Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Latin

Pío Baroja: Life and Personality

Born in San Sebastián in 1872, Pío Baroja studied medicine in Madrid but soon left his practice as a doctor. He published his first books in 1900.

• Until 1911, he published 17 novels, constituting the most important part of his production.
• His fame was consolidated: His life became increasingly sedentary. In 1935, he joined the Royal Academy. The Spanish Civil War surprised him in the Basque Country, from where he went to France. In 1940, he settled again in Madrid. He died in 1956.
• He was a man of lonely and bitter mood.
• He was pessimistic about man and the world. However, he could feel tenderness for deprived or marginalized beings.

This complete and utter sincerity is a fundamental feature of his temperament.... Continue reading "Pío Baroja: Life, Works, and Influence on Spanish Literature" »

Ramon Llull

In 1263, as described in his autobiography, Vita coaetanea, Ramon Llull had a series of visions of Jesus Christ crucified, which led him to dedicate his life to the following:

• Writing works to disseminate Christian doctrine.
• Founding schools to teach his philosophical system, as well as Arabic and other Oriental languages.
• Undertaking apostolic trips to convert people.

Ramon Llull's Works

Llull developed a philosophical system known as the Art, which sought to establish a relationship between reason (philosophy) and faith (truth).

Religious, Educational, and Moral Works:

• Book of Contemplation (an encyclopedic work preceding the Art)
• Poetry that includes the mystical theme in poetic prose.
• Novels intended for readers to understand and serve

El Cantar de Mio Cid: Intertextuality and Orality

Type of Text

El Cantar de Mio Cid is an epic poem that recounts the great deeds of the Cid.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is the phenomenon of connections between different texts. It can be between literary and non-literary works. It may appear in different ways: appointment, allusion, imitation, parody, comment, or processing. To recognize them, the reader should have some literary competence that allows them to relate the texts.

El Cantar de Mio Cid (12th Century)

Castilla (20th Century)

Signs of Orality in El Cantar de Mio Cid

• Appeals to the public: The poem takes into account the audience.
• Statement by the minstrel in the narrative: The minstrel includes commentary.
• Direct speech: The story is updated

Literature Since the Civil War

During the Civil War, an ideological propaganda literature dominated, in which literary quality was not the priority. Since the Civil War, literary evolution has been linked to a series of political and social transformations.

Key stages:

• Postwar Literature (1940s): Two orientations emerged: 1) Exaltation of the dominant ideas, and 2) Anxious reflection.
• Social Literature (1950s): Acceptance by international institutions and Spain's favored position fostered a certain ideological opening.
• Formal Renewal (1960s): Economic development brought about a change in customs and allowed the entry of foreign literary influences.
• Latest Trends (Since 1975): Authors began to speak freely, and different orientations emerged.

Miguel

Post-Spanish Civil War Novel

1. Novelists of Exile

The Spanish Civil War led to the exile of numerous writers, shaping a literary landscape marked by displacement. Three common aspects emerge in their works:

• The memory of war and Spain.
• Experiences of new places and adapting to life abroad.
• Reflections on human nature and existence.

Among the most renowned exiled writers:

• Ramón José Sender: Known for his realistic and social approach, his works often explored the themes of Spain and the Civil War, notably in Crónica del alba (Chronicle of Dawn).
• Rosa Chacel: Her writing is characterized by meticulous aesthetic care, exemplified in Distrito de maravilla (District of Wonder).
• Max Aub: Focused on the human condition, his stories maintain a traditional

Life is a Dream

This is one of the fundamental works of Calderón de la Barca. It raises the conflict between free will and predestination of human beings.

Basilio, King of Poland, locks his son Sigismund in a tower to prevent an omen: Sigismund's rebellion against his father. But, troubled by this situation, he decides to test his son. He brings him to the palace and makes him believe, upon waking, that he is a king. Sigismund, who has not received the education befitting his status as prince and has never been free, behaves cruelly. This attitude confirms the King's predictions about his child, and therefore, he decides to lock him back in the tower. On waking, Sigismund cannot distinguish whether what he has experienced was a dream or reality.... Continue reading "Calderón de la Barca & Lope de Vega: Spanish Golden Age Drama" »

The Theater of the 17th Century

The 17th century is the great period of Spanish drama due to the importance of the authors, the quality of their work, and their social impact. This is thanks to the impetus given by Lope de Vega with the principles of his New Comedy.

Lope de Vega's Theatrical Innovations

In his theatrical production, Lope de Vega introduced innovations that he later detailed in his New Art of Making Comedies:

• He did not respect the three unities of time, place, and action.
• The work is structured in three acts and workshops.
• While the classical precept separated comedy and tragedy, they can now be mixed in the same work (tragicomedy).
• All the works are written in verse. He resorted to polymetry, using different stanzas and meters.
• He

Gabriel García Márquez's Masterpiece

This text offers commentary on Chronicle of a Death Foretold, written by Gabriel García Márquez. It is one of the most popular of all his works. Gabriel García Márquez won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 and is one of the leading representatives of the so-called "boom" in Latin American Literature. Chronicle of a Death Foretold was published in 1981 and has many of the features that characterize this movement, such as magical realism.

Narrative Structure

In analyzing the structure, one must determine if the narrator is acting as a narrator-witness (first person) or is merely a chronicler collecting the testimonies of others (direct, indirect, free indirect).

Narrative Attitude and Style

The attitude... Continue reading "Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Narrative and Style" »

The Genesis of Latin Literature

The birth of Latin literature is usually placed at 240 BC. During the Roman games that year, the judges ordered Livio Andronico (the first author of Latin literature, who translated the Odyssey into Latin Saturnian verse) to translate or adapt a Greek comedy and tragedy to present them to the public as part of the games. Thus, the works of Roman literature and drama were initially translations or adaptations of Greek plays.

Early Latin Literary Works

The first known literary works include those of Nevio, who wrote Punic War in Saturnian verse. This work is closely related to the period of nationalist fervor in Rome during that century.

Development of Latin Epic Poetry

The discovery of Greek literature and mythology... Continue reading "Origins of Latin Literature: Key Authors and Works" »