Postwar Spanish Literature: Key Authors and Works (1940s–1970s)

Postwar Spanish Literature 1940s–1970s

Historical context

This stage was marked by the outcome of the Civil War. Those who remained in Spain faced reconstruction work, while a large part had to go into exile. The decade of the 1940s reflected the harsh conditions of the postwar period and the consequences of World War II (Spain remained neutral).

In the 1950s there was increasing international pressure and actions against the ex-regime; the country slowly evolved. The 1960s were a phase of expansion with foreign investment, tourism and migration of surplus labor. The 1970s signaled the end of an era with the death of the postwar dictator, Francisco Franco, which closed the strictly postwar period.

Literary context and censorship

This situation implied the appearance of censorship, particularly in the 1950s, which conditioned literary production. From around 1950 onward a clear social commitment appears: realism prevails and themes related to society, the collective and social problems come to the forefront. Social realism is cultivated as a dominant tendency.

Novelistic features and techniques

New narrative currents opened with a tendency toward "alarmismo": the appearance of marginal figures such as criminals, the mentally ill and prostitutes. An open narrative structure emerged; often there is an observant narrator and, at times, the protagonist functions as a collective character. Much of the action is revealed through dialogues; the language tends toward colloquial registers. Structures frequently include a simple, linear narrative developed within a short span of time.

Major authors and representative works

The novelistic movement opens with The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela, which inaugurates an alarmist and pessimistic atmosphere. Cela's work often conveys a negative view of the world, existential pessimism, and a bitter, ironic tone, tempered by tenderness and compassion toward suffering and weakness.

La colmena (The Hive) by Cela is usually considered to mark the end of that initial current.

• Miguel Delibes: He announced himself with works such as The Shadow of the Cypress Is Long and It Is Still Day. His concerns include the condition of Castile and the Castilian countryside, human dignity and freedom.
• Rafael Sánchez: Early work includes the poetic and fantasy vein; Jarama won the Premio Nadal. (References to earlier titles such as "Adventures of Alfanhui Industries" appear in accounts of his varied production.)
• Carmen Martín Gaite: Entre visillos ("Between Curtains") testifies to the disillusionment of provincial life and the lack of prospects.
• Juan Goytisolo: Considered one of the most important defenders of social commitment and realism in certain phases of his career.
• Juan Marsé: Works such as Últimas tardes con Teresa (Last Evenings with Teresa) prefer the postwar Barcelona setting and its social milieu.

1960s and 1970s: new cycles and experimentation

In the 1960s and 1970s new developments appear. Tiempo de silencio by Luis Martín-Santos inaugurates a renewed cycle in which the roles of characters become more individual, while social, economic and cultural diversity of communities and the victims of circumstances are emphasized. Experimentation is carried to the maximum in many of these works.

An example of later novelistic renewal is La verdad sobre el caso Savolta by Eduardo Mendoza, which signals changes in narrative strategy and subject matter as the country moves toward a different political and cultural moment.

Summary of tendencies

• Emergence of social realism and social commitment (1950s onward).
• Strong censorship in the 1950s shaped themes and forms.
• Focus on marginal figures and urban problems in early postwar novels.
• 1960s–70s: growing experimentation, individual perspectives and diverse communities.