Classical Mythology & Philosophical Thought: Key Figures & Myths
Classical Mythology and Philosophical Thought
Sigmund Freud: Pioneer of Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Schlomo Freud, born May 6, 1856, in Freiberg, and who died September 23, 1939, in London, was an Austrian neurologist and physician. He is widely recognized as the creator and principal exponent of psychoanalysis.
Addressing concepts like the Oedipus complex, which describes a child’s sexual attraction to the parent of the opposite sex, Freud’s theories (and later interpretations like the Electra complex)
Read MoreSpanish Literary Movements: Novecento, Avant-Garde, Gen ’27
Read More20th Century Spanish Literary Movements
Novecento: Intellectual & Poetic Renewal
This movement is notable for its contributions to the essay, novel, and poetry:
- Essay: José Ortega y Gasset, with a clear and careful style, addresses various topics in his writings, such as culture, art, and daily life.
- Novel: Ramón Pérez de Ayala.
- Poetry: Juan Ramón Jiménez, whose work evolves from the intimacy found in Arias Tristes to the naked poetry of Diario de un poeta recién casado. His poetry evolves
Mario Vargas Llosa: Creative Process, Major Themes, and Narrative Devices
An author’s novel writing process begins with a daydream, a kind of speculation about a character or a certain situation, something that just occasionally happens in the mind. Then, I start taking notes, chipping away at ideas. First, I create a general outline of the story, then change it completely. After that, I start to write, composing very quickly, almost without stopping, without any concern for style or repeating episodes. I think what I like is not to write and rewrite, cut, or edit. The
Read MoreDon Juan Tenorio: Plot, Characters, and Literary Analysis
Don Juan Tenorio: Plot Summary
Part One: The Bet and Betrayal
Don Luis Mejía had lost the bet he made with Don Juan Tenorio a year ago. When they meet to see who has lost, Don Juan bets Don Luis that he will seduce his fiancée, Doña Ana de Pantoja, and also conquer a novice.
Commander Don Gonzalo de Ulloa, father of Doña Inés (who was to marry Don Juan), undoes the marriage upon learning of Don Juan’s challenge.
Don Juan swears to Don Gonzalo that he will abduct his daughter, who is in a convent
Read MoreGalician Literary Voices in Exile (1936-1950)
Galician Literature of Exile (1936-1950)
London, Mexico, Venezuela, and above all, Buenos Aires were the destinations for Galician exiles fleeing Franco’s repression. They established cultural initiatives, publishing magazines like Vieiros, founding publishers such as Citania, and broadcasting on Radio Portugal for immigrants.
This period highlights dramatic and poetic genres, influenced by the avant-garde and the prose style of Celso Emilio Ferreiro. Common themes include protest-oriented sentiments
Read MoreSpanish Golden Age Literature: Cervantes, Baroque Theater
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra: Life & Works
Cervantes’s Biography
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the most universal Spanish writer, was born in Alcalá de Henares in 1547. At 22 years old, he joined the Tercios of Italy and fought in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where he was wounded in his left hand, which was permanently disabled. In 1605, the first part of Don Quixote was published, and he began to achieve fame as a writer. He died on April 23, 1616.