Spanish Literature: Generation of ’98 and Noucentisme Movement
Miguel de Unamuno
Aesthetics
- Vision (desolate) from Spain: Unamuno uses the essay as a technique to analyze the essence of the Spanish soul.
- Search for the Meaning of Life: He tries to project his angst, giving priority to reason.
A New Narrative Technique: The <>
The <> is a new narrative technique characterized by:
- Rejection of any a priori commitment to formal principles
- Abolition of descriptions and situations
- Presentation of the protagonist in an existential struggle
- Increasing importance granted to dialogue
In Fog, Unamuno addresses the problem of being and existence and the character-author relationship (to be created and creator).
Comparison of Differences or Features of the Generation of 98 and the Noucentisme
The Generation of ’98 and the Noucentisme movement are two contrasting movements:
- Generation of ’98: Art is a social revolution that seeks to renew the aesthetics of literature.
- Noucentisme: Aims to achieve artistic perfection, regardless of the emotional aspect.
However, they share some commonalities:
- Desire to become Europeanized and upgrade people’s values.
- Analysis of problems in Spanish and European culture.
- Looking towards a future upgrade for Spain.
- Incorporation into official Spanish life, with authors concerned about Spanish problems.
The main differences lie in:
- Subjectivism and Intellectualism: The Generation of ’98 was driven by a subjective view of reality and intimate problems, while the Noucentisme is based on rational analysis of art, without exalting emotion.
- Language and Aesthetics: The Generation of ’98 focuses on sobriety, using plain and clear language, subordinating form to content. The Noucentisme tries to instill pure art form, seeking perfection in the work, making it a minority art.
- Classicism: The Noucentisme returns to classicism models, preserving Greek and Latin influences. The Generation of ’98 aims to give a fresh impetus with the description of the Spanish landscape as a symbol.
Pio Baroja (Generation of ’98)
Narrative Style
- Reflects life spontaneously.
- Highlights the ambientes (environments).
- Preponderance of descriptions of characters and environments.
- Dialogue flows authentically.
- Characters are imaginary creatures, sometimes confronted with society or existentially disoriented (reflections of the author).
- Writing retains the essence of the original novel of its time.
- Most books are grouped into trilogies with a generic title that alludes to the central theme of the 3 books.
Examples of trilogies:
- Zalacaín the Adventurer (The Basque Earth trilogy)
- The Search (The Struggle for Life trilogy)
- The Tree of Science (Race and trilogy)
José Martínez Ruiz, <>
Aesthetics
- Enactments of his childhood and youth.
- Evocation of land and human beings in Spain.
- Review of the past, seeking the spirit of the Spanish land with a touch of nostalgia.
- Attention to the quotidian aspects of human beings.
- Detailed descriptions using a miniaturist technique to capture the essence.
- The main tune is the human-landscape, an example of the subjectivism of the Generation of ’98.
- Penchant for reviving forgotten (archaic) words.
- Objective: To point out what surrounds a person and the person-established relationship.
Castellana Literature from 1939
Contemporary Narrative
Social and Political Landscape
Since 1939, the Franco dictatorship repressed the narrative of the time. Works like The Family of Pascual Duarte and Nada were among the first to emerge during the dictatorship.