Modernism: Art, Society, and Catalan Identity
Modernism: A Clash Between Art and Society
Born in the late nineteenth century, Modernism, influenced by journals like Advances, embraced the era’s most dynamic ideas. Young intellectuals sought to be open to ideas and art forms dominating the cultural life of various Western countries. They felt the need to shed the folk elements of the Renaissance and localist views, aiming to establish a Catalan identity understood as a modern European expression.
A fundamental conflict of Modernism was the rupture
Read MoreGeneration of ’98: Prose, Writers, and Existential Concerns
Prose in the Generation of ’98
The noventayochistas (members of the Generation of ’98) show in their works their concerns and their vision for existential issues and the decline of Spain through simple and direct language. Their works reflect a concern for Spain, especially the attractions they feel for Castilla, impressed by the landscape. They also admire its beauty, which fits perfectly with the straightforward and clear style of their works.
This was a group of intellectuals who reflected on the
Read MoreThe Impact of Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare’s Works
4: Christopher Marlowe was very talented and received a scholarship at 16 to study Latin and Greek. He translated Amores by Ovid. He studied at Cambridge University, earning a BA and MA (with the help of a letter from the government). The truth is unknown yet, but it seems clear that he was in jail after being present when a man was killed and that he infiltrated Catholic circles in Paris. After leaving Cambridge, he wrote Tamburlaine the Great: 1st Play (1587 or 1589). In his 20s, he was the most
Read MoreAlliterative Revival, Piers Plowman, and Medieval Drama
The Alliterative Revival (14th Century)
Two English dialects:
- South East: Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales
- West:
- Langland. Piers Plowman
- Anonymous. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Chaucer wrote in an alliterative form of his own regional English, that of the South East Midlands. As this was the English of London and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, this was the dialect that became established as the literary norm in the end. It is the basis of modern SLE (Standard Literary English).
That’s why Chaucer’
Read MoreLiterary Movements: Naturalism, Avant-Garde, and Anti-Victorianism
Fantastic Novel
Fantastic Novel: Carroll picked up the stories he told to a girl in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. In both, boundless imagination is mixed with all kinds of puns and parodies.
Naturalist Theater
Naturalist Theater: Naturalistic drama emerged when the naturalist novel was in decline. Some playwrights tried to delve into the psychology and circumstances of the characters to explain their most notable behaviors. The most prominent were Ibsen and Strindberg, precursors
Read MoreThe Thirteenth Century: A Flourishing Era in Medieval Europe
The Thirteenth Century: A Flourishing Era
The thirteenth century represents a period of significant growth in medieval Europe, with France at its political and cultural center.
Economic Stability and Growth
The economy thrived due to flourishing trade, currency stability, increased circulation of precious metals, and the consolidation of craft guilds. This led to the enrichment of many peasants and bourgeois merchants, while much of the old nobility began to experience impoverishment. Cities experienced
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