Critique of Good Faith and Truthful Ignorance

Alexandra Cook's and Noble Cook's text, Goodtime. One example was the reasons why
Faith and Truthful Ignorance, traced the lives ofNoguerol left his native land to come to Peru. The
an early settler of the New World and his twoauthors indicated his primary motivation was to
wives. The authors' purpose in writing this bookescape from an unwanted marriage, and this
was to provide modern readers with a "mirror ofseemed very plausible since he stayed away
a segment of Spanish society in the sixteenthfrom her for a long time and returned to Spain
century, the middle class and minor nobility" (Cookonly when he believed she had died. Another
xii). The authors explored all facets of this society:example was why Dona Beatriz waited until after
their values and customs, legal structure, theirNoguerol's death to claim that the marriage was
economy, and their home life.consummated; with him not being able to deny it,
The authors wove together the story of thisshe would had more success at winning the trial.
man's life with other historical backgroundThat she was bitter of being cast aside in favor
information, legal procedures, and the social moresof Dona Catalina was made very explicit by her
of the time so skillfully that the reader did notactions.
become bogged down in mundane details. TheNoguerol also remained bitter towards his family
writing was lively and interesting; it kept theover deceiving him. This bitterness was seen by
reader in suspense as the court case unfolded.the fact that he deliberately disinherited his family
Although the trial for bigamy was the main themein his last will and testament, preferring to enact a
of the book, the authors inserted other instancesline of succession for his estate in his wife's
of Spanish laws into the text, such as the familydescendants (Cook 137). The character of Dona
of a murdered man may make claims against theCatalina, namely her abhorrence of scandal, was
estate of the person who murdered him (Cookexhibited by her agreement to settle more
2).money on Dona Beatriz after the death of
In unraveling the trial of Francisco Noguerol, theNoguerol (Cook 143).
authors related many aspects of Spanish society,In the examples above and many others, the
such as the power and control widowed womenauthors presented an amazingly clear picture of
were allowed to exhibit in this patriarchal societySpanish society during the conquest of the
(seen through Nougerol's mother and DonaAmericas. The reader can discern the many ways
Catalina). The text also provided examples of thewomen were able to circumvent the Spanish law
life in Spanish convents through Nougerol's sisters.that restricted them in this patriarchal society.
It was very interesting that the nuns who lied toSpanish emphasis on values such as respectability
Noguerol were not made to accept responsibilitywas marked in the characters of Noguerol,
for what their actions caused, except by theirCatalina, and Beatriz. The reader can also see how
brother. This shows, I believe, how the Catholicthe custom of arranged marriages can cause
Church tried to protect their religious orders fromunexpected catastrophes among the people
scandal.forced to participate in them. Through their
The Spanish court system was seen to haveextensive research of church rolls, legal
attempted to protect the rights of women indocuments, and others, Alexandra Cook and
their society, as seen in the experience of DonaNoble Cook gave us an exciting glimpse of the
Beatriz and Dona Catalina. For Beatriz, she wassocial history of Spain in a period of continuous
protected from being left destitute from herchange caused by the exploration and conquest
husband's remarriage, and Catalina was protectedof the Americas.
from losing the husband that she had made a lifeBibliography
and home with.Cook, Alexandra Parma and Noble David Cook.
The authors offered to the reader logicalGood Faith and Truthful Ignorance: A Case of
motivations for the actions of people during thisTransatlantic Bigamy. Duke University Press, 1991.