Mercè Rodoreda: Symbolism, Characters, and Literary Evolution
Mercè Rodoreda: A Deep Dive into Her Literary World
Mercè Rodoreda is considered a pivotal contemporary writer in the Catalan language. Her work, primarily novels and short stories, evolved significantly throughout her life.
Key Themes and Style
Features: Rodoreda explores the often irreconcilable relationships between men and women, highlighting the subjugation of women and the traumatic sexuality that often underlies these dynamics. She moved away from the omniscient narrator, allowing characters to tell their own stories, thus bridging the gap with the reader. Works like “22 stories,” “Square Diamond,” and “Street of the Camellias” delve into themes of old age and death.
Symbolism in Rodoreda’s Works
Rodoreda employs symbols such as the home, garden, and pigeons, which often represent lost childhood happiness and innocence. These symbolic elements are linked to a progressive essentialization, echoing the symbols of myth, particularly the nostalgic remembrance of childhood. Symbolism is a recurring literary device used to express the inner thoughts of her characters.
Female Characters and Feminist Interpretations
Her work is characterized by the use of female protagonists, which has led to her being mistakenly associated with the feminist movement, a label she refuted. Angels often appear in her works, a result of childhood memories, without her conscious intention. In later collections, Rodoreda shifts her focus from the marginalized woman in a specific social context to the existential nature of the human being. Works like “My Cristina and Other Stories,” “The Salamander,” and “Broken Mirror” showcase her move towards full symbolism. Her work focuses on the close analysis of characters as they discover the significance of life and their own identity. Her narratives are built on a series of images and symbols that evolve into mythic elements.
Narrative Trends from the 1970s to the Present
The 1960s saw significant social upheaval, including protests against the Vietnam War and racial discrimination, which fueled youth protest culture. This movement, advocating for peace, individual freedom, and rejecting bourgeois values, spread to Europe, influencing the Paris uprising of May 1968. In Spain, this movement arrived late due to the Franco regime, but it significantly impacted the generation of the 70s.
Characteristics of 1970s Narrative
This era saw a break from traditional narrative techniques. Writers were characterized by:
- Breaking away from classic narrative structures.
- Reflecting predominantly urban settings, aligning with the counterculture movement.
- Using the novel as a form of psychological self-examination and confrontation with the system.
- Employing metamorphosis of text and textual transfer between genres.
- Shifting attention to the code of writing itself.
- Breaking the link between author and work, uniting objectivity of narrator and text.
- The extinction of the narrator’s voice.
- Giving the reader a more active role.
Key Authors (1940-1952)
Major authors from 1940 to 1952: Amadeus Fabregat, Biel Mesquida, Quim Monzó, Isa Trolec.
Narrative in the 1980s and 1990s
In the 80s and 90s, experimental approaches were abandoned in favor of more traditional storytelling. This narrative was characterized by:
- A return to genres like detective, historical, and erotic fiction.
- Adopting urban realism from American literature.
- The emergence of best-selling authors who achieved significant publishing profits.
Contemporary Literature
Today, the literary landscape is complex and difficult to classify, with numerous authors, genres, and awards. The publication of “Nocilla Dream” by Agustín Fernández Mallo in 2006 marked the emergence of women writers born in the 1970s, known as “Afterpops,” characterized by nonconformity, fragmentary narratives, and the use of blogs.