Realism and Naturalism: Key Concepts and Literary Figures
Realism and Naturalism
In the mid-nineteenth century, a new cultural and literary power emerged, following the decline of Romanticism. Realism replaced the exaltation of individual freedom with an emphasis on explaining and analyzing social reality.
While Romanticism coincided with the spread of liberal ideas, Realism is related to social conflicts between the ruling bourgeoisie and the working class, who began to fight for their rights. This movement was influenced by a series of philosophical and
Read MoreAntonio Machado, Valle-Inclán, and Juan Ramón Jiménez
Antonio Machado
Born in Seville in 1875, Antonio Machado moved to Madrid, where he studied at the Institución Libre de Enseñanza. He became a professor of French at the Institute of Soria. He lived in Paris, where he encountered the Symbolist literary world. A proponent of the legal government of the Popular Front and a supporter of the Republic, he died in Collioure.
The Work of Antonio Machado
The first stage encompasses feelings of modernist grief. Melancholy and loneliness appear, and Romantic
Read MoreRamon Llull, Ausias March, and the Catalan Noucentisme
Ramon Llull: Ideology and Objectives
A key feature of Ramon Llull’s work is the extraordinary consistency of his thought. His objectives included:
- Composing a philosophical system based on reason.
- Combating the errors of unbelievers.
- Exerting missionary work.
- Persuading Christian kings to create schools for preachers where they could learn languages and arts.
Llull’s Art is a logical system that aims to prove the dogmas of the Christian faith through reason.
Language and Rhetoric
Llull wrote in several
Read MoreModernism and the Generation of ’98: Literary Transformations in Spain
Modernism (Late 19th Century): A loss of confidence in progress and science arose, as they failed to solve problems or offer absolute truths. This general, artistic, and cultural crisis reflected an attitude of artists reacting against bourgeois utilitarianism, particularly in Latin America with its anti-imperialist sentiment.
Influences:
- Parnassianism: Pursued the expression of beauty and formal perfection.
- Symbolism: Aimed to suggest hidden truths through symbols. It emphasized the beauty of objects
Modernism and the Generation of ’98 in Literature
Modernism and the Generation of ’98
For a long time, attempts have been made to explain early 20th-century literature summarily and schematically, contrasting two movements or groups: Modernism and the Generation of 1898.
The Generation of ’98
The term “Generation of ’98” is a concept proposed by Azorín to refer to a group of *fin de siècle* writers like M. Unamuno, Pío Baroja, and R. Maetzu. They shared an aesthetic background and expressed a worldview, but its main purpose is to reflect the loss
Read MoreLa Celestina: Authorship, Genre, Love, and Characters Analysis
La Celestina: Authorship and Context
It is now widely accepted that acts II to XXI of La Celestina were written by Fernando de Rojas, while the first act may have been authored by Rodrigo Cota.
Genre: Drama or Novel?
Some critics classify La Celestina as a drama because it primarily consists of dialogue between characters, lacking a traditional narrator. Others consider it a novel in dialogue, realistically parodying the sentimental novel genre. La Celestina is situated within the context of humanistic
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