Carmen

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the novella’s racist and inaccurate portrayal of Romani people and culture, which includes racist slurs. The novella also includes other instances of racism and exoticism, as well as depictions of domestic violence against women cumulating in murder.

The narrator prefaces his story with an explanation: He spent the year 1830 travelling through Spain researching the Roman battlefield of Munda in order to determine its hitherto disputed location, which he places near Montilla. It was during that time that he encountered Don José and Carmen, and learnt the tale of their life together, which he relates here as an interesting aside with no bearing on his forthcoming scholarly publications.

The narrator, along with his guide Antonio, is travelling through the countryside of Andalusia, fatigued and thirsty from the heat of the day. He comes across an idyllic glade and decides to rest there awhile and replenish himself at its fresh spring. A man who would later turn out to be the bandit Don José is already in the glade napping, and upon the narrator’s arrival he immediately awakes and gets to his feet. Don José is standoffish and clearly on his guard, tending to his horse with his weapon close at hand. The narrator feigns nonchalance and greets him warmly before making use of the spring.

The narrator is fearless because he is travelling light with no valuables for a bandit to steal, and ignores the clearly unnerved Antonio’s attempts to surreptitiously warn him. He offers Don José a good quality cigar and makes friendly conversation as they smoke together and share a meal, lowering Don José’s defenses. Don José is clearly lying about being native to the region, but the narrator agrees to travel in his company to their shared destination as he is fascinated at being in the presence of a presumed outlaw. He asks for Don José’s opinion on the famous bandit “José-Maria.” Don José expresses his unequivocal dislike, and the narrator wonders if his new travelling companion’s true identity may in fact be that of José Maria.

They arrive at an inn called Venta del Cuervo and, as Don José warned, it proves to be very poor lodgings. The small cottage is dirty and bare, with mule blankets in lieu of beds, although the food and wine is good. The old Roma woman and young girl who run it greet Don José by name, but he silences them. After the meal, Don José is persuaded to play the mandolin, his choice of a mournful Basque song leaving him melancholy and uncommunicative. Antonio again attempts to communicate with the narrator in private by asking him to come and tend to his supposedly sick horse, but the narrator refuses for fear of making Don José suspicious of them. Don José offers to take a look at the horse, and returns after having threatened Antonio—who has indeed guessed his identity—and tells the narrator that his horse is fine.

Although the narrator is tired, he awakes soon after falling asleep on his mule blanket, itching from its bedbugs. He leaves the cottage to sleep on a bench outside, where he meets the anxious Antonio. Antonio reveals his knowledge of Don José’s identity. He informs the narrator that he plans to ride into the town and alert the soldiers to Don José’s whereabouts to collect the 200-ducat bounty on his head. The narrator tries to dissuade him but Antonio remains firm and rides away.

After a moment of internal conflict, the narrator wakes the sleeping Don José and warns him of the soldiers’ imminent arrival. Don José departs swiftly, furious with Antonio and grateful to the narrator. The narrator rests in a state of moral uncertainty until Antonio and the soldiers arrive. The old Roma woman confirms that Don José often leaves the inn before daybreak, sparing the narrator any blame. Although Antonio suspects the narrator’s hand in Don José’s escape, they nonetheless part on good terms at the end of their journey.