20th Century Spanish Novel: From Post-Civil War to Experimentation
The Spanish Novel in the 20th Century
Post-Civil War Literature (1940s-1950s)
The end of the Spanish Civil War ushered in the Franco dictatorship, a period marked by post-war poverty, censorship, and the isolation of Spanish culture from Europe. This period saw the exile of many intellectuals and shaped the path of writers who aligned themselves with different ideological sides. The slow economic development and isolation of Spain in the first half of the 20th century meant that Spanish literature lagged behind the innovations occurring in other parts of Europe. However, the 1940s saw the emergence of several important trends in the Spanish novel.
The Novel of the Victors
This trend focused on heroic virtue and military values from a Francoist perspective. Agustín de Foxá, with his novel “Madrid, de Corte a Checa”, is a prominent example of this style.
Neo-Realism
Neo-realism continued the realistic and aesthetic traditions of novelists like Benito Pérez Galdós and Pío Baroja. Ignacio Agustí’s “Mariona Rebull” is a notable work in this style.
Existentialism
The existential novel emerged in the late 1940s, highlighting the anxieties and unease of post-war Spanish society. Camilo José Cela’s “The Family of Pascual Duarte” (1942) is considered the starting point of this trend. This novel features themes of uncertainty, the difficulty of communication, and marginalized characters. The narrative often employs harsh language and depicts violence and difficult situations, reflecting the harsh realities of the time.
Camilo José Cela
Cela, a Nobel and Cervantes Prize laureate, is a key figure in 20th-century Spanish literature. His work can be divided into three phases:
- Existential reflection on post-war Spain in the 1940s (e.g., “The Family of Pascual Duarte”).
- Social realism in the 1950s (e.g., “The Hive”).
- Experimentalism from the 1960s onwards (e.g., “San Camilo, 1936”).
Cela’s works often explore themes such as the Civil War and critiques of Spanish society, expressing a pessimistic view of humanity with intelligent humor. Carmen Laforet’s “Nada” is another significant existentialist novel of this period.
Social Realism (1950s-1960s)
The 1950s saw a shift towards social realism, with novels addressing the realities of post-war Spain, including poverty, social inequality, and lack of freedom. Two main trends emerged within social realism: objectivism and critical realism.
Objectivism
Objectivism aimed to portray reality in a detached and objective manner, influenced by American behavioralism and the French nouveau roman. This style emphasized detailed descriptions, simultaneous narration of events, and the importance of environment and objects. Objectivist novels often feature a detached narrator, linear narratives, predominance of dialogue, condensed time and space, and characters representing social classes.
Critical Realism
Critical realism shared some features with objectivism but aimed for a more explicit social critique. These novels focused on contemporary Spanish society, often depicting rural life, the urban working class, and the bourgeoisie. While the Civil War may not be the central theme, it often served as an interpretive key.
Key Authors
- Objectivism: Camilo José Cela, Juan Goytisolo, Luis Martín-Santos, Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio, Juan García Hortelano, Ignacio Aldecoa, Jesús Fernández Santos, Carmen Martín Gaite.
- Critical Realism: Antonio Ferres, Juan Goytisolo (later works), Ana María Matute, Alfonso Grosso.
Experimental Novel (1960s)
The 1960s witnessed the decline of social realism and the rise of the experimental novel. Luis Martín-Santos’s “Time of Silence” marked a new phase in Spanish narrative, characterized by formal experimentation with language and structure. This period saw a return to imagination and existential themes.
Characteristics of the Experimental Novel
- Reduced importance of narration and plot.
- Blurring of the line between reality and imagination.
- Focus on the protagonist’s inner world.
- Reduced importance of secondary characters.
- Amorphous and undefined protagonists.
- Condensed and less descriptive settings.
- Non-linear narratives.
- Use of stream of consciousness, interior monologues, and fragmented dialogues.
- Intertextuality and incorporation of other literary texts.
The experimental novel of the 1960s reflected the influence of foreign literature, the success of Latin American novels, and the growing power of publishers. It marked a significant shift in Spanish narrative, paving the way for further experimentation and innovation in the following decades.