Narcís Oller: Madness and the Catalan Literary Renaissance
The Theme of Madness
The topic is determinism: the confrontation between two views used to explain the behavior of Serrallonga.
- A scientific explanation of a deterministic type, defended by the medical student from Boston.
- An explanation or opinion contrary to the former, defended by the narrator (representing Oller's perspective) and Armengol. They categorize Serrallonga as an extravagant individual whose actions affect his environment, even attributing his behavior to his mental state.
Impediments Narcís Oller Faced Writing in Catalan
The writer encountered two basic difficulties during the Renaixença. First was the choice of language. The development of Catalan literature in the nineteenth century was a long process. Narcís Oller, like many other writers of the time, began writing in Spanish before his literary vocation was fully articulated. However, he eventually made a linguistic shift and decided to write his entire body of work in Catalan.
One reason for this change was the impact of the Floral Games of 1877. Another explanation involves his choice of a novel model. Oller was interested in reality as literary material—specifically the Catalan society of his time. His commitment to realism led to the necessity of using the characters' own language: the colloquial Catalan of the nineteenth-century bourgeoisie. This added verisimilitude to his fictional heroes.
His conviction was so strong that he ignored the contrary opinions of famous contemporary writers, such as Benito Pérez Galdós.
Characterization in Oller's Work
Oller's production presents a diverse gallery of characters. The author was passionate, moving beyond strictly naturalistic coordinates. There is a tendency toward the idealization of certain characters favored by the author, contrasted with grotesque caricatures of others portrayed negatively.
His female characters are often more refined—richer, more human, possessing individual personalities and evolving psychologies. In contrast, his male characters are often constructed in a premeditated way, obeying the author's guidelines and frequently serving as mere prototypes.