Narcís Oller: Master of Catalan Realism and Naturalism

Narcís Oller: A Literary Portrait

Narcís Oller i Moragas (1846–1930), born in Valls, Catalonia, was a prominent figure in Catalan literature. His professional activities alternated with a profound literary vocation.

Early Life and Literary Beginnings

Initially writing in Spanish, Oller's participation in the tertúlies (literary gatherings) of La Renaixença, his involvement with literary journals, and his attendance at the Floral Games ultimately persuaded him to write in Catalan. This period marked a significant shift in his literary focus, aligning him with the burgeoning Catalan cultural movement.

Major Novels and Their Themes

Oller's work primarily consists of six influential novels, each exploring distinct facets of society and human nature:

• La Papallona (The Butterfly) (1882)

  This novel, with its romantic elements, garnered significant national and international prestige. It is set in an artisan's workshop and tells the story of an orphan girl, poor and sickly, who is lured by a student.

• L'Escanyapobres: Estudi d'una Passió (The Miser: A Study of Passion) (1884)

  This work portrays the moral degradation of a miserly man in a rural society undergoing transformation. Its characters personify the tough resistance against the social and economic changes of that era.

• Vilaniu (Villages) (1885)

  A romantic novel that describes the far-reaching consequences a calumny can have on a family in a small town.

• La Febre d'Or (The Gold Rush) (1890-1892)

  This novel vividly depicts the profound transformation of Barcelona society and the emergence of the new bourgeoisie, driven by economic ambition.

• La Bogeria (Madness) (1898)

  A naturalist novel that delves into a character's descent into madness, explored from three distinct points of view.

• Pilar Prim (1906)

  His last novel, it tells the compelling story of a widow who struggles to assert her feelings against intense societal pressures and conditions. This work attempts to approach new literary aesthetics, incorporating elements of Modernism and symbolic and psychological depth.

Beyond his novels, Oller also published several collections of short stories and, posthumously in 1962, his Literary Memoirs.

Distinctive Literary Characteristics

Oller's writings exhibit a series of literary procedures that lend coherence and depth to his work:

• The recurring appearance of established characters across different novels, creating a sense of interconnectedness.
• The consistent setting of all his works within two specific geographical areas: Valls and Barcelona.
• The repetition of significant themes, such as the stock market, caciquisme (political bossism), and the overarching theme of social transformation caused by the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the bourgeoisie.

Literary Style: Realism, Naturalism, and Romanticism

Oller's literary style skillfully oscillates between the tenets of Realism and Naturalism, while also retaining some influences from Romanticism. His novels are primarily realistic, often incorporating romantic elements to enrich the narrative.

His Naturalist approach is particularly characterized by:

• The absence of a single, omniscient narrator, allowing for multiple perspectives.
• A meticulous consideration and analysis of the influence of environment and heredity on human behavior and societal issues, often exploring themes of moral degradation and psychological states.