Spanish Essay: Evolution from the 20th Century to Democracy
Spanish Essay in the Twentieth Century
The Spanish essay in the twentieth century reached its maximum splendor, charged with high importance in the transmission of scientific content and thought in general. It acquired importance in the authors of the Generation of ’98, such as Unamuno, Ortega y Gasset, and the Generation of ’27, such as Salinas or Dámaso Alonso.
Evolution of the Essay Until the Twentieth Century (History)
The seventeenth century marks the beginning of the essay genre as conceived modernly, with significant authors such as Feijoo and Jovellanos. During the nineteenth century, many authors were involved in the cultivation of critical and controversial texts, including Juan Valera and Clarín.
From the mid-nineteenth century, the ideological foundations were created for a major renovation that reached its peak with regenerationism. The most important author is Francisco Giner de los Ríos, founder of the Free Institution of Education.
Essay of the Generation of ’98
The most discussed topics by the authors belonging to this generation are: the problem of Spain and the meaning of life.
The most important author is Miguel de Unamuno. His work, The Meaning of Life, cares about Spain and focuses on the attempt to Europeanize Spain. He believes Europe should be structured as more Spanish.
Among his works are Around Purity, which discusses the concept of intra-history through everyday objects and the people in contrast to official historiography; Life of Don Quixote and Sancho; and The Agony of Christianity. The features of his essays are a characteristic dialogue structure through questions and answers, and the presence of metaphors, parables, and paradoxes.
- José Martínez (Azorín): Simplicity and accuracy, time, the literary landscape of Spain.
- Pío Baroja: Criticizes in a cruel form and encompasses the stupidity and wickedness of society at that time. From the Latest Turn in the Road.
- Antonio Machado excels as an essayist with his work Juan de Mairena, in which he expresses his aesthetic, religious, and philosophical ideas.
The Essay and Ortega y Gasset
A group of authors presents a solid intellectual formation as a result of their interest in European contributions concerning all fields of knowledge. In the years before the Civil War, the essay increased in value in society.
José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955) is one of the most important figures in Spanish philosophy and thought of the twentieth century. Ortega was a connoisseur of French and German culture and had solid classical training. He has two stages: until 1915, he shows a clear intention in literary style, and the second stage presents more confessions in form.
Within his philosophy, he included the idea of circumstances and perspective. Regarding his aesthetic, he defended that art should abandon human subjects (dehumanization), moving away from the masses and towards minorities.
The Essay and Criticism in the Generation of ’27
The literary character of the essay is especially relevant in the Generation of ’27, and almost all of the group collaborated in different magazines.
- Revista de Occidente: Ortega y Gasset
- Cruz y Raya: José Bergamín
- La Gaceta Literaria: Ernesto Giménez Caballero
The Spanish Essay in the Mid-Twentieth Century
After the war, there was a large gender gap in the post-war essay. In the forties, only works related to the doctrines of the Franco regime succeeded. There were only a few attempts to resume pre-war knowledge of European liberal character.
The Essay from the Fifties to Democracy
The characteristics of the genre became further blurred. This fact is a consequence of the publication of numerous essays related to very diverse fields.
- Philosophical Thought: Julián Marías, Coexistence Essay
- History and Sociology: Julio Caro Baroja, The Basques
- Criticism and Literature: Rafael Lapesa
Mentioned Authors:
- Pedro Laín Entralgo
- Julián Marías
- José Luis López Aranguren
- Enrique Tierno Galván
Essay from Democracy
Topic Trends:
- Ethical reflection
- The power of the media
- Consumer society
Simple and comprehensible style.