Spanish Realism and Naturalism: Galdós and Clarín

Linguistic and Literary Concepts

Basic Definitions

Phrase

A word or group of words that makes complete sense, is pronounced with a particular intonation, and, in writing, is separated from others by punctuation marks such as a period, exclamation point, or question mark.

Phrase (Syntactic)

A group of words without a verb.

Sentence

A group of words containing a verb, often conjugated personally.

Common Grammatical Issues

Leísmo

Using 'le' or 'les' as a direct object pronoun when 'lo' or 'los' (or 'la'/'las') would be standard.

Laísmo

Using 'la' or 'las' as an indirect object pronoun when 'le' or 'les' would be standard.

Loísmo

Using 'lo' or 'los' as an indirect object pronoun when 'le' or 'les' would be standard.

Literary Movements

Realism

A movement born in France in the mid-19th century, reacting against the idealization of reality characteristic of Romanticism.

Features of Realism:

• Interest in reflecting characters and their environment objectively and accurately.
• Characters drawn from contemporary life with psychological complexity.
• Described settings are recognizable, and social life is reflected in detail.
• Themes manifest the interests, conflicts, and feelings of different social classes.
• Direct and natural style.
• Often features an omniscient narrator.
• Moral intent, attempting to critique or improve contemporary society.

Naturalism

A movement born in France from the work of Émile Zola, proposed as an extension of Realism, aiming to reflect reality.

Main Principles of Naturalism:

• Use of the experimental method (observation of reality).
• Belief that heredity and environment determine the behavior of characters.
• Depiction of the most unpleasant or sordid aspects of reality.
• Interest in social outcasts and marginalized groups.

The Spanish Realistic Novel

Key Spanish novelists of the Realistic period:

Benito Pérez Galdós

His novels reflect a progressive and liberal mindset.

Characteristics (Galdós):

• Portrayal of all social classes, emphasizing the middle class.
• Characters convey the problems of everyday life.
• Progressive ideology (often showing confrontation between conservative and liberal positions).
• Language reflects colloquial usage ('the language of the street').
• Use of an omniscient narrator.
• Alternation between narration and dialogue.

National Episodes (Episodios Nacionales)

Consisting of five series, these novels narrate the history of 19th-century Spain. They present general historical facts, like battles, alongside the domestic lives of fictional characters. Mixing fact and fiction conveys a credible image of the time.

Novels (Galdós)

• Early Novels (Thesis Novels): Oppose intolerant religious views with more liberal ones.
• Contemporary Spanish Novels: Highlights include Fortunata y Jacinta, which focuses on life in Madrid during his time.
• Spiritualist Novels: Examples include Misericordia or Nazarín. These focus on values such as kindness or social justice, and his characters are often oblivious to material concerns. The author suggests that salvation lies in fraternity and love.

Leopoldo Alas 'Clarín'

His work is based on reality.

Characteristics (Clarín):

• Characters are portrayed from a psychological point of view.
• Language is natural and accessible, suited to the characters.
• The recreation of the environment is based on his surroundings (primarily Oviedo).
• The moral intent lies behind the condemnation of the evils and hypocrisy of society.

La Regenta

Clarín's first major novel, centered on the city of Oviedo, portrayed under the fictional name Vetusta. Vetusta figures as a symbol of provincial vulgarity, ignorance, and hypocrisy.