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Spanish Literary Movements: Realism

Realism: It was a new way of narrating that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century.

General Features of Realism

• Reflection of Life: Sought to reflect contemporary everyday life.
• Characters: The characters belong to the middle class (bourgeoisie), and the author usually delves into psychological aspects.
• Narrative Technique: The narrative technique generally presents an omniscient, third-person narrator.

Benito Pérez Galdós

Galdós is characterized by his openness to irrational elements, as well as by a sharp, Cervantine wit.

Narrative Techniques Used by Galdós

1. Frequent dialogues reflect the everyday speech of the time.
2. Use of free indirect style, which allows capturing the thoughts of the character in the third person.

Irony in Lazarillo and the Ironic Protagonist

The narrator-protagonist addresses himself with subtle irony when describing how much he has suffered. He is also ironic concerning his final status and marriage.

Masters of Irony

• The Blind Man: "I was informed that he was healthy and cured," when in December, he washed him with wine, causing him wounds.
• Maqueda, the Cleric: "Take, eat, triumph, for the world is yours," by giving him uses that the bread he had previously gnawed on had given him.
• The Squire: "God has put me in your path after me, a good prayer," knowing that with him, misfortune was going to happen.

Topics

• Honor: It depended on the consideration that others had of someone.
• Religion: Five of the masters belonged to the ecclesiastical estate.

1.4. Stages of Roman Conquest of the Peninsula

First Stage (218–206 BC)

During the Second Punic War, Rome was attacked in Italy by Hannibal. To cut off his supplies, a Roman army landed in Emporiae (Ampurias) and advanced southward along the coast, eventually taking Carthage and Cádiz. Rome occupied the entire Mediterranean area and the Ebro Valley, defeating Hannibal.

Second Stage (155–133 BC)

This period involved the Lusitanian Wars and Celtiberian conflicts. The inhabitants of the interior offered great resistance to the Romans, making the conquest very difficult and costly.

• The Lusitanian leader Viriato successfully employed guerrilla techniques until his assassination in 139 BC.
• Intense resistance also came from the Celtiberians; the siege

Prose Fiction

These were sentimental novels—epistolary love affairs full of symbols with tragic endings—exemplified by the work Cárcel de Amor by Diego de San Pedro. Additionally, there were romances (recounting the amorous adventures of a warrior and knight) with the following features:

• The knight-errant follows the codes of chivalry and is brave.
• The knight performs deeds beyond his means, triumphs, and possesses the gift of ubiquity.
• All knights have a lady whom they idolize, serve, and remain fully faithful to.
• The action takes place in exotic and distant lands, sometimes involving magical elements (wizards, spells), fantastic creatures, and monsters.

The most famous works were Tirant lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell and Amadís de Gaula by... Continue reading "Spanish Prose Fiction and Theater: Literary Analysis" »

Juan Ramón Jiménez
The life and work of JRJ will form part of our Noucentisme Gde1914.
Your personality: he was egocentric and hypersensitive. He sought solitude, reflection, and a quiet life.
From a young age, he knew that his fate was indisputably linked to poetry, to the relentless pursuit of beauty and knowledge through words. JRJ always believed poetry was a minority genre due to the difficulty of language. His work is not as easy to read; its conceptual density grows and becomes inscrutable as it progresses.
Poetic Path
There are several Juan Ramón Jiménezs that correspond to different evolutionary phases of his writing.

1. The Sensitive Period (1986-1915)

Obsession with death inspired his best poetry; he tried to shoo it away with... Continue reading "The Life and Work of Juan Ramón Jiménez: A Poetic Journey" »

Literary Currents: Modernism and Generation of '98

Modernism (Late 19th Century – World War I)

Modernism began in the late 19th century and concluded around the First World War (1914–1918). A principal representative was Rubén Darío.

Characteristics of Modernism:

• Rebellion against bourgeois aesthetics, considered prosaic and outdated.
• Preference for poetry over prose.
• Desire for escape, leading modernists to set their work in exotic locales and ancient times.
• Intense eroticism in the expression of love.
• Alternation between melancholy, rebelliousness, and vitality.
• Search for poetic language through rhythmic and sensory facilities.
• Metric renewal: Rubén Darío revived forgotten syllable counts, such as 9, 12, or 14 syllables.

Generation of '98

The... Continue reading "Key Figures and Characteristics of Early 20th Century Spanish Literature" »

Formation and Expansion of the Crown of Aragon

The Dynastic Union and Territorial Growth

• The formation and expansion of the Crown of Aragon became constant by the end of the 13th century.
• The dynastic union between Aragon and Catalonia was solidified by the wedding of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon.

Jaume I (The Conqueror) and Major Conquests

The Reign of Jaume I (1229–1245)

Jaume I (James I) undertook significant campaigns between 1229 and 1245. The distribution of conquered land was crucial, and Jaume I established new land charters (furs).

• A kingdom with its own jurisdictions was enacted in 1261.
• Conquests: Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, and the Duchies of Athens and Neopatras in Greece.

Legal and Linguistic Developments

• Libro del Consulado

The Generation of '98: Themes and Style

In the early 20th century, Spanish narrative production, particularly the novel, was dominated by the novelists of the Generation of '98. They protested against the decadent customs of Spanish society and proposed a total renovation. Furthermore, they defended subjectivism, contrasting with the faithful reproduction of reality favored by 19th-century realist authors.

Predominant themes include:

• The 'Problem of Spain': focusing on the Castilian landscape, the history of the anonymous individual and daily life (what Unamuno called 'intra-history'), and literature itself. They admired medieval authors like Berceo and Manrique, and classics such as Góngora, Cervantes, and Larra.
• The Existential Issue: concern

Literary Influences of the 15th Century

• Influence of Provençal Literature
• Themes of Courtly Love
• Influence of French Literature: Chivalry Novels
• Influence of Italian Humanism
• Allegorical and Rich Poetry, Romances, and Drama
• Influence of Classical Literature: Imitation of Authors and Numerous Translations
• Pre-Renaissance Literature

Noble Courtesans

Participation and dedication in many aspects of life and art. Notable figures include M. Santillana and Jorge Manrique.

Individualism

A collective anxiety disappeared as the courtly gentleman took precedence.

Obsessive Focus on Death

Dances of Death (Macabre) where death appears indiscriminately.

Shift from Anonymity

Reaffirmation of authorship.

Evolution of Purpose

Didactic purpose gives way to literature presented... Continue reading "Literary Influences and Topics of the 15th Century" »

Theatrical Structure: Acts and Scenes

Theatrical works are typically divided into acts (separated by an interval, usually three) and scenes (marked by the separate entrances and exits of characters).

Major Theatrical Genres

Tragedy: Origins and Characteristics

Tragedy, the oldest theatrical genre, originated in Classical Greece. It often revolved around the cult of the dead and depicted heroes who suffer, frequently written in verse.

• Topics: Serious, transcendental, and grand, treated with a high tone.
• Personalities: Heroes, kings, and gods.
• Action: Acts are dominated by strong passions.
• Denouement: Usually fatal, with characters often dying.

Notable tragedians include William Shakespeare, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Corneille, Racine, Schiller,... Continue reading "Theatrical Genres: From Tragedy to Drama & Ausias March's Legacy" »