Sueña Pilarín

Dominican educator and feminist writer Abigail Mejía (1895-1941) only published one novel, the coming-of-age text Sueña Pilarín (1925). Now in a new reedited second edition, a new generation of readers can experience the novel and learn about the life and cultural contributions of this prolific writer, educator, and leading figure of the feminist movement in the Dominican Republic. Moreover, not only does this critical edition provide an in-depth analysis of Mejia's life and writings, as seen in the presentation, prologue, and introduction, it also includes retrospective images of her life in Spain and the Dominican Republic.Sueña Pilarín narrates the story of Pilarín, a Dominican girl living in Catalonia, Spain and is divided into three main parts, each corresponding to the different stages of the protagonist's life: “Pilarín en libertad” (childhood), “Pilarín en el colegio” (adolescence), and “Pilarín ante el amor” (maturity). Within each part, there are individually titled chapters which begin with an epigraph from classical Spanish and French literature that enhances the character and foreshadows the themes explored in the text. One of the most interesting aspects of Sueña Pilarín is the use of vernacular language and the combination of Spanish and Catalan, perhaps used to emphasize the linguistic diversity that exists within Spain.In the novel, Pilarín navigates through a series of personal obstacles that illustrate her evolution from childhood to womanhood. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist lives in a small town on the outskirts of Barcelona but is separated from her poor sickly biological mother and raised by Rosario, a wealthy family relative in the city.Almost immediately, Pilarín begins her formal education with the help of a tutor at the home and continues in a convent where she meets Margarita, her feminine role model and confidant. During this stage, Pilarín does not live up to the formal and religious education instilled in her and decides that the best way for her to learn is through disobedience.Pilarín's final step in her journey towards maturity is characterized by the constant struggle between her identity, marriage, and motherhood. Pilarín seeks to find her true self and believes that this would be achieved through marriage since it was not fulfilled through education. Consequently, the resolution of the story's conflict in the final chapter suggests a shift not only in Pilarin's journey but in the narration itself, the story now changes to first person and is written in the form of a letter to Margarita. Eventually, Pilarín explains that she married Oscar (a Dominican) and returned to the island—to her true place of origin, where she can finally find her own identity and continue to develop herself. The physical and psychological voyage that Pilarín takes back to America allows her to reflect on her personal journey in Spain and finally accept Rosario as her true mother, gaining a newfound maturity as a woman.At first glance Sueña Pilarín seems to fulfill the characteristics representative of the Bildungsroman of the time, but its aesthetic value emerges from the fact that it departs from those conventions. Although Pilarín goes through experiences that are necessary and desirable for growth, the ending of Mejia's novel suggests that all women should be granted and allowed the freedom and the choice of self-discovery and fulfillment. Therefore, this critical edition of Sueña Pilarín is an invaluable reference for any scholar that is interested in studying feminist discourse, the Bildungsroman, and an important female figure to Dominican literature.