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

The Painting of the Last Third of the Nineteenth Century: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

Introduction

The 1870s witnessed a reversal in the economy, manifested at all artistic and social levels. The failure of the Paris Commune brought about a truce, and the great industrial and financial bourgeoisie experienced its peak. However, past revolutionary episodes obliged public authorities to carry out certain reform programs, including social insurance and compulsory, free primary education. Because of this, the illustrated press multiplied, and cultural events tended to become "mass phenomena." Two factors influenced artistic life:

1. The popularization of photography and the establishment of the movement for the use of films sensibles.
2. The spread

Language Variation

The use of any language isn't homogeneous among its speakers. Language varies due to historical, social, geographical, and stylistic factors. The style used—cultivated, standard, colloquial, or vulgar—also impacts variation. A common standard, adapting to change, is characterized by rules and guidelines from institutions like the Royal Spanish Academy.

Advertising's Persuasive Power

Advertising's main goal is persuasion. As a social communication system, it promotes products or events through commercial, institutional, and political means. It uses various media (press, television, radio, outdoor, direct mail, etc.). To persuade, advertising often embellishes reality, concealing negatives. This is debatable; while it can... Continue reading "Language Variation in Spain: A Multilingual Reality" »

The author of Lazarillo is not limited to anecdotes strung together but creates a narrative composed of a series of events that are organized hierarchically. The composition of Lazarillo is based on two structural models: the autobiography and the elements of the epistle. All elements gain a sense because they are part of the history of a character's life as told by the autobiography itself. It already had a long literary tradition; the direct source for the autobiography of Lazarillo is the Golden Ass of Apuleius. The model of the epistle, as a framework in which to develop the narrative, also has a long tradition. There is the presence of data taken directly from reality, such as geographical references. The work proposes that it be read... Continue reading "Understanding the Narrative Structure of Lazarillo" »

1. Middle Management

M: Gerencia Media
D: A level of management in an organization or business consisting of executives or senior supervisory staff in charge of the detailed running of an organization or business and reporting to top management.

2. Objection Analysis Sheet

M: Hoja de Análisis de Objeciones
D: A document stating a feeling of opposition or dislike regarding something that an employer disagrees with.

3. Networking

M: Creación de Redes
D: Forming business connections and contacts through informal social meetings.

4. Observation Method

M: Métodos de Observación
D: The observation method involves human or mechanical observation of what people actually do or what events take place during a buying or consumption situation.

5. Recession

M: Recesión
D:

Ambition & Motivation

• Achieve: (conseguirlo)
• Achievement: (éxito)
• Challenging: (estimulante, desafiante)
• Fail: (suspender)
• Fulfil: (satisfacer)
• Get something right: (hacer algo bien, acertar)
• Get something wrong: (hacer algo mal, equivocarse)
• Goal: (objetivo, meta)
• Motivated: (motivado)
• Overcome: (superar)
• Pass: (aprobar)
• Put pressure on: (presionar)
• Satisfying: (gratificante)
• Success: Make it
• Strength: (virtud)
• Under pressure: (presionante)
• Weakness: (debilidad)
• Naturally: Gifted
• Lorry: Truck
• Tiny: Very small
• A visit: A trip

The World of Work

• Ad, Advert: (anuncio)
• Applicant: (candidato)
• Application form: (solicitud, formulario)
• Apply for: (pedir para trabajar)
• Boss: (jefe)
• Employer: (empleador)
• Experience
• Fill something in: (rellenar algo)
• Full-time ≠ Part-time
• Interview:

Rafael Alberti: Themes and Style

Rafael Alberti's unique form of communication conveys vital experiences. Nostalgia allows him to evoke a lost paradise, primarily the sea of Cadiz and, subsequently, Spain. The anguish caused by these losses, coupled with a concern for social issues, led him to address contemporary Spanish reality. His work is characterized by its musicality and varied poetic meter.

Poetic Guidelines

• Neopopularismo: Based on resources and forms of traditional poetry.
• Baroque and Vanguard: Influence and significance of Gongora and the avant-garde.
• Surrealist Poetry: Evident in Sobre los ángeles (1929) and Sermones y moradas (1930).
• Social Poetry: A shift towards social concerns, highlighting the role of the poet in a society in exile.

Avant-Garde Literature: Defining Characteristics

It is often difficult to distinguish between Modernism and Novecentismo. Avant-garde is defined as an art movement characterized by a radical reaction against prior artistic traditions.

Key Features of Avant-Garde Art

• Internationalism: A reaction against the nationalism and social concerns of earlier literature.
• Antitraditionalism: A complete dismissal of inherited artistic conventions.
• Disclaiming any illusion of reality.
• Movements often rely on shock value and do not aspire to permanence.
• A relentless search for originality and the opening of new artistic paths.
• It is an intellectual art form that often neglects or suppresses emotions.
• It is considered a true art of its time.
• Often described as ugly,

Core Linguistic Concepts

Semantic Relationships

• Polysemy: The variety of meanings that a single word possesses (e.g., menu).
• Homonymy: The relationship between signs that share the same form (signifier) but have different meanings.
• Synonymy: The relationship between two or more words belonging to the same grammatical category that have identical or similar meanings.
• Antonymy: The relationship where a word expresses the denial or opposite of another term (e.g., high / low).
• Semantic Field: A set of words that share a common conceptual content or theme (e.g., hours, days, months related to time).

Word Formation and Origin

• Lexicon: The complete set of words that speakers of a language use to communicate.
• Heritage Words (Palabras Patrimoniales): Words transmitted

Baroque Style: Origins and Characteristics

Context: The Baroque style emerged at the end of the sixteenth century and extended into the 18th century. It originated in Italy and from there it spread throughout Europe. It is a bright, flashy, and often lavish art form, the result of a time of crisis. Baroque expresses the power of great monarchs and the flowing, rich, prosperous states of Catholicism.

Variety and Types of Baroque

The variety of socio-economic, political, and religious situations gave rise to several types of Baroque. These include:

1. Italian Baroque: courteous, more classical and Catholic; in the European courts it is sensuous, monumental and decorative.
2. Classicist Baroque: rigorous in style, developed by the French court and placed

Signs, Symbols, and Sacraments

Understanding Their Meaning

Signs, symbols, and sacraments act as indicators, pointing towards deeper realities. For instance, visible symptoms like those in the images above suggest the presence of an underlying illness. The sign mediates communication between the observer and the sickness.

Types of Signs

Many signs are human-made and conventional, such as traffic lights. These require learned interpretation and are not inherently effective; their power lies in the willingness of individuals to obey them.

Other signs are natural and understood through experience. Smoke signifies fire, dark clouds indicate a storm, and laughter symbolizes joy. These signs arise spontaneously from the emotions they represent.

Some... Continue reading "Understanding Signs, Symbols, and Sacraments" »