Spanish Literary Movements: Romanticism, Realism, and Bécquer's Prose

19th-Century Spanish Literary Movements: Context

First Half of the Century: Romantic Prose

The first half of the 19th century was defined by the rise of Romantic prose.

• Historical Context

  Absolute monarchical crisis, replaced by a democratic parliamentary government. Rise of Nationalism.

• Social Development

  The bourgeoisie was proclaimed as the dominant social class. This was a time of liberalism.

• Cultural Trends

  Idealism prevails.

Second Half of the Century: Realism and Naturalism

The latter half of the century saw the shift toward Realism and Naturalism.

• Historical Context

  The bourgeoisie established itself firmly as the dominant (conservative) social class. Significant industrial and commercial development.

• Social Development

  Emergence of a new class: the proletariat. This led to confrontation between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

• Cultural Trends

  New philosophical thought: Positivism. Application of the experimental method to literature.

Key Prose Genres of the 19th Century

The Historical Novel

The action takes place in a past time, preferably in the Middle Ages. Historical facts often served as an excuse to build a legendary character intrigue, featuring great passions, mysterious environments, and so on.

Cuadros de Costumbres (Sketches of Manners)

These are brief stories that describe folk customs in a kindly or normally appreciative tone.

The Legend

This genre served to show romantic interest in the mysterious, sentimental, or fantastic. Except for Bécquer, it was not widely cultivated in Spain.

The Journalistic Article (Artículo Periodístico)

This genre employed a direct and simple style, which many intellectuals took advantage of to publish numerous articles in magazines and newspapers. Mariano José de Larra was a great journalist of the time.

Defining Realism in Spanish Literature

Realism aimed to faithfully reflect contemporary realities through careful observation and description of the world around the writer. Realism in art and literature describes works that try to imitate or copy reality.

The Novel as a Mirror of Reality

In the novel, a wide range of scenarios and a multitude of characters are portrayed. The novel acts as a "mirror along the way," reflecting events protagonized by credible characters "copied from nature"—that is, converted from the social reality of the time and set in familiar places.

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's Legends

Legends is the most important prose work of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836–1870), who is also known for his poetry. These 28 short stories, written in poetic prose, are based on traditions or legends. They recreate Romantic themes such as the mysterious and supernatural, the fantastic and exotic, the search for the unattainable (la búsqueda de lo inalcanzable), and night scenes.

Some of the most popular legends are:

• "The Moonbeam" (El rayo de luna)
• "The Mount of Souls" (El Monte de las Ánimas)
• "Master Pérez the Organist" (Maese Pérez el Organista)
• "Green Eyes" (Los ojos verdes)