Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Narrative Perspectives

• Third Person: An omniscient observer, or through another narrator's perspective.
• First Person: A character, supporting character, or observer within the story.
• Second Person: The narrator addresses the reader directly, often making the reader the character.

Literary Elements: Time & Space

Time in Narrative

• Narrative Time: The duration of the story, which can span a lifetime, a year, or a shorter period.
• Time Period: The historical or fictional era in which the story is set.

Space in Narrative

• Objective Space: A real or imagined setting introduced by the narrator using descriptive techniques at the story's outset.
• Subjective Space: The setting as perceived and presented by the characters themselves.
• Narrated Events: The sequence

Noucentisme, a name associated with the early 20th century, marked a new era in Catalan culture. While primarily a literary movement, it was underpinned by a government with a clear cultural agenda. This significant Catalan political and cultural initiative, championed by figures like Enric Prat de la Riba, was supported by Pompeu Fabra and Eugeni d'Ors. Their government was instrumental in modernizing Catalan political language and culture. Enric Prat de la Riba, in particular, championed orthographic reforms, building upon earlier efforts from the Renaixença to revitalize the language after periods of decline.

Noucentisme, notably through the work of Pompeu Fabra, normalized Catalan spelling rules, leading to the creation of a standardized... Continue reading "Noucentisme: Shaping Catalan Culture and Identity" »

The Art of Rhetoric and Communication

Oratory is the art of public speaking. Rhetoric is the art of expressing oneself orally and in writing, often with an elaborate and aesthetic style.

A literary text (a subjective text where the author expresses their opinion) or a rhetorical text pursues aesthetic purposes. It uses language that is not strictly functional and communicative.

Essential Elements of Communication

In a communication process, essential elements are:

• Emissor (Sender): Expresses their personality as an author, from their point of view.
• Receiver: The reader makes a personal appreciation and review of the literary work.
• Message: The text is the result of a literary aesthetic elaboration, constantly balancing content with the way the message

Journalistic Language (Journalese)

Journalistic language, often termed journalese, refers to the specialized language employed in mass media. This usage is often combined with iconic messages (visual or symbolic elements).

Genres of Report

The News Story

The primary goal of a news story is to report a short, recently occurring event (suceso). The following criteria determine the relevance of an event and whether it becomes news:

1. Timeliness (Actuality): News refers to very recent events. Events that happened long ago quickly lose journalistic interest. Urgency addresses issues related to whether or not an event has already occurred.
2. Proximity: The closer the news is geographically, the more concerned we are. This explains why a major global event

Baroque architecture is characterized by:

• Architectures loaded with details and complex designs. It embraces classical forms (columns, arches, pediments, friezes) but in a fanciful manner. Sometimes, the building resembles a grand sculpture. The entablatures curve, and the elements adopt curved and spiral pediments.
• The adoption of elliptical, oval, and other shapes (such as those favored by Borromini). Walls are concave and convex, creating a rolling effect. Straight lines and flat surfaces are largely abandoned.
• A new type of plan that incorporates oblique planes to give an illusion of movement (dynamic spaces) in what is otherwise a static art form. It often represents or suggests the infinite (a path that disappears, a sky, a set of mirrors

Introduction

In the second half of the 19th century, realism emerged as a reaction against romanticism. Realism prioritized observation and aimed to reflect social and everyday life as it truly was, showing reality objectively. This contrasted with the subjectivity of romanticism. Naturalism, a trend originating in France, further developed realism.

Key Influences and Ideas

The rise of realism and naturalism stemmed from a desire for renewal influenced by tradition. Krausism, a philosophical movement promoting free education and liberal, modern thought, played a significant role.

Realism

Realism reflects reality as is, giving insight into its various aspects. Its key characteristics include analysis and observation, focus on the novel, critique... Continue reading "19th-Century Realism and Naturalism in Literature" »

Literary Devices (Figures of Speech)

These rhetorical devices are used to enhance expression and suggest sensory or emotional effects:

• Alliteration

  Definition: Repetition of a sound or sounds, often at the beginning of words, intended to suggest a sensory effect.

• Anadiplosis

  Definition: Repetition of the final word(s) of a line or clause at the beginning of the subsequent line or clause.

• Anaphora

  Definition: Repeating one or more words to initiate several consecutive verses or clauses.

• Antithesis

  Definition: A relationship established between two words or phrases that have opposite meanings.

• Apostrophe

  Definition: An invocation or direct address to an absentee person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object.

• Asyndeton

  Definition: The intentional suppression

Spanish Literary Movements Before the Civil War

Art Nouveau in Spanish Literature

• Features:
  • Search for beauty, departing from surrounding reality.
  • Great aesthetic renovation: valuable stylistic resources, sensory plots (auditory, visual, tactile).
  • Use of exotic words and cultisms.
• Authors and Works:
  • Valle-Inclán: Sonatas
  • Juan Ramón Jiménez: Platero y yo

Generation of '98: Literary Renewal

• Defense of Subjectivity: A subjective vision of reality, yet a faithful reproduction.
• Artistic Preoccupation: Reflected in the renovation of narrative structures and renewal of style, emphasizing anti-rhetoric, sobriety, clarity, and a taste for traditional words.
• Thematic Groups:
  1. The Issue of Spain: Concern for contemporary evils (backwardness, poverty) and love for

Linguistic Functions

Jakobson's Model

• Poetic: Focuses on the aesthetic qualities of the message itself.
• Emotive: Expresses the sender's emotions (e.g., Greetings!).
• Conative: Aims to elicit a response from the receiver (e.g., regulations, laws).
• Metalinguistic: Refers to the code of language itself (e.g., definitions).
• Phatic: Establishes or maintains the communication channel (e.g., Hello!).
• Referential: Conveys factual information.

Grammar Essentials

Parts of Speech

Nouns

Represent things, places, or animals.

Adjectives

Modify nouns (e.g., some hens, two telephones).

Pronouns

Replace nouns (e.g., I, you, us).

Verbs

Indicate the subject's action.

Adverbs

Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating place (here, there), time (before, now), manner (quickly)... Continue reading "Linguistic Functions and Grammar Essentials" »