The 1960s: A Cultural and Literary Shift in Spain
The Sixties: A New Historic Turn
The early sixties marked a period of “desarrollismo” under Franco, where technocrats played a key role in promoting liberalization measures that led to economic growth.
Historical Realism in Literature
Writers adopted a more realistic approach to depicting the country’s social reality, focusing on the living conditions of the working classes and using language closer to everyday speech. The intention was to denounce perceived injustices.
Poetry
The crisis of symbolist poetry, marked by the death of Carles Riba in 1959, gave way to a more realistic style.
- Poems found their settings in everyday life, particularly urban environments like bars and streets.
- Literary resources were often scarce, and the language was simple, even colloquial.
- Metric rigidity was relaxed, with some authors dispensing with it entirely.
- Poems became more narrative and often included moral reflections.
Notable authors included Pere Quart, Salvador Espriu (Leather Bull, 1960), Josep Maria Llompart, Gabriel Ferrater, Vicent Andres Estelles, Michael Martin, and Michael Bartholomew Bauçà Fiol.
Arts
A renewal occurred due to the development of infrastructure and the desire of authors to modernize. Independent theater developed with innovative creations. In the Balearic Islands, playwrights sought renewal but often only saw their works performed in Catalonia.
- The theater of the absurd presented situations without clear direction, expressing a sense of general aimlessness.
- The German epic theater (EADAG) aimed to mobilize consciences to change the political and social situation.
Alexandre Ballester
His theater was linked to the European drama of the time (e.g., In a Thick Velvet), incorporating elements of the theater of the absurd. Albopàs, an imaginary country ruled by the tyrant Adalgot III, served as a satire of the Franco dictatorship. The humorous situations denounced the grotesque absurdity of a political power that denied freedom to its citizens.
John Oliver
His works critiqued the way of life and actions of the bourgeoisie.
Narrative
The principles of realism and historical social commentary were also adopted by narrative works. These works described the living conditions of the working classes from an objective, critical standpoint, using accessible language. The intention was to allow readers to easily identify with the characters, settings, and time periods. Authors included Joseph Espinàs and Mary Baltasar Porcel.
The Recovery of Narrative
The linguistic and cultural repression of the Franco dictatorship significantly impacted the evolution and dissemination of all genres, especially narrative, which requires a stable infrastructure to develop. Censorship, lack of education in the country’s language, and the dominance of Spanish were obstacles.
The Psychological Novel
The focus shifted to the analysis of characters and their conflicts, reflecting their inner worlds. Action was de-emphasized in favor of introspection, and new narrative techniques, such as interior monologue and non-chronological order, were incorporated.
Merce Rodoreda (1909-1983)
Rodoreda was an emblematic author of the psychological novel. Self-educated, she began with articles and stories. Her fiction included short stories and novels, starting with Aloma, written during the Civil War, which incorporated techniques of psychological narrative. Forced into exile, she was enshrined as one of the most important contemporary writers with La Plaza del Diamante (1962). Her great novel is Broken Mirror.
Her novels often centered around female characters. Frustrating relationships between men and women and the passage of time were two main themes.
Llorenç Villalonga (1897-1980)
Born in Palma to a family of rural aristocrats, Villalonga was a noted novelist, particularly for Lady Death. He championed a novelistic model that focused more on characters than on adventure and intrigue in the story.
The Renewal of Narrative
During the 1960s, new authors consolidated their positions and gained recognition from the wider world and the general reading public.
Pere Calders / Manuel Pedrolo
Barbarisms
Drill, Hinge, Sandpaper, Key, Spark
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