Spanish Post-War Novel: Literary Trends of the 1940s and 1950s
Spanish Post-War Novel: The 1940s
After the Spanish Civil War, many writers went into exile, while others died or remained in Spain. This period resulted in the impoverishment of the Spanish literary world. Authors who had to leave Spain at the end of the Civil War continued to write in other countries. They moved away from intellectualized narratives, returning to human and ethical issues. In their works, they spoke of the experience of war and the longing for the lost homeland.
Some notable novelists in exile include:
- Francisco Ayala
- Max Aub
- Arturo Barea
It is under these circumstances that the post-war novel emerged in Spain.
Existentialist Novels in Post-War Spain
This literary trend explored themes such as poverty and the squalor of everyday life, frustration and personal anguish, social maladjustment, loneliness, and death. Characters were often uprooted, confused, or marginalized, moving away from the narrative techniques of the traditional realist novel.
Carmen Laforet (b. 1921)
Her novel, Nada (1945), offers a vivid portrait of the sordid and monotonous life of the post-war years in Barcelona. It is seen through the experiences of the protagonist, Andrea, during her first year as a college student.
Miguel Delibes (b. 1920)
With his first novel, La sombra del ciprés es alargada (The Shadow of the Cypress is Long, 1948), Delibes established his characteristic themes. The rural life of Castilian villages, the mentality of the provincial middle classes, the world of children, and humble and marginalized people are the most frequent subjects of his novels. His endearing characters, sober and simple style, and the recovery of a rural lexicon are other characteristic features of his work.
The Tremendista Novel
This genre emphasizes environments, situations, and characters marked by great hardship and violence. A prime example is Camilo José Cela’s La familia de Pascual Duarte (The Family of Pascual Duarte, 1942).
Camilo José Cela (1916-2002)
In La familia de Pascual Duarte, the protagonist, Pascual Duarte, a peasant from Extremadura, narrates his life in the first person while awaiting execution in jail. While it appears to be a simple story, Pascual must be considered both responsible for his crimes and a victim of societal neglect. The lack of individualized education and the harsh environment in which he lives are presented as factors that led to his crimes. The pervasive environment of poverty, squalor, and brutality he experienced since childhood is depicted as the cause of his violence and the crimes he committed.
The entire work of Cela, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989, is characterized by a bitter and pessimistic vision of the world and life, grotesque distortion of reality, dark humor, constant renewal of narrative techniques, and expertise in the domain of language.
The Traditional Realist Novel
Cultivators of this style included Ignacio Agustí and J.A. Zunzunegui.
Spanish Novel of the 1950s: Social Realism
The end of international isolation and the beginning of industrialization in Spain starting in 1950 brought about significant political and social changes that profoundly influenced literature. Novelists of this era moved away from existential pessimism and direct allusions to the Civil War, instead describing the reality of a society that was slowly evolving. This new narrative was often represented by writers critical of the Franco regime.
Camilo José Cela’s La colmena (The Hive, 1951) served as a model for authors of this new trend, which shared several common features:
- Themes: They reflected the harsh conditions of the urban proletariat and poor peasantry.
- Characters: Portrayal of a superficial and unsupportive bourgeoisie.
- Subject Matter: Novels focusing on the Civil War, often from new perspectives.