is represented by light, Don Felix is darkness. She’s innocent while he’s very experienced at wooing women. She dies because of an excess of emotions whereas he doesn’t really feel anything. The only things he cares about are his appearance and reputation. He doesn’t feel anything even when he kills people. On the other hand, Elvira is affected by everything that she feels. For example, just because her first love left, she completely breaks down. It’s actually interesting how similar Elvira is to Doña Francisca. They are both young and innocent. At one point in the work, Francisca also thinks that her first love left her. However, she’s not as dramatic as Elvira and doesn’t kill her self immediately. I guess the difference in the behavior between the two girls (rational vs. irrational) shows how Moratín was a neoclassic writer whereas Espronceda was a romantic writer.