This thesis is based on a study of the basic concepts of Concha Espina de Serna as revealed through the outstanding characters in ten of her novels and five volumes of short stories: Despertar para morir(1910), Agua de nieve (1911), La esfinge maragata(1914), La rosa de los vientos (1916), Ruecas de marfil(1917), El metal de los muertos (1920), Dulce Nombre(1921), El cáliz rojo(1923), Tierras del Aquilón (1924), El príncipe del cantar(1929?), Altar mayor (1926), Llama de cera(1927), La virgen prudente(1929), Candelabro(1933), and. La floor de ayer(1934).

This thesis is a study of the history of the education of Spanish-speaking people in Texas. The study covers a long period of time, from the middle of the seventeenth century to the present time.

It will be the purpose of this thesis to comment upon the five novels by Gironella published to date, with special consideration given to the religious aspects which are found in them. Gironella's attitude toward the Catholic Church and its representatives will also be examined, particularly in regard to the role which the Church and its priests played in the Civil War.