Considerations on the Setting of Cervantes’s Captivity Narratives

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The focus of this interesting article is on Cervantes’s captivity stories in his novels and plays, used here to explore Islamophobia and Christian ideology through the lens of Said’s Orientalism. It shows how on some occasions Cervantes reflected the superior Orientalist mindset of western Europeans towards the Muslim ‘other’, depicted as barbarous and cruel, but that other stories display a more objective and nuanced approach, with (for example) an Ottoman Sultan persuaded to adopt a humane and tolerant course of action, in contrast to Christian rigidity and intolerance. Another work, set in the context of Spanish-English conflict, undermined the notion of superior Christian Europeans by exposing their hypocrisy and greed. The author presents Cervantes as a pioneer, looking beyond Christian-Muslim conflict towards a more humane world of mutual respect and tolerance.  

In this reviewer’s opinion, the piece will need some revision. The author needs to indicate more clearly how much of this interpretation is original. There is little discussion of the critical literature on Cervantes’s captivity writings. There should also be more discussion of why a tale set in Algiers has an Orientalist flavour, while one set in the Ottoman Levant does not. The author argues correctly that the Mediterranean needs to be understood in regional terms, with different economic and political circumstances evident in the South (Barbary coast), Levant East, and West (Straits of Gibraltar and out into the Atlantic), but the significance of this is not developed. At one point, there is a hint that Cervantes’s views simply changed over time (p6, l.300-3), from ‘a stark battle between good and evil’ to a more nuanced approach. Another part of the explanation, surely, is that Said’s Orientalism does not fit well with the Mediterranean world of Cervantes’s time. Europeans did not yet feel a patronising superiority towards the Muslim East. They saw the Ottoman world as a militarily and politically successful Empire that more than matched any European state, and as an impressive if alien and unsettling civilization. (See e.g. Samuel Chew, The Crescent and the Rose, 1965). The author nods towards this on p3, quoting Elliott and Braudel on the theme of two mighty empires confronting each another. Algiers and the other Maghreb powers, by contrast, were mere tributary states, in Algiers’s case heavily dependent on a ‘piratical’ economy. Many European writers of the time were similarly respectful towards the Ottomans and dismissive of the Barbary powers.

The article is clearly structured and generally well argued. The section on historical background will need some revision (see below). It rests very heavily on Elliott, with brief references to Braudel and Davis.

The reference throughout to ‘pirates’ is rather problematic. Barbary corsairs were not pirates; they operated with the approval of their respective governments. The Christian side saw a mixture of corsairs (in Malta), lawless pirates, and ships operating under licence from the rulers of France, England etc. This is touched on at p.12, l.611 but needs to be made clear from the start.

The bibliography is rather thin. The author might usefully look at Abun-Nasr, Bennassar, Ellen Friedman, Daniel Hershenzon, Mario Klarer, Gerald MacLean, Gillian Weiss.

The English is basically sound. There are many minor slips, however. E.g. on p2, ‘suffered captivity’, not ‘suffered from...’; ‘ lay’, not laid (line72); ‘devote her life’ (l.99).

Some specific points:

P2 l.79- Ottoman overlordship of N. Africa did not include Morocco.

P3 l.120 ‘states’ would be better than ‘countries’.

Ll.125-8 – ‘it would be wrong to attribute Barbary piracy solely to the OE’s imperial aggression’- true, but surely no one argues this?

4 top the OE didn’t invade the Maghreb- its overlordship was negotiated.

l.187 section, not chapter.

7 l.342- Cyprus- 21,000 inhabitants. Is that correct?

12. Drake was not the Admiral, and was knighted, not ennobled (i.e. Sir Francis Drake, not Lord...). Note: English, not British navy. Armada’s ‘infamous’ defeat- disastrous, catastrophic etc would be better.

12 ll.606-9. Ottomans ‘using’ the Barbary corsairs to attack Christian merchant and naval shipping. This was true up to the 1570s, but thereafter the Barbary states operated largely independently.   

13 top; flying a false flag to deceive the enemy- this was a common and long-standing practice by Europeans and Barbary corsairs alike, including in wars between European states, and was not viewed as ‘cowardly’ or ‘unethical’.

 

13 Catholics were not treated as heretics in Elizabethan England. They were termed popish or idolatrous, and fined if they refused to attend Church. They could be charged with treason if they plotted to overthrow the Queen.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

NA

Author Response

I am very grateful for your thorough and professional review. I have revised the manuscript according to your suggestions and highlighted these changes in red. Additionally, I have provided explanations for the points that needed further clarification, which are detailed below. Please review them at your earliest convenience. Thank you again for your invaluable feedback. 

