Naturalism in Literature: Characteristics and Spanish Authors

Naturalism: Extreme Realism in 19th-Century Literature

Naturalism is a literary movement considered an "extreme realism." It emerged in France in the second half of the nineteenth century and extended to several European countries.

Core Characteristics of Naturalism

Themes and Philosophy

• Human beings are determined by their genetic heritage and social environment.
• It holds a materialist conception of the human self.
• Consequently, the naturalist novel focuses on describing life-degrading circumstances.
• The primary purpose of Naturalism is to denounce social injustice.

Narrative Techniques

Naturalist objectivism is based on observation and documentation to describe characters and environments. Key techniques include:

• Use of abundant scientific lexicon.
• Incorporation of different slang words and degrading epithets.
• Frequent comparisons with the animal world.

Naturalism in Spain

Naturalism is present in the novels of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, in a significant part of the work of Benito Pérez Galdós, and in Clarín's novel, La Regenta (The Judge's Wife).

Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921)

Pardo Bazán cultivated the essay, the novel, and the press article. Her best-known novels are Los Pazos de Ulloa and La Madre Naturaleza.

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867–1928)

Blasco Ibáñez described several areas of Valencian society using naturalistic techniques of his time. His novels, including La Barraca, Arroz y Tartana (Rice and Tartana), Cañas y Barro, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, had great success, and some were adapted into films.

Benito Pérez Galdós (1843–1920)

Benito Pérez Galdós is considered the best nineteenth-century Spanish novelist and one of the greatest of all time. His production can be divided into three periods:

1. First Period: Thesis Novels. These are called thesis novels because the author clearly shows his ideology, confronting conservative and progressive characters and positioning himself in favor of the latter (e.g., Doña Perfecta, Gloria).
2. Second Period: Naturalistic Novels (The 1880s). During this decade, he published his most important works within the naturalistic aesthetic, often referred to as "Contemporary Fiction" (e.g., Tormento, Rosalía, Miau, La Desheredada, Fortunata y Jacinta).
3. Third Period: Spiritualistic Novels. These novels focus on the inner lives of characters and their existential concerns. In works such as Misericordia (Mercy), Nazarín, or Halma, Galdós attempts to reflect certain moral values.