Spanish Social Realism: The Novel of the 1950s

The Spanish Novel of the 1950s

From 1950, a new generation, the so-called Writers of 55, developed a different kind of novel. Its purpose was to reflect the social reality of the moment. The Social Realism novel is a form of complaint in which the novelist assumes social engagement to reflect the lack of freedom, social inequality, and generalized poverty of Spanish society. These are works of a realistic character, trying to reproduce social reality faithfully. They serve an informative function, reflecting the social situation.

Literary Trends of the Decade

Neo-realism or Objectivism

This trend focuses on the negative repercussions of the dictatorship in everyday life from an individual's position. It serves as a testimony of human solidarity toward those who suffer from political policies. It is essentially human.

Characteristics of Objectivism

• Narrator: The narrator records the behaviors of the characters and plays back their talks without judging or adding comments. The narrator is an objectivist.
• Dialogue: There is a prevalence of dialogue, which offers the behavior and thoughts of the characters and avoids the appearance of the narrator. The characters are characterized by their deeds, words, and external attitudes; the writing avoids exploring their interior.
• Protagonist: The protagonist is an individual but represents society. This is presented from the outside.
• Spatiotemporal Condensation: Novels tend to occur in a short time frame, such as one or two days, and in a single place.
• Structure: The structure is linear. The development of events follows the timeline without jumping to the past or using future anticipations.

Key Representatives

Notable authors include Ignacio Aldecoa (Cabeza Rapada / Shaved Head), Jesús Fernández Santos, Carmen Martín Gaite, and Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio (El Jarama).

Critical Realism or Social Realism

In this trend, the author complains about capitalism and the dictatorship from a Marxist point of view to educate the reader, using the novel as a weapon in the fight against social classes and Francoism.

Characteristics of Critical Realism

• Social Intent: It shares critical realism traits with objectivism (spatiotemporal condensation, linear narration, and dominance of dialogue), but there is a more explicit social intent.
• The Characters: These are "type" characters that reveal the values of the class they belong to: exploited or resigned workers, experienced and hardworking peasants, or self-serving and frivolous bourgeoisie.
• Themes: Themes are based on contemporary Spanish society: the backward rural economy, hard conditions of life among workers, waves of immigrants arriving in cities, the misery of the suburbs, and the idle and carefree life of the bourgeoisie.

Key Representatives

Notable authors include López Salinas (La mina), Antonio Ferres (La piqueta / The Pick), López Pacheco (Central eléctrica), and Caballero Bonald (Dos días de septiembre / Two Days of September).