Federico García Lorca: Historical and Literary Context

Historical Context of Federico García Lorca

Federico García Lorca lived during the first third of the 20th century, a period preceding the Spanish Civil War. Spain in the twentieth century was a country in decline, facing serious internal problems. We can identify three distinct stages:

Spain at the Turn of the Century (1900–1923)

The crisis was marked by the War in Cuba and the Disaster of '98, which signaled the end of Spanish rule in America. This event did not change the alternation of power between the Liberal and Conservative parties under the monarchy of Alfonso XIII. While the oligarchy was enriched by exports, workers became poorer due to rising prices. This general tension culminated in the strike of 1917 and high tensions regarding the war in Morocco.

The Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera

Given the gravity of the situation, General Primo de Rivera assumed power with the consent of Alfonso XIII. However, he resolved little; although he ensured public order, he did not seek solutions to underlying problems. The opposition of the middle classes and a new crisis led Primo de Rivera to resign. Alfonso XIII reigned again briefly before the proclamation of the Second Republic.

The Second Republic and the Civil War

The Second Republic attempted to transform the country, but it was plagued by confrontations between the left and the right. General Franco rebelled against the Republic, starting a war that lasted three years and represented the ultimate confrontation between the Spanish people.

The Literary Landscape: A Second Golden Age

This era is often referred to as a Second Golden Age of Spanish literature:

• Modernism and the Generation of '98: These movements were characterized by rebellion and opposition to the political and literary trends of the moment.
• The Generation of '14 (Novecentismo): These intellectuals defended reason and rejected sentimentalism. They believed art should not be limited to containing emotions but should focus on aesthetics and well-crafted work.
• Avant-garde Movements: These aimed to break conventional art, allowing for irrationality and dehumanization, proposing a "pure game" for the creator.
• The Generation of '27: This was a group of avant-garde poets who assimilated tradition and the classics, including figures like Lorca, Alberti, and Cernuda. With them, Spanish poetry reached its maximum splendor. The bond that united them was the homage to Góngora. Their work combined renewal and tradition, the Spanish and the universal, and the popular with the cultivated.

The Evolution of Spanish Theater

As for the theater, there were two main trends:

Commercial Theater

A continuation of the second half of the 19th century, its main purpose was to entertain and make the audience laugh. This theater dealt with inconsequential issues, including bourgeois comedy, the verse drama of Modernism, and comic theater.

Innovative Theater

This movement sought to provide a new focus, new techniques, and new ideologies. This theater did not aim for laughter but rather for reflection. These attempts came from the Generation of '98, where Unamuno presented human conflicts. Lorca and his colleagues also pursued a renewal of the theater through the purification of the stage, the incorporation of poetic theater and the avant-garde, and a mission to bring theater to the people.