 

Comments 1 : There should also be more discussion of why a tale set in Algiers has an Orientalist flavour,

Response 1 : 

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 'orientalism' was associated with the portrayal of the East as an exotic and mysterious entity in literature and the arts. However, in the 20th century, it came to be recognized as a form of biased prejudice and ideology, assuming Western superiority over the East. In Cervantes' narratives set in Algiers, the dichotomy between Christianity and Islam is strongly emphasized, with a clear bias towards the perceived superiority of Christianity. This mirrors the orientalist notion of Western ascendancy. In contrast, his later works set in Turkey offer a portrayal of the East that is imbued with a sense of fascination and respect, indicating a more harmonious perspective. Thus, orientalism in Cervantes' novels does not adhere to a single interpretation, but rather presents both critical and appreciative views of the East. [page 6 / line 305-313]

 

Comments 2 : Barbary corsairs were not pirates; they operated with the approval of their respective governments.

Response 2 :  Further details and clarifications on this matter can be found in the following section. [page 2 / lines 70-83]

 

Comments 3 : Cyprus- 21,000 inhabitants. Is that correct?

Response 3 :  At that time, the population of Cyprus was reported to be around 150,000. Nicosia, the capital, had recorded population figures ranging from 21,000 to 50,000. However, historical records specifically mention '20,000' as the number of war victims, without including the total number of residents. [page 7 / line 353]

 

Comments 4 : Drake was not the Admiral, and was knighted, not ennobled (i.e. Sir Francis Drake, not Lord...). Note: English, not British navy. Armada’s ‘infamous’ defeat- disastrous, catastrophic etc would be better.

Response 4 :  I have made modifications to the points you previously highlighted. Please refer to the red-marked texts on page 12 for details.

 

Comments 5 : flying a false flag to deceive the enemy- this was a common and long-standing practice by Europeans and Barbary corsairs alike, including in wars between European states, and was not viewed as ‘cowardly’ or ‘unethical’.

Response 5 : The parts you indicated have been removed from the manuscript.

 

Comments 6 : Catholics were not treated as heretics in Elizabethan England. They were termed popish or idolatrous, and fined if they refused to attend Church. They could be charged with treason if they plotted to overthrow the Queen.

Response 6 :  I have made modifications to the points you indicated. [page 13 / line 666~682]

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

See attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

I am very grateful for your thorough and professional review. I have revised the manuscript according to your suggestions and highlighted these changes in red. Additionally, I have provided explanation for the point that needed further clarification, which are detailed below. Thank you again for your invaluable feedback

 

Comments 1 : The author claims that “Cervantes aimed to inspire people to view the Mediterranean Sea as mare nostrum through this organic integration”

Response 1 :  The parts you indicated have been removed from the revised manuscript.

 

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Summary. The article Considerations on the Setting of Cervantes's Captivity Narratives offers a well-documented and historically contextualized review of the topic of captivity in Cervantes’ works, focusing in Cervantes´ plays Los baños de Argel, and La gran sultana, as well as the exemplary novel La española inglesa, in order to present an accurate analysis of Cervantes’ stand point on the clash between the main religions, Christianity and Islam, domaining the Mediterranean. Parting from the critical framework of Orientalism, the paper argues that Cervantes utilizes fiction to present an alternative to the official Christian discourse that represented Islam as an opposing cruel and demonized force. The main contribution and strength of this article is that it points out a divergence from the Catholic official discourse in Cervantes depiction of Islam by offering a more tolerant and flexible view on the Muslim “other”.  The article contributes to the topic by stating narrative examples of a key aspect in Cervantes' work depicting Islamic society as characterized by its social mobility and more tolerant stance in contrast with the rigidity of Catholic Spain.

One suggestion would be to clarify that slave trade and piracy were endeavors perpetrated by all states that cohabitated in the Mediterranean. The same applies to the concept of religious jihad (alluded in line 154), which was also summoned under other names by European states to legitimate their own forms of piracy against Muslims. In lines 68 – 71 the author seems to imply that piracy was practiced only by Muslims, when in fact it was common among all nations, either authorized with letters of marque or without. These forms of piracy were perpetrated by Christians as well, raiding the Mediterranean coasts and trade routes as corsairs, a form of piracy under a sovereign's protection. Cervantes shows this in chapter XLI (part I), the captive captain's episode, when Christian French pirates intercept Zoraida and Ruy Pérez in their way to Spain. The author clearly refers to this point later in page 12, line 596, when addressing English privateering in connection with Cervantes’ exemplary novel, La española inglesa, and how it challenges Eurocentric perspectives prevalent at the time. The author is very clear and makes a key contribution stating: “While Mediterranean piracy often conjures images of Muslim pirates depicted as barbaric and uncivilized, many European nations tacitly sanctioned piracy as a strategic response to their naval deficiencies. Cervantes critiqued the institutionalized and legalized violence prevalent in Europe and the Ottoman Empire alike.” (lines 615-618, page 12).

In sum, this article represents a valuable contribution to the topic of how Cervantes addresses captivity and piracy in his literary work, presenting an alternative discourse through fiction that challenged the common demonization of the Muslim other at the time, as well as the Eurocentric double standard regarding piracy that prevailed in Christian society. The author explores this with rigor presenting numerous examples in Cervantes´ work. Under my opinion, this article can be accepted without any further changes.

