Spanish Novelists: Unamuno, Baroja, Azorín & Generation of 98
Spanish Novelists of the Generation of 98
Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936)
A man uprooted, possessing a very strong personality with intense intellectual activity. His work addressed existential and spiritual problems and the issue of Spain.
Key Themes and Style
- The Problem of Spain: Reflected in his essays (e.g., Sobre el casticismo, 1895).
- The “Tragic Sense of Life”: Explored the anguish of human existence. Life for his characters is a constant struggle; they are agonizing personages.
- Novelistic Renewal: Unamuno participated in the renewal of the novel, assuming the proper course was realizing his characters’ conflicts. Following the publication of Amor y pedagogía, which critics argued was not a novel, Unamuno subtitled his subsequent novels “nivola”.
- Nivolas: These are novels of ideas and characters, exploring the spiritual and psychological complexities of their protagonists. Descriptions are scarce, while dialogues abound.
Major Works (Nivolas)
- Amor y pedagogía: Argues that life and education cannot be constrained.
- Niebla: Deals with the anguish of human existence.
- Abel Sánchez: Explores the problem of envy and hatred (caínismo).
- La tía Tula: Focuses on the theme of motherhood.
- San Manuel Bueno, mártir: Presents a religious debate between doubt and faith.
Pío Baroja (1872-1956)
His pessimistic vision of human society is reflected in his novels. He attacked the moral and political hypocrisy of contemporary society. Baroja is fundamentally a storyteller.
Key Themes and Style
- Novels of Thought: Expose his philosophical ideas, his vision of the human being, and realize the spiritual crisis of the turn of the century. Examples include La busca and El árbol de la ciencia.
- Novels of Action: Feature adventurous characters living outside social conventions. Examples include Zalacaín el aventurero and Las inquietudes de Shanti Andía.
José Martínez Ruiz ‘Azorín’ (1873-1967)
He aimed for his novels to be a delicate and lyrical reflection of essential reality. Azorín is known as a meticulous writer.
Key Themes and Style
- Descriptive Technique: Developed a technique characterized by raw simplicity, brevity of sentences, a sense of order and neatness, and clarity.
- Concern for Time: The passage of time is observed in a sad and melancholy prose that seeks to capture the substance of things.
Major Works
- La voluntad
- Antonio Azorín
The Generation of 98 Literary Movement
In 1902, four novels appeared that signified a rupture with Realism:
- La voluntad by Azorín
- Amor y pedagogía by Unamuno
- Camino de perfección by Baroja
- Sonata de otoño by Valle-Inclán
They represented a new sensibility characterized by:
Defining Characteristics
- Subjectivism: In contrast to the effort to reproduce reality objectively.
- Artistic Concern: Seeking to overhaul style, narrative structures, and novelistic techniques.
Focus on Spain
They cared about Spain, approached from a subjective and individualistic vision. There was a clear intention: the discovery of the soul of Spain through:
- The Landscape: Particularly that of Castile, discovering the spirit of the austere Castilian man.
- Anonymous History: The history and daily life of ordinary people, what Unamuno called intrahistoria.
- Literature: Revaluing medieval authors like Berceo, Manrique, and Rojas, and classics like Góngora and Gracián. Interest in Cervantes, El Quijote (a work reflecting Spanish behavior), and Larra.
Existential Concerns
The other major constant is the existential issue, stemming from concern for the direction of life, including psychological conflicts and religious problems. Examples include:
- Unamuno’s anguish and obsession with the desire for immortality.
- Azorín’s concern for the lapse of earthly time.
- Baroja’s religious disbelief.
Stylistic Innovations
Stylistic and literary technique was affected by the reformist mood of the Generation of ’98.
- Rejection of Rhetoric: A rejection of grandiloquent expression.
- Simplicity and Clarity: Proclaiming the need for a return to simplicity and clarity, without losing expressive power.
- Lexical Precision: A tendency towards precise vocabulary.
- Subjective Lexicon: The lexicon is impregnated with subjective assessment, revealing concepts with negative, pessimistic, or decadent connotations.
- Syntax: Syntactic constructions tend to be short. Simple, juxtaposed sentences proliferate.