Spanish Literary Movements: Realism and Modernism

Realism (Second Half of the 19th Century)

Realism sought to represent reality in accordance with the interests of the bourgeoisie. Key characteristics include:

• Focus on the social self, abandoning the individual self.
• Presentation of everyday life (country, city, etc.).
• Analysis of landscapes and social groups.
• Reflection of an objective reality.

Characteristics of the Realist Novel

• Focus on the individual and the social self.
• Elements of historical fiction mixed with contemporary settings and real places.
• Detailed character descriptions (exterior, interior, and social position).
• Dialogue presented in direct style.
• Use of an omniscient narrator.

Spanish Realism (c. 1870)

José María de Pereda

• Novels are set in rural Cantabria.
• Idealized portrayal of rural life and customs.

Juan Valera

• Novels are set in Andalusia (rural areas often seen as idyllic).
• Focus on love affairs and detailed characterization.

Benito Pérez Galdós

• Reflection of the society of the time.
• Strong characterization and closer involvement of everyday life in historical facts.
• Narrative style: Omniscient narrator, direct style (dialogue), and interior monologue.
• Language tailored to fit the character.

Galdós's Major Works and Periods

Episodios Nacionales (National Episodes)

A series of 46 stories covering 19th-century historical events, often featuring anonymous characters. Example: Trafalgar.

First Period: Thesis Novels

The author presents a confrontation between conservative and progressive ideologies.

Contemporary Novels

Set in contemporary Madrid, reflecting real time. Example: Fortunata and Jacinta (2 parts), featuring Fortunata (a working-class woman) and Jacinta (a bourgeois woman).

Spiritual Novels

Influenced by Russian Realism, focusing on the inner world of characters and their moral values.

Modernism

Key Influences and Characteristics

• Parnassianism: Pursuit of formal beauty and perfection.
• Symbolism: Suggesting a hidden reality beneath the surface.

Aesthetic Principles

• The pursuit of beauty in all forms: recreation of beautiful places and things, and the presentation of intense sensations and emotions.
• An aristocratic stance, opposing vulgarity.
• Evasion: Seeking refuge in the past or in idyllic places.

Linguistic and Metric Renewal

The quest for beauty led to a renewal of language:

• Use of cultismos (learned words) and words chosen for their sound (musicality).
• Use of various rhythmic resources.
• Renewal of classical verse forms by changing the number of syllables, and the introduction of free verse.

Rubén Darío: Major Works

Azul... and Prosas Profanas (1888)

A collection of verse and prose, short stories, and poems characterized by:

• Striking adjectives and images.
• Metric innovations and verbal exuberance.
• Themes of aristocratic evasion, social commentary, and Spanish eroticism.

Cantos de Vida y Esperanza (1905)

Marks a change in Darío's literary approach:

• Reduced focus on purely aesthetic beauty.
• Increased philosophical concerns regarding the passage of time, the loss of youth, and the meaning of existence.
• Focus on the Hispanic world.

End of the Century Themes

• Issues of Spain: Deep political and social crisis.
• Existence: Man's destiny, the meaning of life, and death.

Antonio Machado

Machado wrote didactic prose and plays. His poetry often explores themes such as:

• The passage of time (the constant flow).
• The sea and death.
• The concept of the “hives” (representing collective life or memory).
• Creative poetry itself.