19th and 20th Century Literary Movements: Realism to the Generation of '27

Realism

Henri Beyle (Stendhal) - The Red and the Black

Honoré de Balzac - Père Goriot

Gustave Flaubert - Madame Bovary

Charles Dickens - David Copperfield

Benito Pérez Galdós: In his works, he aimed to reproduce the society of his time, encompassing all social classes. His novels can be classified as:

Thesis: Defends an idea through a Manichaean character.

Spanish-Contemporary: Reflect a corrupt world dominated by speculation.

Spiritualist: Proposes love as a solution to social problems.

Galdós aims to reflect reality in its totality.

Parnassianism

A French literary movement of the second half of the nineteenth century. It put forward the slogan of "art for art's sake," defended Greco-Roman mythology, and advocated discipline, awareness, and balance in poetry. It was heavily influenced by the ideals of the bourgeoisie. It was aesthetically opposed to Romanticism, and the Parnassians placed their love of art above all else.

Symbolism

A school that developed in parallel with Parnassianism in France. It arose as a reaction against Realism and Naturalism and was characterized by five key points:

• Formal abandonment of classical formulas
• Search for the new, exotic, and extravagant
• Musicality of poetry
• Art of suggesting rather than stating directly
• Abundant use of symbols

Modernism

An artistic movement that evolved to encompass social and existential concerns. Key authors include:

Manuel Machado - Alma. Caprichos

Antonio Machado - Soledades. Galerías. Otros poemas

Rubén Darío: Born in Nicaragua, his work as a journalist made him a key figure in disseminating Modernism. His works reflect his turbulent life. He wrote prose and poetry, with his most notable work being Azul..., considered the initiator of Modernism. His work shows the influence of Parnassianism and consists of stories and poems in prose reflecting the author's concerns.

Generation of '98

The crisis of the century gave rise to a group of writers who sought to renew Spanish letters. Their key features include:

• Rebellion against political corruption, echoing Larra's critiques.
• Attempt to rediscover forgotten aspects of Spanish culture.
• Anti-rhetoric: A focus on sobriety and elegance of style.
• Subjectivism: Authors reflect their own feelings.
• Traditionalism: An interest in Spain leads them to use traditional words.
• Genre: A turn towards essays for cultural reflections.

Representatives:

Miguel de Unamuno: Peace in War is stylistically realistic, but in subsequent works, literature is linked to philosophy.

Pío Baroja: Introduces innovative elements; he participates in the action with commentary (e.g., The Tree of Knowledge).

Azorín: His novels are portraits of the Spanish land (e.g., La Voluntad).

Ramón del Valle-Inclán: His most relevant contribution is the grotesque tyrant (e.g., Tirano Banderas).

Novocentrismo

A Spanish movement emerging in 1910, whose authors embody the new intellectual concerned with form and pursuing pure art, aiming for aesthetic enjoyment:

• Essay: The most prominent genre (e.g., José Ortega y Gasset).
• Novel: Moving away from feeling and the reproduction of reality (e.g., Gabriel Miró).
• Poetry: Looking beyond Modernism (e.g., Juan Ramón Jiménez).

European Avant-Garde Movements

Futurism: Advocates the complete breakdown of mechanical and technical aspects (Filippo Tommaso Marinetti).

Cubism: Demands autonomy for the work of art (Guillaume Apollinaire).

Dadaism: Aims to demonstrate the absurdity of life.

Surrealism: Defends a total revolution of the human experience (André Breton).

Generation of '27

Characteristics:

Formal Renewal: Use of lexicon incorporating colloquialisms.

Metric Renewal: Freedom in the metric of their poems.