Treviño,
E. B. (1978). I, Juan de Pareja. New York: Yearling Book.
Summary: Juan de Pareja, a slave, tells the story of his life and how he
comes to work for the great Spanish painter Diego Rodríguez de Silva y
Velázquez. Juan tells of his trials through life as a slave, the kindness of
his master, and his desire to paint under the tutelage of his master even
though it is illegal for a slave to do so. Through serving and supporting his
master in Spain and in travels to Italy, Juan gains understanding of the world
around him and his role in it.
Response: I found it interesting reading a piece from the perspective of
a Black slave that was written during a time (1965) when perspectives in the
U.S. on ethnic groups of color were still limited. I thought it to be well
written and interesting as it pulled from the historical context of the life of
Juan de Pareja as he may have lived it in serving Velazquez as his master. All
of his emotions are appropriate- his attitudes towards kindness and viciousness
are that of one who understands himself as a whole human who happens to be
bound by the shackles of slavery. I especially like the introduction of Lolis,
the slave that attends to the wife of Velazquez when she is aging and ill,
because Juan is confronted with the realities of the lived slave experience from
someone else. He is always approached with moments in his life that help him
grow and understand the world around him.
Review:
In The year of the publication of
Yet there is no moralizing tone in the novel. The author lets the situation and actions of her characters — the slave afraid to be sold, the princess refusing to be in the same room with a black man, the cruel conduct of a gypsy who is himself an outcast — speak for themselves. If there is any tendency toward sententiousness, it lies in the pronouncements of Velazquez concerning his art.
Besides its interpretation of a past relationship used to prefigure possible harmony in the present,
Essay by: Charlene E. Suscavage
Suscavage,
C. E. (1991). I, Juan de Pareja. Masterplots II: Juvenile & Young Adult
Fiction Series, 1-2. Program: Have a display with the painting of Juan de Pareja by Velazquez and ask children who come in to create a back story for the painting. Why was it painted? Who is the man in the painting? What do his clothes say about him? The expression on his face? Encourage them to read the book after creating the story to see how it compares to what they imagined. All written ideas will be posted with the picture.
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