20th Century Spanish Literature: From Dictatorship to Democracy

Posted on Sep 19, 2024 in Latin

Spanish Literature in the 20th Century

The Dictatorial Regime (1936-1975)

After the Civil War (1939-1949)

Consequences of the war:

  • Strong repression of Republican supporters.
  • Suppression of basic rights.
  • Rigid censorship.
  • Complete break with previous literary trends.
  • Exile of many writers.
  • Existentialist angst and uprooting as dominant themes.

The 1950s

Spain opens up to the outside world:

  • Firm U.S. cooperation agreement.
  • Spain’s entry into the UN.

Consequences:

  • Critical attitude towards the hostile environment.
  • Denunciation of oppression and injustice.
  • Desire for a better world.
  • Rise of social realism.

The 1960s

Years of economic expansion and development:

  • Growth of tourism.
  • Increased remittances from emigrants.
  • Increased exports.
  • Timid liberalization of the regime.

Consequences:

  • Decline of social realism.
  • Influence of earlier Hispanic literature.
  • Search for new forms of expression.

The Late 1970s

Transition to democracy:

  • First free elections.
  • Enactment of a new constitution.
  • Return of many exiles.
  • Establishment of Spanish democracy.

Consequences:

  • Experimentation in literature.
  • Emergence of many new authors and trends.
  • Increase in the number of women novelists.

The Novel of Exile

Themes:

  • The memory of Spain.
  • The causes and consequences of the Civil War.
  • Experiences in different environments.

Notable Authors:

  • Ramón J. Sender (1901-1982): Recreated his childhood and youth in his novels.
  • Rosa Chacel (1898-1994): Characterized by the aesthetic concerns of her writing.
  • Max Aub (1903-1972): Combined traditional realism and avant-garde techniques. His most important work is The Magic Labyrinth.
  • Francisco Ayala (1906-2009): Master of the short story, addressed the issue of corruption of power and dictatorship in some novels.

Existential Anguish and Social Realism

Notable Novels:

  • The Family of Pascual Duarte (1942) by Camilo José Cela.
  • Nada (1945) by Carmen Laforet.

Social Realism:

  • Emerged due to censorship flexibility and the discovery of foreign novelists who used the novel as a tool for social critique.
  • Represented by the mid-century generation (Ignacio Aldecoa, Carmen Martín Gaite, Jesús Fernández Santos, Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio, Ana María Matute, Juan Goytisolo, Juan José García Márquez, and Caballero Bonald).
  • Characterized by realism and the desire for objectivity.
  • Spanish society became the protagonist and the narrative theme.
  • Examples: The Hive (Camilo José Cela) and The Jarama (Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio).

The Experimental Narrative of the 1960s

Factors contributing to the change:

  • Influence of great foreign novelists (Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, James Joyce, and William Faulkner).
  • Discovery of the Latin American novel (Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Márquez, and earlier generations like Jorge Luis Borges, Alejo Carpentier, and Juan Rulfo).

Authors and Techniques:

  • Luis Martín-Santos: Incorporated narrative innovations from Europe and the Latin American Boom.
  • Miguel Delibes, Camilo José Cela, and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester: Continued their own unique styles.
  • Juan Goytisolo, Juan Benet, and Juan Marsé: Represented a new wave of experimental novelists.
  • Eduardo Mendoza: Marked the end of the experimental stage with The Truth about the Savolta Case (a return to traditional narrative forms).
  • Techniques: Stream of consciousness, shifts in point of view, ironic narration, fragmented structure.

The Novel Between 1975 and 1990

Characteristics:

  • Return to plot-driven narratives.
  • Recovery of the pleasure of storytelling.
  • Important contribution of women novelists (Esther Tusquets, Soledad Puértolas, and Cristina Fernández Cubas).

Notable Authors:

  • Luis Mateo Díez
  • Julio Llamazares
  • Manuel José Quintana
  • José María Merino
  • Manuel Vázquez Montalbán

The Spanish Novel Today (1990s-Present)

Established Authors:

  • Javier Marías
  • Antonio Muñoz Molina
  • Almudena Grandes
  • Luis Landero
  • Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Younger Generation:

  • Lucía Etxebarria
  • Ray Loriga
  • José Ángel Mañas
  • Espido Freire
  • Gustavo Martín Garzo

Other Notable Authors:

  • Ignacio Martínez de Pisón
  • Bernardo Atxaga
  • Álvaro Pombo
  • Antonio Gamoneda
  • Enrique Vila-Matas
  • Juan José Millás
  • Javier Cercas
  • Juan Manuel de Prada