Spanish Literature of 1898: Key Authors and Themes

The late 19th and early 20th century in Spanish literature saw a series of innovations and changes. Pessimistic authors reflected the societal anxieties of the time. Their works often conveyed frustration and hopelessness. Influenced by Schopenhauer, they explored the idea that overcoming pain and suffering requires giving up on worldly desires. This led to a focus on lost history, internal conflict, and fragmented protagonists. The writers of '98 were united in their protest against the customs and situation of Spanish society, offering a personal and subjective view of things.

Valle-Inclán was one of the most avant-garde writers, beginning in modernism and evolving towards the grotesque. His major prose works include the Sonatas (Autumn, Summer, Spring, and Winter), featuring the Marquis de Bradomín, and employing a modernist style with love and death as central themes. Another important work is Tirano Banderas, which portrays a bullying dictator in Latin America.

Azorín, in works such as The Will and The Confessions of a Small Philosopher, aimed for thoroughness, highlighting detail with simple, brief, clear, and orderly descriptions.

Unamuno projected his personal concerns in his novels, which were strongly philosophical and critical. His work focused on Spain (intrahistory) and the nature of man (existence, death, religion). One of his early works was Love and Pedagogy. Fog is a nivola where the hero, Augusto Perez, rebels against the writer, emphasizing the anguish of human existence. In San Manuel Bueno, Martyr, the hero is a priest admired by his parishioners but without faith.

Baroja is considered the best narrator of the Generation of '98. With a sour and pessimistic tone, he protested against the society of his time, criticizing its shortcomings with total sincerity. He showed great tenderness for the marginalized and skepticism for religious and ethical aspects of man, emphasizing action in his works. Some of his notable works include The Way of Perfection, The Tree of Knowledge, and Zalacaín the Adventurer. His style is careless, spontaneous, and anti-rhetorical. He sometimes rejected a pre-defined structure. His paragraphs are short, his vocabulary and syntax simple, with the use of colloquialisms and abundant dialogue. His descriptions are brief and nervous, sometimes rude, and at other times emotional.