The Spanish Essay: 20th Century Literary Evolution
The Spanish Essay: Origin, Characteristics, and Precursors
The essay, a genre whose name derives from the French essayist of the late sixteenth century, Michel de Montaigne, is the most appropriate form for the expression of humanistic thought and currently enjoys widespread relevance. It is a highly varied genre, covering topics of general interest non-exhaustively and without aiming for systematic or scientific rigor. Its treatment may be more or less subjective, often with an informative and speculative intent.
The essay often exhibits an open structure, as thought does not always advance linearly, but often discontinuously. This unsystematic nature of the essay can be seen in its many digressions, musings, and spontaneous meditations, which at times may give the impression of losing the thread of discourse. In Spain, precursors of the essay include Fray Benito Jerónimo de Feijoo, José Cadalso, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, Mariano José de Larra, and Ángel Ganivet (a precursor to the Generation of ’98).
The Spanish Essay from the Generation of ’98 to Today
The Essay in the Generation of ’98
The Spanish essay attained great importance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, especially with authors of the Generation of ’98 such as Miguel de Unamuno, Ramiro de Maeztu, and Azorín. These noventayochista authors prominently addressed the problem of Spain.
- Unamuno’s essays are philosophical and literary, expressing the idea of the Europeanization of Spain (in his book En torno al casticismo) and, later, the Hispanization of Europe (in Vida de Don Quijote y Sancho). In Unamuno, both his essays and his nivolas, dramas, and poems serve as expressive channels for his anxieties and metaphysical, religious, and existential problems, usually conveyed through typical paradoxes or apparent contradictions (as in The Tragic Sense of Life and The Agony of Christianity).
- Azorín’s essays focus on themes of time, Spanish landscapes, and its people. They are characterized by descriptive precision in details, short sentences, and an impressionistic, lyrical, and melancholic tone (see the document In El Toboso, Support Booklet, page 24).
- Antonio Machado, in his Juan de Mairena, explores philosophical, literary, educational, and political themes with irony and skepticism, always emphasizing freedom of thought and human dignity.
The Essay in Novecentismo
The essay was a genre widely used by Novecentismo authors, with José Ortega y Gasset as its main representative. In his essay Invertebrate Spain, Ortega reflects on the theme of Spain (separatist movements and their causes) and the unruliness of the masses, an idea he further develops in The Revolt of the Masses. Of great importance are also his reflections on aesthetics; his book The Dehumanization of Art (which posits that new art is based on intellectual, experimental, and formal aspects rather than sentimental, experiential majority appeal) greatly influenced the Generation of ’27. In philosophy, one should note the interest in the idea of circumstance (“Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia” – “I am myself and my circumstances”) and the concept of perspectivism (see Drops of Phenomenology document on pages 25 and 26 of the Support Booklet).
The Contemporary Spanish Essay
Currently, the essay, always a hybrid genre between journalism and the humanities (literature, philosophy, history, art, psychology, communication, etc.), is perhaps the most cultivated genre. Prominent contemporary authors include:
- José Luis López Aranguren
- Emilio Lledó
- José Antonio Marina
- Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
- Fernando Savater
- Rafael Argullol
- Celia Amorós
- Carmen Martín Gaite
- Montserrat Roig
- Soledad Puértolas
…among many other authors.