19th and 20th Century Spanish Literary Movements
Romantic Drama
Romantic authors rejected the unities of action, time, and place, and envisaged creation as a free act, clear of rules. Romantic works often feature a mysterious hero protagonist, marked by an inevitable and tragic fate. Events often occur in gloomy spaces. The language is very theatrical and rhetorical, mixing verse and prose.
Most Important Playwrights
- The Duke of Rivas
- José Zorrilla
Key Works and Authors
- Duque de Rivas: Don Álvaro, or the Force of Destiny
- José Zorrilla: Don Juan Tenorio
- José Espronceda: Songs and The Student of Salamanca
- Mariano José de Larra: Articles
- Bécquer: Legends and Rhymes
Features of Realistic Literature
Realism replaced the exaggerated imagination and sentimental display of Romantic literature with observation and accurate representation of the environment. Its intention was not to evade reality but to portray it with verisimilitude and to criticize the society of its time, wanting to transform it through literature.
The Realistic Novel
- Interest in reality and the everyday
- Treatment of issues pertaining to their time
- Search for objectivity and realism
- Presence of a critical author
- Use of the omniscient narrator
- Plain and simple style
- Careful recreation of the characters’ speech
Pre-Realism
Manners and tone have a moralizing purpose. The authors did not elaborate on psychological analysis or social criticism. The main representative is Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (The Three-Cornered Hat).
Realism
It is characterized by the eagerness to portray contemporary reality. In general, the narrator adopts a more objective stance, and the characters are subject to a more meticulous psychological portrait. Along with Galdós, Valera (Pepita Jiménez) and José María de Pereda (Sotileza and Peñas Arriba) stood out.
Naturalism
It recreates the most sordid aspects of reality: characters are victims of their physical condition, genetic inheritance, and the environment in which they live. These factors determine their destiny and prevent them from being free. The most prominent authors were Clarín (La Regenta), Emilia Pardo Bazán (Los Pazos de Ulloa), and Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (La Barraca and Cañas y barro).
Modernism
It has its origin in Latin America. José Martí and Rubén Darío created and spread it. Rubén Darío has been considered the starting point of Modernism.
Characteristics
- Literature is aesthetic; it seeks beauty above all.
- The authors seek an escape from reality.
- The themes often express feelings such as weariness, laziness, etc.
- Symbolic elements are used, such as the swan.
The Generation of ’98
A group of authors born in the late nineteenth century who addressed two themes: the decline of Spain and existential anguish. These include Unamuno, Pío Baroja, Azorín, and Maeztu.
Key Works and Authors
- Rubén Darío: Azul, Prosas profanas, and Cantos de vida y esperanza
Prose
- Modernist prose is characterized by the use of poetic and even musical language, e.g., Valle-Inclán’s Sonatas.
- The authors of the Generation of ’98 cultivated the essay and the novel. In essays, they addressed two major themes: the decline of the country’s situation and their existential concerns, e.g., Unamuno.
Notable Novelists
- Unamuno
- Pío Baroja
- Azorín
Theater
One of the most successful authors was Jacinto Benavente with Vested Interests or La Malquerida. The great innovator was Valle-Inclán.
Other Key Works
- Pío Baroja: The Tree of Knowledge
- Antonio Machado: Campos de Castilla and Soledades
- Valle-Inclán: The Gorgon