Miséricorde

by Benito Pérez Galdós

"Miséricorde" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a novel published in 1897. Set in Madrid's underworld, it follows Benina, a servant and beggar, as she navigates the city's streets alongside the blind Almudena. Through a procession of beggars, cripples, and the destitute, Galdós contrasts impoverished bourgeois families with compassionate outcasts. The title references both a famous charity hospital and divine mercy embodied in Benina's kindness. This work represents Galdós at his creative peak, blending harsh realism with spiritual optimism about humanity's future.