“El camino” is a Spanish novel by Miguel Delibes, featuring Daniel as the main character. Daniel is the son of the town’s cheesemaker and is eleven years old. His friends, Roque (“el Monigo”) and German (“El Tinoso”), play important roles in Daniel’s coming-of-age journey as depicted in the novel. The passage from “Entre ellos tres no cabian disensiones…” [Delibes 2009, 55] describes the early childhood of these three boys and their unique qualities. It is found at the beginning of chapter VII, where Delibes provides a brief overview of their activities and favorite play areas. Each boy has a distinct role within the group, expressing their masculinity through various means. The gang serves as a sanctuary for Daniel, granting him freedom from parental restrictions and enabling his interactions with girls.
Daniel acknowledges that he cannot assert dominance over Roque, despite being more intelligent. In the gang, there is a balance of power and respect for each member’s position. Compared to the other two gang members, Daniel was notably the fastest runner. However, Delibes portrays this as only a remarkable quality without further significance. Delibes illustrates Daniel’s strong desire for a scar in the passage: “To Daniel, the Mochuelo, the direction the conversation was taking saddened him… He didn’t want a war scar or any trinket; he would settle for any kind of scar.” This passage reveals that Daniel feels he is losing rank and has many conflicting thoughts, yet fails to realize it is not his fault. The conversation with Roque and el Tinoso, his best friends, takes a different turn and Daniel experiences deep grief.
Furthermore, while the other two children share the events that led to their “awful” scars, Daniel is embarrassed because he realizes that unlike his friends, his body does not bear any signs of “good behavior”. In the eight-year-old child’s eyes, scars symbolize masculinity and virtue, and since he lacks one, he starts to feel insecure and even inferior to his companions. The author notes that the young boy would willingly trade ten years of his life just to have a deep scar. This statement showcases Daniel’s childish and naive understanding of reality.
Despite his young age, the eight-year-old boy lacks the capacity to appreciate and value life. As a result, he casually makes the statement without fully considering its implications. The boy often feels excluded from social groups due to his differences, which at his tender age feels like a devastating experience. However, he has yet to understand that diversity is what gives us our unique qualities and ultimately defines the beauty of being human. Additionally, among children, not having scars is often associated with being perceived as weak or effeminate.
As previously mentioned, at this delicate age, a child desires to feel less out of place. Their innocence is evident when they express a lack of interest in the method that would give them a real scar, yet they still feel a strong need for one. However, the narrative develops and Daniel gains confidence through the “cocana” incident from “Por la tarde, bajo a la romeria. […] Te puedes matar.” [Delibes 2009, 165]. Despite still being a depressed and melancholic young boy, the “cocana” challenge removes any uncertainty he had about his masculinity.
Nobody expected him to successfully accomplish this, resulting in a surprising turn of events that left the reader astonished. By being the only one to complete the challenge, he proved his belonging in the group. This marked another milestone in his personal growth, transforming him into a courageous and strong man.
In terms of his love life, Daniel’s conversation with Uca-Uca reveals a newfound closeness between them, a special connection. The young boy begins to mature and sees Uca from a different perspective. He appreciates their conversations and feels security, similarity, and even solidarity as they discuss shared issues with their parents. During their chat, Mica never crosses his mind.
Daniel remembers that he needs to go to the big city for a proper education, unlike his parents, but finds this idea unbearable. This passage shows that his relationship with Uca-Uca has improved because he now realizes he is meant to be with her instead of Mica. As a young man, Daniel learns how to navigate through life. Meanwhile, he experiences certain adolescent emotions that grow in his heart. In the final section of the story, Daniel nostalgically recalls his last day in the valley. The author describes every sensation the character experiences in detail: visual images like sun rays and auditory images such as footsteps and a feminine voice. Filled with emotion, Daniel leaps out of bed and goes to the window. It turns out to be Uca-Uca. Daniel notices a peculiar gleam in her eyes. In a serious tone, Uca-Uca explains to Daniel that she cannot bid him farewell at the train station as it would be too sorrowful for her.
Being impressed by her emotiveness, Daniel experiences an unknown and peculiar sensation in his chest. These are the initial indications of love emerging in the heart of an adolescent. Our protagonist has progressed from being indifferent towards girls to actually developing feelings for a specific one. Daniel bid farewell to Uca-Uca with a trembling voice filled with quaintness. The boy is clearly overwhelmed with conflicting emotions and sentiments. It is highly likely that Daniel has come to the realization that he has found true love, although the timing couldn’t be worse as he is obligated to depart from the valley.
Despite his shyness, the man’s actions reveal his reluctance to miss this last chance to express his feelings. Though he yearns to express himself openly, all he can manage is a plea for the girl to keep her freckles: “No quiero que te las quite!” [Delibes 2009, 199]. Though seemingly insignificant, this statement carries depth; Daniel values Uca-Uca’s simplicity and sees no need for perfection in beauty. Moreover, he recognizes that her apparent flaws contribute to her true beauty; without her freckles, she wouldn’t be herself.
Daniel’s mentality has clearly developed beautifully. He instinctively steps away from the window as tears are about to fill his young face, feeling remorse for leaving the valley and forming an emotional bond with someone in this significant moment. Despite the sadness in his heart, Daniel has a chance to learn that life doesn’t always go as planned and rationality should guide future decisions rather than emotions. Fairly, he has been given an opportunity to create a brighter future for himself. Ultimately, the boy demonstrates growth and maturity.
