Post-War Spanish Narrative (1939-1970): From Idealism to Existentialism
Post-War Spanish Narrative (1939-1970)
Idealistic Novels
During the first years of Franco’s regime, triumphant novels emerged, glorifying war propaganda and the regime’s ideological values. Another narrative sought to escape the war, focusing on the lives of ordinary middle-class characters, such as in Cecilio Benítez de Castro’s Maleni.
Existential Realism
These novels aimed to reflect the bitterness of everyday life. Common themes included loneliness, frustrated hopes, the uprooting of characters in a vulgar and miserable society, and the constant presence of death. This unrest is portrayed through individual existence. Camilo José Cela’s The Family of Pascual Duarte (1942) emphasizes aberrant human behavior. Miguel Delibes’ The Road (1950) depicts a rural setting where a young boy faces leaving his protective environment to study in the city.
Authors
Gonzalo Torrente Ballester
A defender of Falangist patriotism and values. His notable works include The Saga/Drain of J.B., an experimental novel blending imaginative, mythical, and real elements, showcasing his mastery of language. Another important work is Chronicle of a Stunned King.
Carmen Laforet
Author of Nada (1944), narrated in the first person. The novel explores Andrea’s experiences upon arriving in Barcelona, living with her grandmother and other family members. Her initial enthusiasm turns to disillusionment as she discovers the moral failings and emptiness surrounding her family, leaving the reader with a somber ending. Other works include The Island and the Devils and The New Woman.
Ramón J. Sender
A Republican forced into exile in 1939. Sender’s extensive body of work, written in Mexico and the U.S., explores social and human problems. Pre-war novels, such as Mr. Witt Among the Cannibals and Chronicle of Dawn (a semi-autobiographical account of José Garcés), reflect direct realism. The Spanish Civil War is symbolically treated in King and Queen, where a duchess is confined with her Republican gardener. The theme of Spain resurfaces in Requiem for a Spanish Peasant (formerly Mosén Millán’s Dare), where a priest recalls the life of Paco, a Republican farmer he betrayed to the Civil Guard, leading to Paco’s execution. Sender also wrote historical narratives like Nancy’s Thesis, exploring the cultural clash between the U.S. and Spain.
Franco’s Spain and the Social Novel
Camilo José Cela’s The Hive marked a shift towards social narratives, aiming to expose Spain’s problems and denounce social injustice. Influences: Spanish classical realism, 19th-century realism, naturalism, and existentialism. Realistic approach: Objectivism and critical realism. In the former, the author acts as a detached observer. In the latter, as seen in Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio’s The Jarama, Marxist influences are evident, denouncing injustice and seeking reader awareness. Themes: Contemporary Spanish society from various perspectives. Techniques: Linear narrative and simple language. Protagonists: Representative of a collective or social sector. Concentrated action: Short timeframes. Dialogue: Central to the narrative. Author’s disappearance: Objectivity, presenting scenes and characters like a film camera (e.g., The Hive and The Jarama).
Authors
Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio
His first novel was the highly original Industries and Adventures of Alfanhuí. However, it was The Jarama, winner of the Nadal Prize in 1955, that brought him true recognition. The novel portrays young city workers during their leisure time by the Jarama River, depicted with realism and fatalism. The characters accept life’s hardships as inevitable, told from a cinematic perspective.
The Experimental Novel
Themes: The passage of time and the reconstruction of memory. Techniques: Unique character perspectives, exploring language’s expressive possibilities. Chronological disorder: Innovative narrative techniques. Structure: Fragmented sequences or continuous speech. Individual protagonist: Focus on a single character. Narrator: Often prominent. Free indirect style and interior monologue: Dialogue loses importance. Active reader: Participates in the interpretive recreation of the novel.
reation of the novel.