Literary and Philosophical Concepts: Kant to Modernism
Kant on Enlightenment and Immaturity
“What is Enlightenment?” – Immanuel Kant
Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!
Laziness and
Read MoreAnalysis of Textual Features and Genres
General Text Characteristics
Texts often exhibit the following characteristics:
- Conservatism: Adherence to established norms.
- Explicitness: Clearly stated information.
- Precision and Accuracy: Exactness in language and facts.
- Monotony: Sometimes lacking variation in style or tone, especially in formal texts.
Morphosyntactic Features
- Predominance of impersonal sentences.
- Use of the passive reflexive voice.
- Use of the future subjunctive (less common in modern Spanish usage).
- Gnomic present (expressing general
Neoclassical Poetry and Theatre: Rococo, Moratinos, and More
Neoclassical Poetry and Theatre
Poetry. The baroque poetry covers topics such as love and feminine beauty. This trend is called Rococo poetry. Illustrated poetry includes poets like Garcia de la Huerta, Nicolas Fernandez, and Jose Moratín Gallows. The consolidation of this poetry was slow, but when it occurred, authors like Leandro Fernandez de Moratin or Samaniego came to light. The issues addressed in illustrated poetry include:
- The excitement of the fine arts.
- Scientific and philosophical ideas.
Leandro Fernández de Moratín: Life, Works, and Neoclassical Drama
Leandro Fernández de Moratín (1760-1828): A Literary Life
Leandro Fernández de Moratín (1760-1828), son of Nicolás, a literato, worked as an employee in a jewelry workshop, an activity he combined with his first literary works. The protection of Godoy allowed him to leave his old job, completed with the license to represent “The Old Man and the Girl.” A year earlier, he had published his satire in prose, “The Defeat of Pedants.” His prolonged stay in the European courts also facilitated contact
Read MoreAnalyzing Tragicomedy and Memory in Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’
Beckett’s Tragicomedy in ‘Waiting for Godot’
Beckett classified his play as a “tragicomedy.” Is this an accurate classification? If not, how else might the play be classified? Does the play lean more towards tragedy or comedy?
The play is often considered a tragicomedy because it conveys tragic themes through comedic elements. What makes it tragic? For instance, the characters desire to find meaning in human existence and to be completely independent. However, Estragon and Vladimir cannot separate
Read MoreBook, Film & Restaurant Review: Madrid & Beyond
Book Review: “Al final del camino”
Last summer, I read a really nice and interesting book titled “Al final del camino” by the Spanish writer Lucía Gabildo.
The book tells the story of four different people: Gloria, a young woman who paints fantastically and works cleaning in an office by night; her neighbor Pablo, a real gentleman who lives in a big apartment and sells postcards in a museum; Fran, Pablo’s tenant and an excellent cook; and Fran’s grandmother, Paula, who lives in an old people’s home.
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