Spanish Narrative Before 1936: Trends, Authors, and Works
Spanish Narrative Before 1936
1. Historical and Social Context
The crisis of Alfonso XII’s monarchy stemmed from social conflicts and political inefficiency. Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship restored order, but the Republican party’s 1931 electoral triumph ushered in a reformist Second Republic. The Civil War, between Republicans and Nationalist right-wing forces, began with Franco’s rebellion and ended with Nationalist victory and Republican exile.
2. Narrative of ’98: Aesthetic Renewal
A new narrative emerged, linked to modernist concerns. Rubén Darío exemplified prose renewal, influencing Valle-Inclán’s early work. The novels of 1902, by Azorín, Baroja, Unamuno, and Valle-Inclán, marked a break with realism through:
- Subjectivism
- Artistic focus
These authors approached narrative as art, renewing its structures.
Unamuno: Intellectual and Existential Novels
Playwright, poet, essayist, and thinker, Unamuno’s novels, like Niebla, explored existentialism, reflecting his philosophical views and concerns about personality and the creator-character conflict. He termed his novels “nivolas,” emphasizing their intellectual language and authorial control over reality.
Baroja: Social and Naturalist Novels
Baroja’s radical pessimism about humanity and society, seen in The Tree of Knowledge, criticized social and religious institutions. His work blended Romantic despair, naturalist determinism, and impressionistic descriptions.
Valle-Inclán: Modernist and Avant-Garde Fiction
Valle-Inclán, a bohemian prototype, blended reality and fantasy. His early modernism featured flamboyant language and idealized Galician settings. Later, he embraced absurdity, critiquing bourgeois society and renewing literary forms, as in Tyrant Banderas.
Azorín: Lyrical Prose
Azorín’s novels and essays emphasized precise and clear language, with a melancholic lyricism and meticulous descriptions. His work progressed through four stages:
- Autobiographical elements and landscape impressions (e.g., La Voluntad, 1902)
- Exploration of fate, time, and destiny (e.g., Doña Inés, 1925)
- Avant-garde influence and cosmological drama (e.g., Pueblo, 1939)
- A focus on aesthetic beauty (e.g., No hay aurora en Islandia, 1944)
3. Post-’98 Narrative
Novecentismo
Authors like Miró and Ayala continued modernism, with Miró focusing on feelings and idealized landscapes, while Ayala combined symbolism with intellectualism.
Narrative Avant-Garde
This movement emphasized formalism and experimentation. Authors like Ramón Gómez de la Serna explored novelistic theory and broke with conventions, playing with reality, fantasy, and structure.
The New Realism (1930s)
Novelists like Sender engaged with the political climate, creating revolutionary and romantic works that served as social commentary.