Stereotypes, subalternity, and resistance: The Roma community in La Gitanilla and La Maestra Gitana

Abstract

This article aims to examine the image of the Roma people in Spain through a comparative analysis of La Gitanilla, by Miguel de Cervantes, written during the Spanish Golden Age, and La Maestra Gitana, by Lola Cabrillana, published in the twenty-first century. These texts are used to address two main questions: How is the Roma population represented in each work, and what continuities can be identified in this representation from the seventeenth century to the present day? The article argues that the socio-historical and identity-related context shapes both the representation of Roma people and the capacity of Roma characters to resist prevailing social norms within the narrative. Although both protagonists are women, the ways in which they defend and embody the Roma cause are deeply influenced by the historical periods in which they live. Thus, while Preciosa embodies an idealised image of the Roma woman in literature, shaped by established stereotypes, Mara gives voice to an insider’s critical perspective and actively fights for social change.