Literary Movements: Naturalism and Modernism

19th and 20th Century Literary Movements

The bourgeoisie, characterized by its focus on money, family, and fundamental heritage, often served as a thematic element in the literature of this period.

The Naturalistic Novel: 1880s-1890s

The naturalistic novel, prominent in the 1880s and 1890s, is an experimental form, akin to a scientific experiment or a clinical case study.

This genre reflects prevailing philosophical and scientific currents of its time. Key ideas include the influence of biological inheritance on character, aligning with philosophical determinism. Additionally, sociology provides insight into the decisive impact of the environment.

Émile Zola, a progressive figure, was a key pioneer of Naturalism, notably with his interconnected series of novels, which includes The Human Beast.

19th Century Narrative Techniques

Narrative techniques in 19th-century novels were diverse and aimed to engage the reader:

• Character-Appropriate Language: Characters, especially popular ones, often speak in slang or vulgar language. For instance, a character from a different cultural background might not fully master the language, demonstrating how language adapts to the character.
• Extensive Novels: Novels were typically very long, designed to sustain reader interest with numerous twists and turns.
• Chapter Structure: Chapters were often long but not overly dense, providing a comfortable reading experience. Their origin in fascicles (serialized publications) might explain this structure. Chapters could also feature titles and Arabic numerals.
• Omniscient Narrator: A third-person omniscient narrator predominantly guided the story, allowing the narrative to explore various settings and themes.
• Essential Description: Description was crucial. Realistic technique employed exhaustive and total descriptions, while Impressionistic descriptions were more suggestive or fragmented. Dialogue was also vital for characterization.

20th Century Spanish Literature

While the 20th century produced many good novels, it saw fewer prominent authors compared to previous eras.

This epoch is largely characterized by the Modernism movement. In the Hispanic world, Modernism emerged as a response to new problems and situations.

Stylistic Features of Modernism (circa 1900)

Stylistically, Modernism around 1900 emphasized external care of style, with a special focus on rhythm. To achieve this, it incorporated numerous erudite elements:

• Learned Vocabulary: Frequent use of sophisticated or learned words.
• Mythological References: Extensive incorporation of Greco-Roman, Hindu, and Nordic mythology.
• Metrical Innovation: Recreation of new poetic meters, introducing, for example, the Alexandrine, dodecasyllabic, and decasyllabic hendecasyllables, specifically adapting Latin verse to Castilian.
• Philosophical Rhythm: The rhythm often carried a religious or philosophical undertone.