Catalan Literature: Reinaxença and Realism
1. Ode “Homeland” (1833)
Introduction
The Reinaxença period begins with the publication of the Ode “Homeland” in 1833 in the journal Steam. This ode embodies the ideals of the Reinaxença movement. It was written by Bonaventura Carles Aribau for his employer’s birthday, as both resided in Madrid.
Structure
The ode consists of six octaves of Alexandrine verse with a consonant rhyme scheme ABBAACCA.
Content
The ode is divided into three parts: verses 1 and 2 serve as the introduction, verses 3-5 form the main body, and verse 6 is the concluding stanza. The first two stanzas pay tribute to the homeland through its geography (mountains and rivers) and express the difficulty of living away from it, comparing it to a transplanted tree. The following three stanzas highlight the importance of language to the homeland. They emphasize the individual and collective demands of Catalan culture, recalling a sense of longing. The fourth stanza expresses pride in speaking Catalan, the language of sages and kings, and celebrates the ability to speak it in a foreign land. The fifth stanza declares Catalan as the language of the heart, dreams, and feelings, a sacred language that evokes childhood memories. The final stanza celebrates the birthday in Catalan.
Conclusion
The ode aims to reclaim language as a symbol of national identity and a vehicle for cultural and literary expression, emphasizing the potential of the Catalan language.
2. Ideology of Reinaxença
The Reinaxença was a cultural and nationalist movement that emerged within the bourgeoisie in the early nineteenth century. Its goal was to revive the Catalan language and literature after three centuries of limited literary activity. Language and literature were considered symbols of national identity by the bourgeoisie. The ideology of Reinaxença included:
- Reconstructing medieval history (national glory days)
- Discovering and disseminating medieval classics (Greek, Roman, etc.)
- Collecting popular literary traditions (folktales, legends, romances, etc.)
- Creating a standardized language model
- Establishing literary standards
- Creating new institutions to promote literary activity (publications, press, etc.) and strengthening existing ones (Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona, etc.)
3. Floral Games (1859)
The Floral Games were a literary competition focused on poetry. During the Reinaxença, this ancient literary festival, which had been celebrated since the fourteenth century by troubadours, was revived. The competition centered around three major themes: Fatherland, Faith, and Love. Prizes were awarded for the best patriotic poetry (Englantina), the best religious poetry (Viola), and the best love poem (Natural Flower). A poet who won all three awards in the same or different events was proclaimed Mestre en Gai Saber. The three main winners were Jacint Verdaguer in poetry and Narcís Oller in narrative.
4. The Contrast Between Highland and Lowland in “Terra Baixa”
The contrast between highland and lowland is a major theme in Àngel Guimerà’s play “Terra Baixa.” The lowland represents society, where evil and corruption prevail. The highland, on the other hand, symbolizes freedom and goodness, as it is untouched by human vileness and allows individuals to be in contact with nature.
5. The Love Triangle in “Terra Baixa”
The play features a love triangle between Manelic, Sebastià, and Marta. Initially, Marta is with Sebastià, but Manelic appears and marries Marta for convenience. However, Marta does not truly love Manelic, and the marriage is a scheme orchestrated by Sebastià. Gradually, Marta becomes aware of Manelic’s genuine feelings for her, which causes her to change and develop feelings for him. At the same time, Marta feels obligated to Sebastià, who seems to love her despite not being with her out of true love. Thus, both men love the same woman, creating a complex situation. The love triangle eventually dissolves when Marta rejects Sebastià and expresses her love for her husband, and when Sebastià kills Manelic.
6. Realism and Naturalism in Catalan Literature
Realism
In the second half of the nineteenth century, realism dominated European literature, giving rise to some of the most important novels in modern literature. This movement aimed to reflect contemporary society, in contrast to the escapism of previous periods. Characteristics of realism include:
- Objectivity and rejection of fantasy and dreams
- Accurate representation of reality without embellishment
- Focus on contemporary issues, often with social criticism
Major realist authors include Balzac, Flaubert, Stendhal, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Benito Pérez Galdós in Spanish literature, and Narcís Oller in Catalan literature.
Naturalism
Naturalism, an offshoot of realism, was created by Émile Zola in France. It sought to explore the biological and environmental causes of human behavior. Narcís Oller was the greatest exponent of the realist and naturalist novel in Catalan literature. Characteristics of naturalism include:
- Absolute objectivity in capturing reality, often considered an evolution of realism
- Inclusion of previously unexplored aspects of the environment, such as disadvantaged social classes, social problems, diseases, and sexual themes
- Scientific approach, with the author observing and recording details and formulating explanatory hypotheses with detachment
- Determinism, with characters influenced by genetic inheritance and environment
- Adaptation of style to reflect the spoken language, prioritizing realism over idealized beauty
- Authorial interjections of opinions and comments on the narrated action, despite the supposed objectivity
7. Narcís Oller (1846-1930)
Narcís Oller, born in Valls in 1846 and died in Barcelona in 1930, was orphaned at a young age and raised in his maternal family’s liberal household. He studied law at the University of Barcelona and initially wrote in Spanish. However, witnessing the success of Jacint Verdaguer and Àngel Guimerà at the 1877 Floral Games, and influenced by his cousin Josep Yxart, he turned to Catalan literature. With La febre d’or (published in three volumes from 1890 to 1892), Oller achieved mastery of realistic-naturalistic techniques. This novel can be considered the pinnacle of Oller’s narrative work and of Catalan realism. It is based on the real gold fever that erupted in Barcelona between 1880 and 1881. The protagonist, Gil Foix, abandons his carpentry job to become a wealthy bourgeois through his cunning and skill in stock market speculation. Driven by ambition, he embarks on a frantic and extravagant life, eventually becoming a prominent member of Barcelona’s high bourgeoisie. However, as his wiser family predicted, his ambition leads to his ruin, and he returns to his old trade as a carpenter. La bogeria (1898), another of Oller’s best works, explores the naturalist obsession with the hereditary and environmental factors that can drive a person to madness.
8. Other Catalan Authors of the 19th Century
Catalan prose in the 19th century began with romantic novels such as L’orfeneta de Menargues or La mort de Catalunya by Antoni de Bofarull, and Julita by Víctor Balaguer. Other authors, like Frederic Soler (Serafí Pitarra) and Emili Vilanova, reflected contemporary reality in short, humorous texts that blended newspaper articles and stories. In the realm of the realist novel, notable authors include Francesc Maspons i Labrós (La pubilla del Vallès), Josep Bosch de la Trinxeria (L’hereu Noradell), Josep Pin i Soler (La família dels Garrigàs), and Marian Vayreda (La punyalada). Some of these authors published their main works at the turn of the twentieth century.