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

The Sixties: Experimental Fiction

Novelists felt the need to seek new formulas, more complex approaches, and greater attention to literary language. Two main factors contributed to this shift in literature:

• The influence of foreign novelists of the century: Marcel Proust (French), Franz Kafka (Czech-German), James Joyce (Irish), and William Faulkner (American).
• The discovery of the American novel of the moment, with titles such as Hopscotch (1963) by Julio Cortázar, La Ciudad y los Perros (1963) by Mario Vargas Llosa, or One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) by Gabriel García Márquez, and authors of previous generations such as the Argentine Jorge Luis Borges, Alejo Carpentier (Cuban), and Juan Rulfo (Mexican).

Authors of the Experimental Narrative

The... Continue reading "Spanish Experimental Fiction: Authors and Trends" »

Trends in 20th Century Hispanic Fiction

Two major trends shaped the vision of authors in 20th-century Hispanic fiction:

• The Realistic Trend: Aimed to objectively reflect perceived reality.
• The Narrative Trend: Broke with the realistic view, influenced by Jorge Luis Borges and surrealism. This trend solidified in the 1960s, manifesting in various forms, including magical realism (integrating marvelous elements) and fantastic realism (incorporating irrational elements).

Later developments included testimonial literature of protest and denunciation in the late 1970s, postmodernism (experimental and anti-realist), and a resurgence of realism with elements of humor, feminism, and love, as seen in the works of Isabel Allende and Laura Esquivel.

Features

Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580–1645)

Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas, author of an exceptional body of work, is distinguished by a stunning command of language, both in the field of poetry and in narrative prose. His poetry appeared posthumously in Parnassus Spanish (1648) and The Last Three Muses (1670).

Quevedo's Poetic Classification

Quevedo's poetry can be classified into three main categories:

• Philosophical, Moral, and Metaphysical Poetry: Addresses serious, deep issues that demonstrate his personal distress, such as death, the passage of time, and the brevity of life.
• Love Poetry: Although sometimes labeled misogynist and misanthrope, Quevedo is considered one of the greatest poets of love in the Spanish language.
• Mock-Satiric Poetry:

Medieval Terminology

Objects and Places

• Elm: Helmet.
• Palio: Canvas roof supported by four rods; shelter for processions.
• Wait: Sharp piece of metal on a boot heel for mounting.
• Lesson: Enclosed field for tournaments and fairs.
• Rest: Part of armor where a spear rests.
• Award: Garment or object given as a token of love.
• Papafigos: Hooded cloth covering the neck, leaving only eyes and nose exposed.
• Proa: Front of a boat.
• Popa: Back of a boat.
• Palermo: Capital of Sicily.
• Maroma: Thick rope of vegetable fiber.
• Keel: Long, curved piece under a boat, forming its base.
• Buc: Underwater part of a ship's hull.
• Ausberg: Robe made of iron rings (chainmail).
• Girth: Strap securing a saddle under a horse's belly.
• Rai: Raft of logs for river navigation.
• Throat: Narrow passage

The Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: Socioeconomic Transformations

The second half of the nineteenth century saw socioeconomic transformations throughout Europe, brought about by the Industrial Revolution. These changes marked the consolidation of the bourgeoisie, the appearance of the working class, and the rise of the trade union movement, socialism, Marxism, and anarchism.

Spain in the Late Nineteenth Century

In the case of Spain, the second half of the nineteenth century began during the reign of Isabel II. Her reign erupted in 1868 with the Glorious Revolution (La Gloriosa), which forced the royal family into exile. This opened the Revolutionary Six Years (Sexenio Democrático), during which the First Republic was proclaimed.

In 1875,... Continue reading "19th Century Spain: Industrial Change and Literary Realism" »

Topic: The social corruption denounced by Berganza in the narrative of his life, the cynical philosophical disquisitions of both dogs on social conventions and the evil in the world. Argument Peralta read the book where Campuzano wrote a conversation between two dogs while sleeping. Campuzano. The reading begins with Berganza, who tells his life to his fellow Scipio. Berganza believed to have been born in Seville, perhaps in the slaughterhouse, where he had his first master, the butcher Nicholas Romo. He escaped from the cruelty of the butcher and later lived with pastors in the country, as guardian of the flock. Unable to find the master of the misdeeds of the shepherds, wolves, returns to Seville and serves a rich merchant. Out of loyalty... Continue reading "Berganza's Life: Social Critique and Cynical Philosophy" »

Spanish Theater After the Civil War

The Aftermath and Early Trends

After the Civil War, the Spanish theatrical landscape was marked by the exile and disappearance of major playwrights. Following the war, a national theater emerged, supported by the dictatorship and used to transmit its ideology. Both the State and the Church exercised rigid censorship.

Two main dramatic lines developed:

• Teatro de humor (Theater of Humor): Focused on portraying truth through humor. Notable authors include:
  • Enrique Jardiel Poncela (Los ladrones somos honrados - The Thieves Are Honest People)
  • Miguel Miura (Tres sombreros de copa - Three Top Hats)
• Comedia burguesa (Bourgeois Comedy): Aimed to educate through the praise of virtue. Works were characterized by perfect construction

Literary Movements in 20th-Century Spanish Prose

Azorín and Unamuno: Stylistic Innovations

Azorín's prose is dominated by simple sentences. Furthermore, the structure of novels was refreshing; for example, Unamuno chose to call his original stories nivolas.

Novecentismo (The 1900s Movement)

3.1 General Characteristics and Ideals

The ideas of Novecentismo have their roots in bourgeois reformism and the defense of republican ideals. The movement involved the appearance of a new type of intellectual discipline: a solid, college-preparatory education expanded abroad. Hence, Novecentists favored a disciplined and sober examination of problems, claiming objectivity and rationalist clarity, aimed at training minorities.

There are frequent statements of... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Movements: Novecentismo and Postwar Fiction (1939–1950)" »

Catalan Narrative and Drama: 1920–1939

Factors Driving the Catalan Novel (1920–1939)

The narrative of this time saw several factors contributing to the growth of the novel genre:

• Stocks of major writers.
• Literary prizes to encourage the creation of the genre.
• The birth of publishing houses.
• The emergence of literary criticism.

Major Aesthetic Models of the Catalan Novel

The primary aesthetic models included:

• The novel of the Modernist tradition.
• The psychological novel.
• The novel of humor and social criticism.

The Modernist Tradition Novel

Modernist authors reappeared during this period. The main topics covered the impact of individuals on the world around them. Techniques derived from naturalism and realism, but also received Russian influence.

Example:

Origins of Lyric Poetry

The origins of lyric poetry in Romance languages trace back to short compositions that accompanied daily life and housework. This anonymous, orally transmitted poetry is known as traditional lyric.

Alongside this, cultured lyric emerged, developed by troubadours. This style focused primarily on courtly love, characterized by the idealization of women.

Forms of Traditional Lyric

Due to cultural diversity, traditional lyric manifested in various forms and languages:

• Jarchas: The earliest known lyrical manifestations (10th century) from Al-Andalus, written in Mozarabic by Christians living in Arab territory.
• Cantigas de Amigo: Galician-Portuguese lyric (12th century) featuring a girl's lament regarding the absence of her beloved.