Author Response

I am very grateful for your thorough and professional review. I have revised the manuscript according to your suggestions and highlighted these changes in red. Additionally, I have provided explanations for the points that needed further clarification, which are detailed below. Please review them at your earliest convenience. Thank you again for your invaluable feedback

Comments 1 : One suggestion would be to clarify that slave trade and piracy were endeavors perpetrated by all states that cohabitated in the Mediterranean.

Response 1 : Thank you for your observation. It underscores the focus on the activities of pirates and privateer ships in Europe and the Mediterranean. [page 2 / line 70~83]

Comments 2 : In lines 68 – 71 the author seems to imply that piracy was practiced only by Muslims, when in fact it was common among all nations, either authorized with letters of marque or without.

Response 2 : The sentences you highlighted have been removed to prevent any misunderstanding.

Comments 3 : Cervantes shows this in chapter XLI (part I), the captive captain's episode, when Christian French pirates intercept Zoraida and Ruy Pérez in their way to Spain.

Response 3 :  Thank you for your valuable feedback. While I concur with your points, the structure of the paper did not allow me to integrate them at this time. I will address and develop these aspects in subsequent research.

 

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Although the classification of Cervantes' captive tales according to their milieu is interesting, this work is not original, neither innovative, and uses a very incomplete bibliography.

In general, the paper does not offer a critical comment or interpretation of the texts but a simple explanation of the geographical and historical background which is not really helpful. Only for La gran sultana we find an explanation, but even here the image of the sultan is more ambiguous and not that positive, in part because of the comical and ridiculous presentation of the character (against the decorous of the king). 

To start, it is mandatory that the author uses Cervantes' Información de Argel (1580), because it is the 1st of his captive narratives (for page 4 and so on), and serves as a kind of starting point for their dramatic and narrative versions of captivity. 

Also, there are some big mistakes: Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses is from 1615, not 1614 (1, 46).

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your detailed feedback, which has been instrumental in helping me address the shortcomings in my work. This has provided me with an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of the scholarship surrounding the Golden Age of Spanish literature. I apologize for my initial misunderstandings of your feedback. It was not my intention to convey that I disregarded your feedback.

 

Comments 1 : Cervantes' Información de Argel (1580)

Response 1 :  I appreciate the references and recommendations you provided. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I was unable to obtain the complete works of Cervantes published by the Real Academia Española or other books in my country, as they are either too specific or too recent. Instead, I read Información de Argel edited by Professor Emilio Sola and the papers by Natalio Ohanna and Sáez, which expanded my knowledge. So I revised fully from the page 5 to 8, highlighted in red. I ask you to understand the practical constraints I faced. And the books and articles I added, can be found the pages 17 and 18. Initially, I considered Informacion de Argel primarily as a historical document. However, your repeated emphasis helped me to recognize the deeper significance of this work, leading me to revise the section on Algiers accordingly. I greatly value the historical perspective you provided. 

 

Comments 2 : there are some big mistakes: Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses is from 1615, not 1614 (1, 46).

Response 2 :  I have revised the mistake you pointed out.

 

Comments 3:  the description of the sultan

Response 3 :  page 15, lines 761-9.

 

Comments 4 : the citations rule

Response 4 :  the citations in my work are organized by the year of publication.

 

Thank you once again for your guidance and understanding

Round 2

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author has not improved the paper: even with the exclusion of the Información de Argel, I have suggested a few bibliographical items that he/she must read and quote.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your detailed feedback, which has been instrumental in helping me address the shortcomings in my work. This has provided me with an invaluable opportunity to deepen my understanding of the scholarship surrounding the Golden Age of Spanish literature. I apologize for my initial misunderstandings of your feedback. It was not my intention to convey that I disregarded your feedback.

 

Comments 1 : Cervantes' Información de Argel (1580)

Response 1 :  I appreciate the references and recommendations you provided. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I was unable to obtain the complete works of Cervantes published by the Real Academia Española or other books in my country, as they are either too specific or too recent. Instead, I read Información de Argel edited by Professor Emilio Sola and the papers by Natalio Ohanna and Sáez, which expanded my knowledge. So I revised fully from the page 5 to 8, highlighted in red. I ask you to understand the practical constraints I faced. And the books and articles I added, can be found the pages 17 and 18. Initially, I considered Informacion de Argel primarily as a historical document. However, your repeated emphasis helped me to recognize the deeper significance of this work, leading me to revise the section on Algiers accordingly. I greatly value the historical perspective you provided. 

 

Comments 2 : there are some big mistakes: Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses is from 1615, not 1614 (1, 46).

Response 2 :  I have revised the mistake you pointed out.

 

Comments 3:  the description of the sultan

Response 3 :  page 15, lines 761-9.

 

Comments 4 : the citations rule

Response 4 :  the citations in my work are organized by the year of publication.

 

Thank you once again for your guidance and understanding

Round 3

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Still, the paper needs to add references to Información de Argel (ed. Sáez, 2019), the critical editions of Cervantes theatre, and studies on Pérez de Viedma: if the author has no access, he/she can write the editors or authors.