Larra’s Temperament, Ideas, and Romanticism’s Impact
Larra’s Temperament and Ideas
Larra’s Temperament and Ideas: Spirit critical. Bitterness against a society that harshly criticizes intelligence coupled with sensitivity and critical liberal political ideas (Rom. Liberal) and democratic. Ideals of progress and freedom from Spain’s backwardness, political and social mediocrity disillusioned, tragic conception of life. Poor century: contradiction between reality ideal. Final suicide as liberation.
Larra’s Articles
Larra’s Articles:
- Political articles: Criticism of absolutism and liberal Carlist but criticism for his indecision in problems of censorship decisions by conservative governments.
- Literary articles: Interest as a document/witness to the changing tastes of the author and sharp, acid criticism, especially of plays.
- Customs articles: Largest group. Vision of society with a strong social critique and critical articles critical of moral issues in society: The backwardness of Spain in relation to France and Europe’s ignorance and lack of education of the people, incompetence and inefficiency of the administration, empty existential/disabused conception of life.
Language and Style
Language and Style: Censor == acute linguistic awareness of the misuse of language. Defense Language use of neologisms (French) == Intent humorous-satirical use of caricature and distortion of the features.
Rhetorical devices for humorizing: Creating words (tb. Quevedo): Images or metaphors hombre-gas/calavera-cura popularizing, degrading contrast. Figures: puns, antitheses, use of irony as a form of criticism.
Romanticism
Romanticism is a cultural and political movement originated in Germany and the United Kingdom at the end of the eighteenth century as a revolutionary reaction against the rationalism of the Enlightenment and Classicism, giving priority to feelings. Its key feature is the break with classical tradition based on a stereotypical set of rules. The real freedom is their constant search for that is that their revolutionary feature is unquestionable. Because romance is a way of conceiving feelings and nature, life and man himself is presented differently in each country and especially where it develops, even within a developed nation other than projecting trends also all the arts. It was developed mainly in the first half of the nineteenth century, ranging from England to Germany to get to countries like France, Italy, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, etc. His literary side subsequently fragmented in different flows, such as Parnasianism, Symbolism, the decadence or the pre-Raphaelites, gathered in the name Posromanticismo general, a derivation of which was the so-called Latin American Modernism. Had fundamental contributions in the fields of literature, art and music. Subsequently, one of the avant-garde movements of the twentieth century, Surrealism, led to the postulates romantic end of the exaltation of self.
Features of Romanticism
Features:
- Awareness of self as an autonomous entity.
- Denial of reality due to frustration.
- Nature adapted to state of mind.
- Rejection of Enlightenment rationalism rules.
- Exaltation of feelings.
- Strong nationalistic tendencies.
Factors Influencing Romanticism
Factors:
- Economic – Industrial Revolution.
- Social – Estate society changed, nobility as the ruling class. New regime, bourgeois society as a dominant class. French Revolution.
- Political – Birth of democracy.
Old Regime vs. New Regime
Old Regime: “sovereignty real – centralization of power – tyranny – New Regime: nobility privileges – popular sovereignty – separation of powers – freedom – equal rights.