20th Century Spanish Literature: Avant-Garde & Generation of ’27
20th Century Spanish Literature
Avant-Garde Movements
Between the two World Wars, Europe witnessed groundbreaking aesthetic and artistic revolutions, giving rise to avant-garde movements. One prominent movement was Surrealism, which emerged in France in 1924, spearheaded by André Breton with his manifesto. Surrealism had a significant impact on film, painting, and poetry. It sought to explore beyond reality and logic, delving into the realm of repressed desires and dreams. Automatic writing was a key technique used by Surrealists to tap into the subconscious. Other important avant-garde currents included Ultraísmo and Creationism.
Generation of ’27
In 1927, a group of authors, all born around the year 1900, gathered in Seville to commemorate the poet Luis de Góngora. This group became known as the Generation of ’27. They were characterized by their intellectual prowess, strong relationships among themselves, and a shared passion for literature. Notable authors of this generation included Rafael Alberti, Vicente Aleixandre, Federico García Lorca, and Luis Cernuda.
The Generation of ’27’s literary style was marked by sophisticated language, intellectual poetry, a pursuit of beauty, the cultivation of literary devices, and the use of irrational and visionary imagery. They also maintained a strong connection to the Spanish lyrical tradition.
Federico García Lorca
Life and Works
Born in Granada, Federico García Lorca was a prominent intellectual figure. He lived in Madrid and founded the student residence known as “La Barraca.” Tragically, he was executed during the Spanish Civil War.
Poetic Work
- Early Works: Libro de poemas (Modernist influence) and Canciones (short poems with a popular tone).
- Andalusian Tragedy: Poema del cante jondo (popular tunes, musical rhythm, tragic spirit) and Romancero gitano (recreates the world of gypsies, blending popular and cultured elements).
- Surrealist Poetry: Poeta en Nueva York (expresses his feelings about New York City, a protest against dehumanizing civilization, uses free verse and surrealist language).
- Other Works: Llanto por la muerte de Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, Diván del Tamarit, and Sonetos del amor oscuro.
Dramatic Work
Lorca’s dramatic works are imbued with a tragic and lyrical sense, reflecting personal frustration, vital desires, and impossible love, often with women as protagonists. His main works include:
- Farces: Tragicomedia de Don Cristóbal y la señá Rosita
- Historical Drama: Mariana Pineda (in verse, published in 1923, combines politics and love)
- Avant-Garde Theatre: El público (dark and complex, with Symbolist-Surrealist elements)
- Rural Tragedies: Bodas de sangre (the impossibility of love between two young women, uses verse and prose), Yerma (prose, the tragedy of a woman’s frustrated motherhood who murders her husband), and La casa de Bernarda Alba (prose, sober and stark language, expressive power, closed and oppressive rural setting, explores themes of mourning and freedom).
The House of Bernarda Alba
Introduction
The House of Bernarda Alba was completed in 1936, just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. It belongs to Lorca’s mature period, which also includes the rural tragedies Bodas de sangre and Yerma, and the dramas Doña Rosita la soltera and La casa de Bernarda Alba. In these works, women occupy a central place, reflecting Lorca’s sensitivity to the condition of women in Spanish society.
Characters
- Bernarda: The tyrannical, hypocritical, and despotic matriarch. Her language reflects her character, with the repeated use of prescriptive words and reliance on physical force.
- Angustias: The eldest daughter, set to marry Pepe el Romano due to her inheritance. She is indifferent to him, her only desire being to escape her mother’s control.
- Magdalena: Bernarda’s daughter who most loved her late father. She faints during the funeral mass.
- Amelia: The timid third daughter who rarely speaks.
- Martirio: A complex character whose marriage to Enrique Humanes was prevented by her mother. She feels resentment and jealousy towards her younger sister Adela, who attracts Pepe el Romano.
- Adela: The youngest daughter, unwilling to submit to her mother’s tyranny. She challenges established morality, but her rebellion leads to a tragic fate.
- Poncia: The maid, a confidante of Bernarda despite her hatred for her. Her speech is marked by popular expressions.
- María Josefa: Bernarda’s mother, a senile woman whose words reveal the truth about the family’s desires for freedom and love.
- Pepe el Romano: He never appears on stage but is the catalyst for the passions and conflicts within the house.
- Criada (Maid): Resentful of Bernarda, she displays a submissive and hypocritical attitude.
Themes and Analysis
The House of Bernarda Alba explores themes of censorship, the importance of reputation, and the oppression of women in a patriarchal society. The play can be considered both a drama and a tragedy, with elements of realism and symbolism. The confined setting of the house, the stifling atmosphere of mourning, and the clash between authority and freedom contribute to the tragic outcome. Lorca masterfully uses dialogue, symbolism, and dramatic techniques to create a powerful and moving portrayal of the human condition.