20th Century Spanish Narrative: Realism & Renewal
Narrative in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century
1 / Novel and Society in Post-War Spain: 40 Years of Existential Realism
Between 1939 and 1950, given the dramatic circumstances, the novels of Baroja, and more specifically “The Search”, could serve as a model for many of the narrators of what has been called Generation 40. Two dates could be identified as significant: 1942 with “The Family of Pascual Duarte” by Camilo Jose Cela, a sour vision of wretched and brutal realities described as tremendous, and 1945 with “Nothing” by Carmen Laforet, with which Nadal won the award, which shows us a girl who lives with relatives in a sordid meanness of hysteria, failed dreams, and emptiness. One might add 1947 with “The Shadow of the Cypress is Long” by Miguel Delibes.
Characteristic of the postwar novel will be: the bitter reflection of everyday life, its focus from existential angst, with themes such as loneliness, inadequacy, frustration, death… the abundance of marginal characters, uprooted or disoriented and distressed. Another novelist of the current is Zunzunegui. Beyond these features are writers who sing to military victory, in novels like “The Faithful Infantry”.
2 / Novelists of Exile
Outside of Spain, a literary career developed since 1939 by writers who had already begun before the Civil War. Like many poets of the 27th, like Guillen, Salinas, Cernuda, and Alberti, in terms of narrative, one can cite Ramon J. Sender, who was revealed in “Magnet” (1930). His initial commitment to communism ended up as harsh criticism of it. His best book is “Requiem for a Spanish Peasant” (1960), where a harmless boy becomes embroiled in a series of circumstances almost alien to him and is therefore doomed. It reflects the fascist oppression that existed in many Spanish towns in the prelude to the Civil War.
Francisco Ayala published his works before 1936, in the orbits of realism and the cutting edge. But his most important works are later written: many short stories and two novels, “Death of a Dog” and “The Bottom of the Glass”.
Max Aub’s most important works are the books in the series “Fields” (1943-1968).
3 / Socialist Realism in the Novel, Social Novel: The 50s
Postwar novelists were oriented towards a realistic reflection of society, but it will be in the stage that goes from 1951 with Cela’s “The Beehive” until 1962 with “Time of Silence” by Martin Santos when a consistent guidance in this regard hardens. Cela’s novel mentioned above is the forerunner of the current with its relentless vision of postwar Madrid society. Another key work would be “La Noria” by Luis Romero, a novel with a collective character, too, with Barcelona as a framework. And two novels by Delibes: “The Way” and “My Adored Son Sisi” reflect specific environments: a Castilian village and a bourgeois family.
We arrive in 1954. From this year on, Aldecoa, Fernandez Santos, Sanchez Ferlosio, in addition to Ana Maria Matute and Juan Goytisolo, are released, grouped as generation 55. The common feature of these writers is social realism: the novelist must commit to the evils of society, show solidarity with the oppressed and the poor, and feel the need for change.
As for the issues, the following stand out: the hard life of the countryside, the world of work, the urban, but from the point of view of the city border, that is, the suburbs, with their misery… The structure of the narrative is usually simple, preferably linear, and is also seen in the low abundance of descriptions. There is a preference for the collective character, as in “The Beehive” and “La Noria”. Next to it is also the presence of the representative character, taken as a synthesis of a class or group. This reflects a rejection of the psychological novel, a technique derived from objectivism that merely records the purely external, without looking inside the characters.
Dialogue has a prominent place; many of the social novels are essentially dialogues, where authors are determined to pick up either the living speech of peasants, workers, or bourgeois gentlemen, in a style of naked and direct language.
4 / Renewal of Narrative Techniques in the 60s
The novel written in the 60s has an array of features that could lead to a novel entirely different from that of the 50s. The following common features are observed: the plot loses importance, becoming an excuse to introduce reflections on various themes; irrational and disjointed form, introducing also a network of stories; full renovation in the structure of the novel.
The external presentation is given in the form of sequences, not numbered or noted, even sometimes written without interruption. Regarding the internal structure, it is written from multiple points of view, that is, each character gives their vision of reality. This is called a kaleidoscopic or perspectival technique. Constant flashbacks appear, mixing sequences known as counterpoint. Nor is there any relationship between chronological time; the reader has to reconstruct the story on their own.
As for language and the expression used, the description becomes more important. In addition to fragmenting the narration, the first, second, and third person are mixed. Dialogue will be less common and occurs inside the character’s monologue, which are conducted by the association of ideas and temporal clutter characteristic of the 60s novel. The character’s thinking will be seen through the free indirect style, written in the third person.
We are witnessing the renewal of literary language. Visually, we find the deletion of punctuation marks, different fonts… It is a language rich in cultisms, neologisms, colloquialisms… The author sought the expressive style that best suits the story.