Postwar Spanish Literature: Evolution of the Novel (1940-1950)

1. The Postwar Spanish Novel

The Spanish Civil War marked a definitive break with previous literature and served as a determining factor in the cultural and political life that followed. Economic, social, and ideological consequences influenced literary creation and defined the novelistic landscape. One of the most significant consequences of the war was the exile of numerous writers who formed the España Peregrina. Three thematic issues are common to almost all of them: the memory of the war and Spain, the presence of new places of residence, and reflection on the nature and existence of man.

1.1 Existentialism in the 1940s

During the first years after the war, there was a stagnation of the narrative genre. Novels were published that either recounted the war from the triumphalist point of view of the victors or served as sentimental escapism. However, in the forties, two novels emerged with a critical vision of reality: The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela and Nada by Carmen Laforet. Their importance lies in the break with official literature and their testimony of a bleak, conflicted existence.

• The Family of Pascual Duarte: Initiated the current of "tremendismo" by deepening the story into the crudest reality, including poverty and violence.
• Nada: The most existentialist novel of the period, detailing the protagonist's stay in Barcelona.

1.2 The Social Novel of the 1950s

At the beginning of the 1950s, there was a revival of the narrative genre. The crucial development was the emergence of a new generation of young narrators, known as the Mid-Century Generation, who developed a new type of novel. The first impulse was provided by Camilo José Cela with The Hive. Miguel Delibes also exerted influence, employing a simple and sober style to portray the Castilian countryside.

The narrators of this generation operated under a well-defined concept: literature should reflect the social situation. The writer became a committed member of society. Consequently, the dominant aesthetic was social realism. Regarding narrative technique and style, the social novel adopted objectivism, characterized by:

• The hidden narrator.
• Focus on characters without psychological analysis.
• Predominance of dialogue over narration.
• Simple and easily understandable style.
• The collective protagonist.
• Concentrated time and space.
• Topics focused on contemporary social problems.