Realism and Naturalism in 19th Century Spanish Literature
Coordination Classes
- Coordinated Copulative: (y, e, ni)
- Coordinated Adversative: (pero, mas, sino, aunque, sin embargo, no obstante)
- Coordinated Disjunctive: (o, u, ora)
- Coordinated Distributive: (tan pronto… como, unas veces… otras, bien… bien)
- Coordinated Explanatory: (es decir, esto es, o sea)
Realism
Realism was an artistic movement that sought to represent reality in accordance with the interests of bourgeois society. It developed in the second half of the 19th century, alongside the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the bourgeoisie. Scientific development and technological progress, reflected in the rise of industries like rail and electricity, fueled faith in progress. The realist author became a chronicler of the present and past.
Origin of Realism
Realism was born in France in the first half of the 19th century, with Stendhal as its predecessor. The realistic narrative was consolidated with Honoré de Balzac and reached its peak with Gustave Flaubert. In the 1830s in England, the social novel developed with Charles Dickens. Realism came to Russia with two great storytellers: Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy.
Characteristics of Realism
- Emphasis on the social self.
- Presentation of everyday life in the countryside and the city.
- Analysis of environments and social groups, and their influence on characters.
- Longing for objectivity, to reflect reality in the most impartial way possible.
- Exploration of the intimate world and psychology of individuals.
The Realistic Novel
The realistic novel combines the presentation of individual and social aspirations. Features include:
- Linking historical aspects with elements of fiction, contributing to the verisimilitude of the work.
- Settings in contemporary times and real places known to the author, with detailed descriptions.
- Characters who are normal individuals, described based on their exterior, interior, and social environment. They express themselves according to their origin and education, presented in direct dialogues.
- Presence of an omniscient narrator who informs the reader about the thoughts, desires, and motives of the characters, and who participates in the story through opinions and comments.
Realism in Spain
Realism developed in Spain from 1870 with the novels of José María de Pereda, Juan Valera, and Benito Pérez Galdós, which reflect Spanish life and territories.
The Serial Novel
These novels were serialized in newspapers with great public success and were frequently used by realist authors.
- José María de Pereda: Author of realistic novels set in Cantabria, focusing on the exaltation and idealization of rural customs against urban life. Sotileza and Peñas arriba are notable works.
- Juan Valera: His works are set in Andalusia, often in idyllic rural areas. The main topic is love affairs between a man and a young woman. Particular importance is attached to the characterization of characters. Pepita Jiménez and Doña Luz are notable works.
- Benito Pérez Galdós: Galdós’s production is a reflection of the society of his time. His works feature different social groups, with special attention to the characters, customs, places, and environments of Madrid. He is highlighted by his characterization and integration of everyday life into the historical events of the time. He uses different narrative techniques, including the use of the omniscient narrator, direct dialogue, and monologue. The language adapts to each character.
Types of Novels by Galdós
- National Episodes: 46 stories of historical events of the 19th century treated from the standpoint of anonymous characters. Trafalgar is a notable example.
- Novels of the First Period: Early novels by Galdós, such as Doña Perfecta and Gloria, are considered thesis novels because they explore the author’s ideology: they confront characters with conservative mentalities with others who hold progressive ideas.
- Contemporary Novels: These novels depict the reality of Madrid at the time, portraying both its places and its inhabitants. Fortunata y Jacinta and Miau are notable examples.
- Spiritual Novels: Influenced by Russian realism, these novels focus on the inner world of his characters and values like charity, embodied in individuals of enormous moral stature. Misericordia is a notable example.
Naturalism
Naturalism took the principles of realism to the extreme and proposed to apply scientific principles to the literature of the period. According to Émile Zola, man is the result of genetic inheritance and social conditions. Naturalism aimed to show the most sordid aspects of reality.
Features of Naturalism
- Themes and Characters: Naturalism presents the most impoverished and flawed characters, dominated by their physiology, whose language, sometimes rough and squalid, reflects the environment in which they live.
- Narrative Techniques: Writers portrayed reality with the scientific method, aiming to analyze the behavior of individuals in light of the society and family that determine their behavior. Description is softened, focusing on the impoverished and cruel aspects. The narrator is objective and tries to be impersonal.
Clarín and La Regenta
Leopoldo Alas, known by his pseudonym “Clarín,” was famous for his literary criticism. He was the author of short stories and revised the history of literature thanks to La Regenta. Set in the city of Vetusta (Oviedo), La Regenta presents the conflict between two characters (Ana Ozores and Fermín de Pas) dominated by the desire for love in a hostile environment. In Vetusta, a bourgeois society prevails, full of hypocrisy and convention. The detailed analysis of society and the in-depth study of the characters make La Regenta a wonderful example of naturalism.
Other Naturalist Narrators
- Emilia Pardo Bazán: Her novels contain a detailed study of the Galician countryside, which maintains its decadent nobility among the peasants. Los Pazos de Ulloa presents the decline of the nobility, through the eyes of characters from the outside, who observe the social, moral, and physical decay of the Ulloa family.
- Vicente Blasco Ibáñez: His novels depict the Valencian world in three socio-economic areas: trade, agriculture, and fishing. He is considered the Spanish writer who most closely followed the principles of naturalism. His characters are dominated by primitive forces that determine their behavior. Violent environments predominate, described in detail, omitting crude and unpleasant aspects.