20th-Century Spanish Fiction (1900-1939): From Generation of ’98 to Avant-Garde
Theme 4: Twentieth-Century Spanish Fiction to 1939
1. The Novel of the Generation of ’98
Twentieth-century Spanish fiction reacted against the artistic trends of Realism and Naturalism. Novelists desired innovation in both themes and narrative forms, leading to significant changes in the novel. In this context, the Generation of ’98 emerged.
1.1 Ideological Crisis of the Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a result of:
- The political, economic, and moral crisis in Spain at the end of the century due to the loss of colonies in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
- The exhaustion of the narrative forms of realist and naturalist movements.
- The influence of foreign thinkers on the writers of ’98 (e.g., Nietzsche).
Writers of ’98, such as Unamuno, Azorín, and Baroja, proposed a thorough reform of Spanish social and moral behavior. Their idealism and critical tone, combined with a profound individualist attitude, led to a defense of subjectivism and a personal view of things. However, their initial exaltation and rebellion evolved into a nostalgic evocation of the past. Their hopes for renewal were followed by a lyrical and contemplative attitude, leading to introspection and a search for the essence of Spain.
1.2 Themes in the Novel of the Generation of ’98
The main concerns of the Generation of ’98 were the issue of Spain and existential themes. The issue of Spain was approached from different perspectives due to their individualism and subjectivism, but all sought to portray a Spain different from that reflected in topical or traditional representations. This research focused on discovering the soul of Spain through:
- The scenery, especially in Castile, where they uncovered the austere and sober spirit of the people.
- The everyday life stories that Unamuno called intrahistoria.
- Literature, going back to medieval authors (Manrique), classics (Góngora), and Larra for his deep feeling of Spain. Cervantes and Don Quixote were also important.
The existential theme covered various issues such as the meaning of life, religion, and doubts about the afterlife. Different authors held different attitudes towards these issues.
1.3 Narrative Style of the Generation of ’98
The most important characteristics of their stylistic technique were:
- Rejection of bombastic rhetoric and a return to simplicity and clarity.
- Presence of a personal style.
- Abandonment of realist procedures and a commitment to expressing genuine emotions.
- Tendency towards lexical precision.
- Preference for short sentences and paragraphs and natural expression.
1.4 Novelists of ’98
Miguel de Unamuno
Miguel de Unamuno was the most peculiar writer of ’98, with a critical and independent character. His anxiety and distress were evident in all his works. His writing was based on his concern for Spain and his preoccupation with existence, death, the relationship between God and humanity, and the conflict between faith and reason. Some of his best-known works are Niebla, where the confusion between dream and reality, and faith and reason, are issues arising from the anguish of human existence, and San Manuel Bueno, mártir, a novel that addresses issues like faith and immortality, in addition to the dilemma between painful truth and illusory happiness.
José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín)
Azorín was a writer of thoroughness and detail. His work developed a subtle descriptive technique dominated by simplicity, brevity of sentences, clarity, and neatness. His concern for time passing resulted in a sad and melancholic prose that betrayed a desire to capture the essence of things. Some of his most famous works include La voluntad, Don Juan, and Doña Inés.
Pío Baroja
Pío Baroja reflected his surly and independent character and his negative view of human beings and society in his novels. The main theme in his works was a protest against society. Baroja expressed a critical and sincere attitude in his ideas and compassion for the marginalized. His novels can be divided into two groups:
- Novels of thought: where Baroja expressed skepticism about religious and ethical aspects.
- Action novels: where adventure was the central argument.
His novels were based on spontaneity and anti-rhetoric, and his style and syntax were equally simple, with predominantly short paragraphs and clear vocabulary.
Ramón María del Valle-Inclán
Ramón María del Valle-Inclán was one of the most original writers of his time. His first major prose work was the four Sonatas, characterized by a modernist prose whose main themes were love and death.
2. From Novecentismo to the Avant-Garde
The Novecentismo or Generation of 1914 comprised the authors who followed the Generation of ’98. Like the authors of ’98, they were concerned about the problems in Spain, but they adopted a more balanced and intellectual vision than their predecessors.
2.1 Major Novelists
Ramón Pérez de Ayala
Ramón Pérez de Ayala was known for experimenting with narrative techniques and creating new forms and original perspectives. His style was elegant, with perfect sentence constructions, balanced expression, and a rich and select vocabulary.
Gabriel Miró
Gabriel Miró used literature to create a world of sensory perceptions. He contemplated reality and recreated it with his own impressions. Miró’s novels were based on descriptions built by the union of various environmental and landscape scenes. His style was elaborate and lyrical, yet slow and heavy.
Ramón Gómez de la Serna
Ramón Gómez de la Serna turned literature into a game of inconsistencies. In his works, he gave entry to all things considered trivial through a fertile imagination. His most original creation was the greguería, a clever association of ideas, a vision of things expressed in a brief and witty way. They can be divided into four types: humorous, conceptual, verbal games, and lyrical.