Key Literary Movements: Realism & Naturalism in Spain

19th Century Spanish Realism and Naturalism

Realism: Characteristics and Development

General Characteristics of Realism

• Themes: Realist novels avoid fantastic or overly intimate themes. Instead, they focus on conflicts of the middle class, failures, and economic problems. The description of the real world and the writer's external reality replaces fantastic elements.
• Characters: Unlike the complex, contrasting figures of Romanticism, Realism's characters often reflect the middle class, possessing great psychological depth.
• Language: Authors use a natural, literary language, avoiding the rhetorical excesses of Romanticism. Dialogues are tailored to each character's cultural level.
• Time and Space: Works are set in the present and in familiar, nearby places, contrasting with Romanticism's spatiotemporal evasion.
• Realistic Techniques: The novel of this period aims to reflect reality with exactitude. Writers employ techniques such as:
  • Observation of reality and objective, detailed description.
  • Careful observation of described places, contrasting with Romanticism's search for exotic and distant scenarios. Realists describe well-known locations.
  • The omniscient narrator, considered best suited to reflect reality.

Stages of Realism

1. First Stage (1868-1880): Writers approach reality from their own moral convictions. Authors here are often conservatives who uphold traditional values. A key work is Benito Pérez Galdós's Doña Perfecta.
2. Second Stage (1880-1889): The novel delves deeper into reality. Naturalism also developed during this period. A prominent example is Galdós's Fortunata and Jacinta.
3. Third Stage (1889 onwards): This stage incorporates spiritual aspects through cultured imagination, moving away from the strictures of Naturalism. Galdós's Misericordia is a notable work from this period.

Naturalism: An Extreme Form of Realism

Naturalism emerged in the last decade of the 19th century in France, largely due to Émile Zola. For Zola, it was a method for studying human behavior. Determinism heavily influenced Naturalism, a philosophical theory which states that man is not free. Zola defended the idea of man being determined and conditioned by his genetic inheritance. Its characteristics are an extreme form of realism, including minute descriptions and an objective narrator. The naturalist novelist experiments with his characters, placing them in complex situations to observe how they behave.

Key Authors of Spanish Realism and Naturalism

Transition from Romantic to Realist Novel

• Fernán Caballero: Highlighted by The Seagull.
• Pedro Antonio de Alarcón: Known for The Three-Cornered Hat.

Prominent Realist Novelists

• Juan Valera: His work Pepita Jiménez is often set in ideal places.
• José María de Pereda: In his work, such as Sotileza, he defends rural and idyllic life.
• Emilia Pardo Bazán: Author of Mother Nature.
• Leopoldo Alas "Clarín": Wrote only two novels, La Regenta and Su único hijo, along with over 100 short stories.
• Benito Pérez Galdós: His extensive works are often classified as:
  • Early Novels (from 1870): Highlights include Doña Perfecta and Marianela.
  • Later Novels: Such as Misericordia.
  • Episodios Nacionales: A series of historical novels, with Trafalgar being a notable example.