Realism and Innovation in Spanish Literature: A Journey Through 19th and 20th Century Theatre and Novels
Realism in 19th Century Spanish Novels
Definition and Context
Realism, a literary movement striving for utmost verisimilitude, emerged in France within an urban, industrial society and a solidified bourgeoisie. Flourishing in the latter half of the 19th century, it peaked with the realist novel in the 1880s, incorporating elements of naturalism. By 1890, it evolved into spiritual realism, coinciding with the rise of modernism. Key philosophical currents during this period included Krausismo, promoting practical learning, and positivism, emphasizing knowledge based on experimentation.
Characteristics of Realistic Literature
Realistic writers employed observation and documentation to depict reality. Their language reflected diverse social levels and geographic locations. Central themes revolved around the conflict between individuals and a hostile society. Urban and rural settings gained prominence, often showcasing contrasts in situations, characters, and worldviews. Characters represented social groups while possessing individual personalities. Notable realists include James Pereda, Emilia Pardo Bazán (a Catholic proponent of naturalism), and Leopoldo Alas “Clarín”, whose work “La Regenta” explores the search for ideal love within a mediocre and hostile environment.
Benito Pérez Galdós: A Giant of Spanish Realism
Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Benito Pérez Galdós moved to Madrid to study law and soon contributed to liberal newspapers. His travels in Spain and France sparked his narrative career. Holding liberal and anti-clerical views, with strong faith in education and progress, Galdós also engaged in politics. Conservative forces later hindered his Nobel Prize nomination. He died blind and impoverished in Madrid. His extensive work created memorable characters and integrated Spain’s history into their lives.
Fortunata y Jacinta: A Study in Love and Society
Fortunata y Jacinta revolves around a love triangle, highlighting the conflict between love and society. Fortunata, a village girl, falls for Juan Santa Cruz, married to Jacinta. Abandoned by Juan, Fortunata enters a religious institution and marries Maxi Rubin, but her love for Juan persists. Before dying, she entrusts her son to the sterile Jacinta, who adopts him into the Santa Cruz family. Fortunata and Jacinta embody opposing forces: nature, rebellion versus bourgeois society and conformity. Set in Madrid, the narrative incorporates political and social events of the time. The linear, chronological narrative includes flashbacks to introduce characters and explain situations. The narrator, initially a witness, evolves into an omniscient presence with ironic commentary.
Spanish Theatre of the First Half of the 20th Century
Like the novel and poetry, theatre experienced renewal at the turn of the century. However, as a commercial and social spectacle, it faced unique challenges, constrained by public tastes. Playwrights grappled with balancing artistic expression and public demand.
Commercial Theatre
- Bourgeois Comedy: Featuring upper-class characters and their conflicts within the traditional order. Jacinto Benavente initially critical, later catered to public tastes.
- Verse Play: Blended post-romantic and modernist elements, often with a conservative ideology.
- Comic Theatre: Popular genres like comedy of manners and farce, reproducing picturesque environments and characters. The Álvarez Quintero brothers achieved success with idyllic Andalusian settings.
Innovative Theatre: Valle-Inclán
Despite limited commercial success, innovative attempts at renewal emerged. Valle-Inclán’s dramatic work represents a radical adventure. His bohemian lifestyle and eccentric personality masked a rigorous dedication to his writing and a rejection of bourgeois values. He championed rural, archaic society, later adopting revolutionary stances.
Luces de Bohemia: A Grotesque Vision of Spain
Luces de Bohemia follows Max Estrella, a blind, failed poet, and his friend Don Latino through Madrid’s streets, ministries, newspapers, prisons, and cemeteries. The play critiques Spain’s political, social, and cultural landscape. It defines Valle-Inclán’s theory of the grotesque, distorting reality for critical purposes, using parody, blending humor with pathos, and employing rich, varied language.