Generation of ’27: Spanish Literature’s Golden Age
Generation of ’27
It is called the Generation of ’27, the group of writers and poets that emerged between 1920 and 1935.
This generation integrated Pedro Salinas, Jorge Guillén, Gerardo Diego, Vicente Aleixandre, Federico García Lorca, Emilio Prados, Rafael Alberti, Luis Cernuda, and Manuel Altolaguirre. Dámaso Alonso is often added to this roster, but his most important books of poetry were published in the postwar period. Miguel Hernández, who belongs to the Generation of 1936, has been considered
Read MoreSpanish Theater Pre-1936: From Benavente to Lorca
Spanish Theater Pre-1936
1. The Theater Triumphs
Several genres thrived during this period:
The Bourgeois Comedy
Jacinto Benavente was the primary representative of this genre. His bold start with “The Alien Nest” addressed the oppressive situation of married women in bourgeois society. While initially controversial, he later gained acceptance with works like “Saturday Night” and “Autumn Roses”. His plays generally align with drawing-room comedy, with the exception of the farce “The Vested Interests”
Spanish Theater Pre-1936: From Benavente to Lorca
1. The Theater Triumphs
1.1 The Bourgeois Comedy
With Jacinto Benavente as the primary representative, the bourgeois comedy flourished. Benavente had a bold start with “The Alien Nest,” a play about the oppressive situation of married women in bourgeois society. While initially controversial, he later gained popularity with works like “Saturday Night” and “Autumn Roses.” His works generally align with the drawing-room comedy style, with the exception of the farce “The Vested Interests,” which draws
Read MoreGeneration of ’98: A Literary Overview of Spanish Modernism
Generation of ’98: A Literary Overview
Europeanism and the Taste for Pure-Blooded Spanish Identity
Sobriety: The language is intended to be simple and precise.
Subjectivism: Introspective vision of reality.
Idealization of the Landscape: The landscape, particularly the Castilian landscape, is seen as a symbol of the Spanish soul. Its description is poetic and expresses the emotion of the viewer.
Concern about the Problems of Spain: The Generation of ’98 was deeply concerned with the social and political
Read MoreRealist and Naturalist Novels in Catalan Literature
The Realist Novel and Naturalist Novel
Gustave Flaubert, French author of Madame Bovary, demonstrates the possibilities of the realist novel. He explores women’s role in the bourgeoisie and employs narrative objectivity, trying to keep the narrator as impartial as possible. This represents an extreme case of an absolute language, demonstrating the maturity that a literary language should have to achieve stylistic effects. Madame Bovary is a critique of the established and dominant bourgeoisie.
However,
Read MoreThe Spanish Novel: From Exile to Experimentation
1. The Novel of Exile
Authors who had to leave Spain at the end of the Civil War continued their literary work in other countries. Their work spoke of the experience of war and longing for the country.
The most notable authors were:
- Francisco Ayala
- Max Aub
- Rosa Chacel
- Ramon J. Sender (Chronicle of Dawn and Requiem for a Spanish Peasant – These novels describe the social tensions that caused the civil war, as seen from the viewpoint of the vanquished.)
2. The Novel in the Forties
A status of disorientation
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