Content area
The article analyzes Isaías Lerner’s contributions to criticism on Cervantes, on the basis of selected works of his on Don Quixote and the Exemplary Novels. Lerner, whose position was influenced by postmodern critical approaches, shows an interest in the Spanish American reader of Cervantes, when he explicitly attacks what he considers the arrogance of the criticism produced in Spain and the United States. However, on many occasions, Lerner follows precisely the type of methodology he seeks to criticize. This study shows how, in an attempt to establish his own theoretical approach and style, the Argentinean critic is torn between the lexicological study of Cervantes’ work, typical of Iberian criticism, and a semantic study with philosophical and psychological ramifications. It is worth highlighting that the article does not consider any one methodology to be superior; rather, it argues for a broad approach when reading Cervantes.