Spanish Narrative: Late 19th Century to the 1960s
Linguistic Features of Narrative
Narrative typically employs connectors, numerous action verbs, and a predominance of predicative syntactic structures. It often includes descriptive textual sequences, dialogue, and expressions of the circumstances of time and place. Narrative can be classified into various forms, such as news, features, stories, memoirs, autobiography, and personal diary.
Narrative Transition to the 20th Century
At the end of the 19th century, the Spanish cultural environment was in
Read MoreSpanish Post-War Novel: Exile, Social Realism, and Experimentation
The Novelists of Exile
The Novelists of Exile: Ramón J. Sender (Chronicles of Alba), Max Aub (The Magic Labyrinth), Francisco Ayala (Head of the Lamb). These are some of the writers of this period. Their work, done outside of Spain, is generally focused on the theme of war.
The Immediate Post-War Novel (1940s)
The Immediate Post-War Novel (1940s): The extreme censorship of the time prevented critical social commentary. The natural breakdown of literary evolution is evident immediately after the war.
Read MoreSpanish Literature: From Medieval Times to Pre-Renaissance
Ages
From the demise of Lir until the discovery of America.
- In the Peninsula, it is marked by the presence of Arabic, and religion inspires art and literature.
- It is divided into medieval literature and pre-Renaissance literature.
Traditional Lyric
Jarchas (10th and 11th Centuries)
Short lyrical compositions whose theme is the lament of a woman who lost her beloved.
Cantigas de Amigo (13th, 14th Centuries)
Item, the same as that of jarchas. Parallelism of verses.
Mester de Juglaría (12th Century)
- They tell
Spanish Literature: From 19th Century to the Generation of ’27
Spanish Historical Context
The nineteenth century in Spain ended with the so-called Disaster of ’98. Spain lost its last overseas colonies—Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines—as a result of the military defeat suffered against the U.S. fleet. These events took place at a time when the country was experiencing strong social tensions due to the poor living conditions of the proletariat. The scientific and technological backwardness, coupled with the unstable social situation, worried the intellectuals
Read MoreCatalan Modernism: Art, Society, and Literature
The Modernist Movement
Modernism was the movement that emerged in Catalonia between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with the aim of transforming traditional Catalan culture into a modern culture.
The promoters wanted to bring Catalonia into Europe. They believed that traditionalists had to banish all aspects of Catalan culture and introduce innovative ideas.
Modernism and Society
Bourgeois Hegemony
The restoration of the Bourbon monarchy was accompanied by a period of social peace that helped
Read MoreLa Celestina by Fernando de Rojas: A Literary Masterpiece
La Celestina: A Literary Masterpiece
Editions and Author
La Celestina, a jewel of Spanish literature alongside Don Quixote, was written by Fernando de Rojas. The first known edition of this book was printed in Burgos under the title Comedy of Calisto and Melibea and consisted of 16 acts. The second edition, printed in Toledo, included a letter from the author to a friend and some verses. These verses revealed, through an acrostic, the name of the author: Fernando de Rojas. Rojas expanded the work,
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