Postwar Spanish Narrative: From the 60s to Renewal
The Postwar Spanish Narrative from the Late 1960s
I. The Story of the 80s
The Spanish Civil War marked a significant rupture in the country’s cultural life. The prevailing political conditions heavily influenced literary production, particularly in the realm of narrative. Several factors contributed to this:
- The establishment of strict censorship.
- Self-censorship practiced by many writers to avoid having their novels banned.
- The prohibition of Spanish and foreign authors, which prevented young novelists
The History and Evolution of the Spanish Language
The Origin and Development of the Castilian Language
Origins
The Castilian language, the foundation of modern Spanish, originated from Vulgar Latin in the region of Castilla. Its evolution involved several key changes:
- Replacement of “cl” and “pl” with “ll” (e.g., “clamare” became “llamar”)
- Loss of initial “f” and “h” (e.g., “farina” became “harina”)
- Transformation of “ct” into “ch” (e.g., “octo” became “ocho”)
- Vowel shifts (e.g., “au” to “o” in “aurum” to “oro”, “e” and “o” to “ie” and “ue” in “terra”
Spanish Literature from Romanticism to the 20th Century
Spanish Literature: Romanticism to the 20th Century
Romanticism
José de Espronceda
This author, in both his life and work, embodies the quintessential Spanish Romantic poet. His poetry reflects the two main tendencies of Romantic poetry:
Narrative Poetry:
The Student of Salamanca exemplifies the narrative trend, showcasing the period’s characteristics, including a gloomy atmosphere and formal aspects like Polarimetry. The Devil World, an unfinished long poem, also belongs to this trend, offering Espronceda’
Read MoreSpanish Literature of the Silver Age: Generation of ’98 and Beyond
The Generation of ’98: Pío Baroja
Pío Baroja (1872-1956) was a prolific Spanish novelist whose works reflected his skeptical and pessimistic worldview. His novels are characterized by their open structure, incorporating descriptions, events, philosophical reflections, and a seemingly spontaneous narrative flow. Baroja favored strong characters, often men of action from the Basque Country, as seen in his adventure novels like Zalacaín the Adventurer, The Concerns of Shanti Andia, and the Memoirs
Read MoreThe Languages of Spain: Castilian, Catalan, and Galician
The Languages of Spain
Castilian
Spain is a multilingual country where Castilian, Catalan, and Galician are spoken. The Spanish language, also known as Castilian, originated in Cantabria and became the language of the entire Spanish territory due to the Reconquista.
In the 17th century, Castilian became a prominent language of culture, and during the Golden Age of Spanish literature, its greatest writers reached their historic peak.
The consolidation of Castilian continued until the modern era. In the
Read MoreSpanish Theater of the Golden Age
Lope de Vega
Lope de Vega was a prolific writer of Spanish literature. In addition to his lyrical production, he was also a playwright, which perhaps brought him more fame.
Drama
The stage production of Lope de Vega is enormous. Forty-two mystery plays and more than three hundred comedies are preserved.
Best-Known Works
- Comedies with a national theme: Fuenteovejuna, The Knight of Olmedo
- Comedies with an invented subject in which love is the single most cultivated theme. These include swashbuckling comedies.