Liberal, Libertario, Libertino

The Autobiography of the poet and writer Juan Francisco Manzano (1797?-1853) is the only extant autobiographical narrative by a former slave in Spanish. Throughout his entire life, Manzano had an ambivalent relationship with the written word. At the same time that he felt drawn to it and incurred in all kinds of punishment for playing with a forbidden toy, it was by negotiating with the dominant discourse that Manzano reaped benefits that certainly eluded an ordinary slave. Finally, it was because of his writing that Manzano was freed. Members of the Del Monte literary group made a collection and obtained the necessary 850 pesos for his freedom. By that time, even though still a slave, Manzano was already recognized as a poet and an author.

Manzano adapted himself to his environment as best as he could: he was meek and submissive when that was the most advisable course of action and he was brave and rebellious when he could get away with it. He let himself be played into the hands of men whose political agenda benefited him and allowed himself to become the poster boy of their ideas. In a society in which every law and custom was against him, Manzano navigated through all the challenges and climbed as high as he possibly could. He committed two of the most serious transgressions a slave could commit: first, he ran away, robbing his master of his property and of his workforce. And, most importantly, by teaching himself how to read and write, by mastering the written code of Western culture, he beat the white man at his own game.

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Segundo algumas versões, depois de ouvir Manzano declamando esse poema em uma reunião literária, os membros decidiram fazer uma vaquinha para comprar sua liberdade. O poema, realmente, é de arrepiar:

Mis Treinta Años

Cuando miro el espacio que he corrido
desde la cuna hasta el presente día,
tiemblo y saludo a la fortuna mía
más de terror que de atención movido.

Sorpréndeme la lucha que he podido
sostener contra suerte tan impía,
si tal llamarse puede la porfía
de mi infelice ser al mal nacido.

Treinta años ha que conocí la tierra;
treinta años ha que en gemidor estado
triste infortunio por doquier me asalta;

Mas nada es para mí la cruda guerra
que en vano suspirar he soportado,
si la comparo, ¡oh Dios!, con lo que falta.