Spanish 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
Read MoreUK School System, Robert Burns, Mark Twain & Hemingway
Understanding the UK School System
Nursery: Aged 6 months to 3/4 years old. Not compulsory. Learning through playing and interaction. Private.
Primary School: Age 4/5 to 10/11 years old (Reception to Year 6). Learning through structured activities. One teacher teaches every subject in one classroom. A new teacher each year. At the end of Year 6, students take SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) to determine groups in high school.
High School/Secondary School: Age 11-16 (Year 7 to Year 11). Learning through
Read MoreChivalry, Moorish, and Byzantine Novels: An In-Depth Look
Chivalry Novels
Chivalry novels are epic tales that incorporate fantasy elements, such as dragons and wizards, and often feature magic. A prime example is the story of King Arthur and Merlin.
In the 16th century, these novels presented the fantastic adventures of knights-errant. The ideal Renaissance man appeared, depicted as a warrior who was also a writer and a nobleman. The beautiful woman was often portrayed as white, with blue eyes and light hair. The hero never dies, leaving the story open for
Spanish Realism and Naturalism in Literature
Realism and Naturalism in 19th-Century Spain
Realism, a literary movement characterized by the search for exact reality through careful observation, grew throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. The cultivated genre was the novel. Naturalism, a literary movement created by Zola, takes Realism to its extreme consequences. It represents marginal characters and environments, defending human determinism and materialism. However, in Spain, it was not very successful because it limited the
Read MoreClarín and Pérez Galdós: Masters of Spanish Realism
Leopoldo Alas “Clarín”: Life and Works
Leopoldo Alas, known as “Clarín,” was born in Zamora in 1852 but lived in Oviedo, Asturias, until his death in 1901. He felt a deep connection to Asturias. Clarín and Emilia Pardo Bazán are key figures of Spanish Naturalism, though they never reached the extremes of their French counterparts. The main features of Clarín’s works are:
- Inspiration from Reality: His works are a reflection of real life.
- Psychological Depth: Characters are portrayed with detailed