Spanish Literature Movements: Romanticism to Post-War Novel
Romanticism: Key Features
- Freedom: A break from established rules.
- Subjectivism: Focus on the inner self.
- Themes: Self-expression, rebelliousness, social and philosophical issues, legendary and historical topics.
- Characters: Marginal figures, rebels, freedom-lovers, and passionate individuals marked by fate.
- Nationalism: Deep love for one’s homeland.
- Evocation of the Past: Preference for the Middle Ages and Renaissance, escape to exotic and wondrous lands.
- Atmosphere: Mystery and solemnity, often at night,
Picaresque Novel: “Guzmán de Alfarache” and “El Buscón” Analysis
The Picaresque Novel
The picaresque novel culminated in the Baroque period with the success of Guzmán de Alfarache.
The Life of Guzmán de Alfarache
Mateo Alemán’s work was published in two parts. It has two levels of discourse: the narrative of the life of a rogue and constant moral reflections of the narrator, which reflects a didactic purpose: to contribute to the common good with the doctrine and the criminal life story of the protagonist, which shows the deceit and wickedness of man. This novel,
Read MoreTheater Evolution: Restoration to 18th Century
The Evolution of Theater: Restoration to 18th Century
This essay aims to discuss the evolution of theater from the Restoration to the eighteenth century. Theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
Early 17th Century Theatrical Landscape
In the first part of the seventeenth century, theater companies, not playwrights, were the
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Generation of ’98 & Novecentismo
The Generation of ’98: A Literary Movement
The Generation of ’98, concurrent with Modernism, was a literary movement focused on renewing literature and opposing past trends (Realism and Naturalism). It emerged from the political, economic, and moral crisis of the late nineteenth century, aggravated by the loss of Spain’s colonies and the exhaustion of prevailing themes and forms.
Key Characteristics of the Generation of ’98
The writers of ’98 were united in their protest against the customs and the
Read MoreSpanish Theater & Narrative 1950s-1960s
Spanish Theater in the 1950s and 1960s
In this period, three types of live theater coexisted:
- Minority Existential Drama: This type of drama starred characters tormented by anguish, anxiety, isolation, and loneliness. In 1949, Antonio Buero Vallejo initiated this trend with the release of Historia de una Escalera. Alfonso Sastre expressed similar themes in Escuadra hacia la Muerte (1953).
- Comic Theater: This genre also offered a disillusioned view of life, with characters forced to succumb to pressure
Baroque Art: Ideology, Poetry, and Prose
The Ideology of the Baroque Period
The Baroque is the artistic expression of a worldview and a certain attitude to life. Sociohistorical difficulties resulted in a pessimistic vision and feeling of disappointment.
Baroque Culture
The crisis of the 17th century coincided with a period of great splendor, along with the cultural renaissance known as the Golden Age. Cultural events of this period were influenced by the Counter-Reformation. The Catholic principles of monarchy and privileged groups were
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