La Quijotita y su prima

"La Quijotita y su prima" (1818) -The Quijotita and her Cousin- is Joaquin Fernandez de Lizardi's (1776-1827) second novel. Written two years after his best known novel "Periquillo sarniento" (1816), regarded as the official initiator of the novel genre in Spanish America, in "La Quijotita..." Fernandez de Lizardi extends his view on society to encompass the female condition. In tune with his liberal stance the author states with clarity the active role women should play within the new Mexican society, and highlights the importance of educating them along modern principles. Composed mainly of dialogues the novel quickly caught the readers public's attention, thus becoming very popular in its times among both female and male readers. It constitutes a perfect example of a didactic literature, intended to expose desirable social behavior models while entertaining. Today this amusing novel can regain its educational value by transporting the modern reader to the times of the newly born Mexican bourgeoisie, to show how the ideology of modernity and progress was conveyed through the education of women. The present critical edition by prof. Graciela Michelotti takes into account previous ones (starting with the 1831 edition) and incorporates new aclaratory footnotes aimed to help the modern, international reader.