Post-War Spanish Literature: A Journey Through Novels and Plays
Post-War Spanish Novel
The post-war novel is a literary genre that flourished in Spain during the years following the Spanish Civil War. Spanish writers were divided into two groups: the exiles and the peninsulars. The exiles often dealt with themes related to the Civil War and its consequences, while the peninsular writers faced censorship and limitations on their creative freedom.
Year 40:
The post-war novel of the 1940s often explored personal reflections on life with a pessimistic tone. Some notable works from this period include:
- Nada by Carmen Laforet: This novel, which won the Nadal Prize, explores the maturation of a young woman from the inside.
- The Shade of the Cypress is Long by Miguel Delibes: Delibes’s novel, also a Nadal Prize winner, features a simple and clear writing style. His works often focus on rural environments and characters struggling with poverty.
- The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela: This first publication broke away from the triumphalist and idealized narratives imposed by the Franco regime.
50s:
The 1950s saw a shift in focus towards social problems and social criticism. Key works from this decade include:
- The Hive by Camilo José Cela: This novel, published in Buenos Aires in 1951 and later in Madrid, explores the lives of various characters in post-war Madrid. It features a unique narrative structure with multiple viewpoints and a lack of a traditional protagonist.
The Hive introduced several innovative techniques, including:
- Multiplicity of viewpoints (objective narrator): Instead of a single narrator, the story is told from the perspectives of multiple characters, offering diverse insights into the events.
- Protagonist coral: There is no single protagonist; all characters are equally important actors in the narrative. The city of Madrid itself can be seen as the protagonist of The Hive.
- Lack of argument: The novel focuses on scenes and interactions between characters, aiming to depict the harsh realities of life in post-war Madrid.
- Open end: The absence of a clear plot or resolution leaves the story open-ended, suggesting that the narrative could continue.
60s:
The 1960s saw further development of the technical innovations introduced in The Hive. The Irish novel Ulysses by James Joyce served as a model for this new style of writing, which was often challenging for readers.
Technique:
- The author is behind the characters: The author’s presence is felt through the characters’ thoughts and actions.
- Interior monologue: The novel delves into the minds of the characters, revealing their inner thoughts and feelings.
- The action is minimized: The focus shifts from external events to the internal experiences of the characters.
Topics:
- Psychological Naked mind: The novel explores the inner workings of the human psyche.
- Traditionalists: The novel examines the lifestyle of Spain after the war.
- Social: Social problems are reflected in the works, often overshadowing traditional plot structures.
- Existential: The novel explores themes of loneliness, anguish, and the search for meaning in life, influenced by the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre.
Authors and Works:
- Miguel Delibes: Five Hours with Mario: This novel, considered Delibes’s most important work, follows a protagonist who, during a wake, reads passages from the Bible, reflecting on her life and the lives of her children.
- Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio: Jarama: This novel depicts a group of friends whose lives are disrupted by an accident, forcing them to confront the fragility of existence.
- Juan García Hortelano: New Friends: This novel explores the lives of wealthy young people in post-war Madrid, highlighting their empty lives, excessive consumption, and superficial relationships.
70s:
Technical News:
The 1970s saw a return to more traditional novelistic techniques, with a renewed emphasis on narrative structure and character development.
- The growing importance of the narrator: The omniscient narrator plays a more prominent role in shaping the story.
- The argument is the center of the story: The plot and its development become central to the narrative.
- Dialogue and weave the narrative descriptions: Dialogue and descriptive passages are interwoven to create a more engaging and immersive reading experience.
Subjects:
The themes of the 1970s novels often reflected the changing social landscape of Spain.
- Urban life: The novel explores the challenges and complexities of life in rapidly growing cities.
- Loneliness: The theme of isolation and alienation is prevalent in many works.
- Disappointment: The novel often portrays characters grappling with disillusionment and a sense of lost hope.
- Existential angst: The search for meaning and purpose in a changing world continues to be a central theme.
Authors and Works:
- Francisco Umbral: Mortal and Rose: This novel, written by a renowned journalist, explores the author’s grief over the death of his son.
- Camilo José Cela: Mazurka for the Dead: This novel continues Cela’s exploration of social and existential themes.
- Miguel Delibes: The Heretic: This novel, set in a rural village, examines the conflict between tradition and modernity.
The Post-War Spanish Theater
The post-war period also witnessed a resurgence of Spanish theater, with new playwrights emerging and innovative techniques being employed. The Lope de Vega Prize, awarded to new playwrights, became a prestigious recognition in the theater world.
The theater faced financial challenges, as productions were expensive and relied heavily on ticket sales. To address this, the government implemented a subsidy policy to make theater more accessible to the public. This policy remains in place today.
Antonio Buero Vallejo, the first winner of the Lope de Vega Prize in 1949 for his play Historia de una escalera, became a leading figure in post-war Spanish theater. His work often explored social realism and the struggles of ordinary people.
Historia de una escalera is a realistic social drama that focuses on the housing crisis in post-war Spain. The play follows the lives of several families who share a cramped apartment building, highlighting the challenges of finding affordable housing and the social inequalities that existed at the time.
Buero Vallejo’s play helped to establish the GTR (Realistic Theater Group), which brought together other prominent playwrights, including:
- Alfonso Sastre: The Butt: This play explores the world of bullfighting and the exploitation of young people who aspire to become matadors.
- Lauro Olmo: The Shirt: This play focuses on the experiences of migrants who leave Spain, highlighting the trauma and challenges they face.
- Rodríguez Méndez: The Innocent of La Moncloa: This play depicts the struggles of young people who are unable to find work after graduating from university, leading to despair and even suicide.
Teatro de Buero Vallejo:
Buero Vallejo’s plays were widely produced and critically acclaimed. He explored a range of themes and styles, including:
Social Theater:
Today is a Holiday: This play, with its classic Spanish theme of the clash between rich and poor, follows a widow who struggles to make ends meet and tries to maintain appearances for social events.
Existentialist Theater:
In the Hot Darkness: This play features characters with disabilities, such as blindness or deafness, and explores their experiences in a world that often marginalizes them.
Historical Theater:
Las Meninas: This play, set in the past, uses a historical setting to convey a political message.
General Theater:
Comedy Theater:
- Jardiel Poncela: Heloise is Beneath an Almond Tree: This play, by a prolific author, features witty characters and dialogue, creating a modern comic theater experience.
- Miguel Mihura: Three Hats: This play, by a renowned playwright, uses absurd humor to explore the complexities of human relationships.
Essential Theater:
- Alejandro Casona: The Lady of the Dawn: This play, by an author who studied in Asturias and later went into exile, features unforgettable characters and explores themes of love, loss, and redemption.
Burgtheater:
It’s a theater of evasion.
· José María Pemán: The divine impatient. His plays are in verse, but also comedies.
· Calvo Sotelo: The wall.
From these years there is no truly important writers, and without too much either.