Key Spanish Authors and Literary Movements of the 19th Century
Mariano José de Larra possessed a critical personality and a reformist attitude, embracing Europeanization and the struggle for freedom. His gifts included tolerance and an ironic observation of reality. His works, particularly his artículos de costumbres, critically examine various aspects of Spanish society and customs of his time. In works like “Vuelva usted mañana,” his political articles demonstrate unwavering commitment to freedom and tolerance. His literary criticism, such as “El elogio,” reflects his aesthetic taste, defending artistic freedom and accepting theatrical innovations of Romanticism.
The era saw a blend of Romanticism (imagination and escapism) and Realism (sense of observation and description of the contemporary world). This manifested as:
- Romanticism: Subjectivism
- Realism: Objectivism
- Romanticism/Realism: Poetry and Theater, Novel
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón also embraced Realism. His most famous work is “El sombrero de tres picos” (The Tricorn Hat), a short novel inspired by popular tradition. It emphasizes the Parmenides’s argument, using an ironic tone and grace to describe the characters and environments.
Juan Valera, a man of wide culture, was skeptical, tolerant, and ideologically a moderate liberal. In his Realist novels, Valera presents a somewhat idealized aesthetic, emphasizing the beauty of life. Dominant themes include human feelings, love, and psychological analysis. His great work, Pepita Jiménez, features a psychological analysis of the two protagonists and the conflict between religious vocation and human love. Other novels include “Juanito Long”.
José María de Pereda was deeply attached to traditional life and principles. Many of his works exalt the countryside over the city, offering enthusiastic descriptions of nature and the lives of ordinary people. He believed every novel should have a moral and reflect local customs. Notable works include “Sotileza” and “El sabor de la tierruca”.
Emilia Pardo Bazán, though a fervent Catholic, was a tolerant woman open to new currents of the era. Her independent temperament and struggle for intellectual and social emancipation caused her many problems in intellectual circles.
Benito Pérez Galdós set many of his works in the streets of Madrid. Defined as an anticlerical progressive, his ideas evolved over time, adopting Republican positions close to socialism. He faced dire economic straits towards the end of his life and was blinded by his enemies, preventing him from winning the Nobel Prize. He wrote 77 novels. His early novels emphasize his progressive positions and fight against political intransigence and religious fanaticism, as seen in “Doña Perfecta” and “Gloria”. His novelas españolas contemporáneas reflect the poor, mediocre, and materialistic environment of Madrid, as exemplified in “La desheredada”. Later, he wrote a set of 46 novels intended to chronicle Spain in the 19th century.
Leopoldo Alas, “Clarín,” was a liberal Republican, a defender of freedom of thought and conscience, and an enemy of fanaticism and reactionary traditionalism. He worried about social problems and wrote as a moralist and defender of justice. He published several short stories and novels, such as “Doña Berta,” and two major novels, “La Regenta” and “Su único hijo”. “La Regenta” addresses not only the drama of the protagonist, Ana Ozores, but also provides a social portrait of a provincial and boring town.