Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Latin

20th-Century Hispanic Theater

Early 20th-Century Theater

The Decade of the 1950s

Theater of the Absurd

Humor is used to escape a society full of contradictions and with little freedom.

Social realism, with works like A Straight Story (1949) by Antonio Buero Vallejo and Death Squad by Alfonso Sastre, addressed problems from a committed social position.

Theater of the 1960s

Commercial theater: Alfonso Paso and Jaime de Armiñán.

Committed and innovative theater, criticizing social problems while seeking new forms of expression.

Works: Laura by Jesús Campos, The Elm-Shirt by Lauro Olmo, Pic-nic by Fernando Arrabal, and works by Antonio Gala.

Theater of the 1940s

Ideological drama: Jacinto Benavente and Carlos Arniches.

Comedy intended to distract the public... Continue reading "20th-Century Hispanic Theater and Literature: A Deep Dive" »

Lazarillo de Tormes: Birth of Picaresque Genre

In 1554, The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and His Fortunes and Adversities was published. Published anonymously, it is narrated in the first person, taking the form of a letter from Lázaro de Tormes to a high-ranking individual, "Your Excellency." Lázaro recounts his life from birth until the moment of writing the book. Many consider Lazarillo de Tormes the first manifestation of the picaresque genre. It presents the typical structure of this genre:

• The protagonist, Lázaro, narrates his own life.
• He is the son of parents without honor.
• He uses small thefts and tricks to survive.
• Success and failure alternate in his life; when he seems to have achieved something, he often returns to his downfall.
• He

Vicent Andrés Estellés

Life and work are intertwined for Vicent Andrés Estellés. The death of his daughter deeply impacted his writing. Professional recognition, such as the Award of Honour of Catalan Letters and early retirement, marked his career. He studied journalism in Madrid, where he wrote his first verses, and worked as an editor for Las Provincias. The publication of Llibre de meravelles (Book of Wonders) in 1971 was an immediate success.

Estellés' language draws from three sources: classical tradition, colloquial Valencian, and legal terminology. He employs a series of 'anti-poetic' words, including vulgarisms.

The poetic 'I' is a significant element, offering insights into the author's biography.

His forms, tones, and structures... Continue reading "Vicent Andrés Estellés, Joan Rois de Corella, and Joan Fuster: Key Valencian Writers" »

Realism and Naturalism in 19th-Century Literature

The 19th century witnessed significant literary shifts in Europe. The bourgeoisie consolidated its power, often funded by the aristocracy, leading to new social dynamics reflected in literature and philosophy.

Realism: Reflecting Reality

• Literature: Realism aimed to reflect reality. The novel, often epic in scope, depicted the transformations and "avatars" of a new social class.
• Philosophy: Positivism, a contemporary philosophical movement, proposed experimentation and rigorous observation as the foundation for real knowledge.

Aesthetic Characteristics of Realism

• Style

  Simple and clear prose, reflecting the authentic speech of people from different social classes.

• Criticism of Society

  Often portrayed

Spanish Literature: Existentialism and Social Realism (1940s-1950s)

The Novel of the Immediate Postwar Years (1940s): Existential Realism

Spanish literature of the 1940s is dominated by anxiety and uprooting. It can be divided into three main streams:

• The continuation of nineteenth-century realism and traditional narratives.
• An approach to the Civil War from the perspective of the victors.
• A new perspective marked by a group of novels centered on an anti-heroic character faced with an indifferent society, dealing with issues such as the bitterness of everyday life, loneliness, frustration, and death.

Key Authors and Works of the 1940s

Camilo José Cela

In 1942, Camilo José Cela published The Family of Pascual Duarte. The story focuses on Pascual Duarte,... Continue reading "Spanish Postwar Literature: Existentialism and Social Realism" »

In 1929, Federico García Lorca faced a profound personal and creative crisis. This period was largely a result of the misinterpretation of his acclaimed work, Gypsy Ballads, and the overwhelming success he struggled to manage. Deciding to seek a new perspective, he traveled with Fernando de los Ríos to study at Columbia University in New York. In the bustling metropolis, Lorca immersed himself, encountering new people, customs, and elements that he perceived as profoundly dehumanized.

Spain's Political Climate (1929)

Meanwhile, Spain was under the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, a regime supported by the king. This era saw various repressions targeting opponents, including intellectuals. Concurrently, the consolidation of the Second Industrial... Continue reading "Poet in New York: Lorca's Transformative Journey" »

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome

Rome became an empire because it conquered many territories. These lands occupied a vast area, stretching from east Mesopotamia to the west, reaching Hispania. In the north, the empire extended to the British Isles, and in the south, it bordered the Sahara Desert.

Roman Society and Governance

In Ancient Rome, there were two primary types of social classes (excluding slaves):

• Patricians: These were the powerful, aristocratic families.
• Plebeians: This class comprised the rest of the free people.

The politicians belonged to the Patrician class. During the Monarchy, the king was often chosen by this class as well.

Key Political Institutions

Key institutions of the Roman civilization included:

• The Comitia (assemblies)
• The

The Avant-Garde Movements

The avant-garde: A combination of movements that rejected traditional art forms and championed experimentation, adopting new themes and forms of expression. Key movements include:

• Literary Creationism: Sought to create an original reality within the work itself.
• Surrealism: Aimed to express the emotions and thoughts of the subconscious.

The New Novel of the Early Century

Key authors and works include:

• Marcel Proust (1871-1922): Author of In Search of Lost Time.
• Franz Kafka (1883-1924): Expressed the anguish of the human condition in novels like The Trial and The Metamorphosis.
• James Joyce (1882-1941): Wrote Ulysses, which transposes the plot of Homer's Odyssey to contemporary Dublin.

The Novecentismo

In the second decade of... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Avant-Garde to Post-Franco Era" »

Foundations of Language and Writing Systems

Key Terminology in Classical Studies (Glossary)

CIDA:

Chrace death: power

NOMOS:

Treaty, law

ARCH:

Power, rule

ETNOS:

Race, people

DEMOS:

Town, region, people

POLIS:

City, city-state

The Indo-European Language Family

Indo-European languages are believed to be derived from a hypothetically reconstructed language (often referred to as Proto-Indo-European or PIE) spoken by people from the southern Russian steppes, which spread across Europe and Asia. Although there are no written records of PIE, it is reconstructed from the languages derived from it, which fall into several language families.

Major Branches of Indo-European Languages

1. Italic Languages:
   • Latin: The official language of the Roman Empire, from which the Romance

Themes in Bécquer's Legends

In most of the legends written by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, the main character violates a taboo and is punished for it. This action is usually caused by love, as the protagonist is seduced by a young woman who brings ruin. She is sometimes presented as a cruel or capricious woman. This evil woman is often condemned for her pride, or her treachery is exposed. However, women are not always the sole cause of the protagonist's downfall, as she doesn't attract all male figures in the legends.

Instead, it is often a spectrum invented by Bécquer himself, embodying the ideal woman, beauty, and love—as impossible to achieve as the essence of poetry itself. In other legends, the author examines the relationship between the... Continue reading "Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Legends, Themes, and Enduring Poetic Legacy" »