Spanish Postwar Literature: Poetry, Novels, and Theater
Postwar Spain
The Spanish Civil War plunged the nation into a deep crisis, which gave rise to Franco’s military dictatorship that lasted for 40 years.
Cultural Status
The turbulent political situation negatively affected culture. The lack of freedom, embodied in censorship, prevented the publication of critical works. Repression led to the exile of writers and scientists.
This period is marked by existential pessimism:
- Aestheticism: Characterized by escapism and formal concerns.
- Commitment: Artists focused on social withdrawal.
Postwar Lyric Poetry
Existential Poetry
This was influenced by the war and its aftermath: misery, desolation, death, etc.
- Rooted Poetry: Abstracted from reality, finding serenity in love.
- Uprooted Poetry: Faced a human reality of misery, loneliness, hunger, and censorship. The lexicon is simple, dominated by striking images and metaphors.
Dámaso Alonso is a prominent figure.
Social Poetry
Poets seized the opening of Spain to demonstrate their discontent with the political situation. Poetry should serve society, denounce injustice, and defend the oppressed. Gabriel Celaya and Blas de Otero are notable figures.
Experimental Poetry
Poetry is no longer an instrument of communication but becomes a mode of human knowledge. Poets sought a new approach to themes and style. They returned to classical metrics and intimate issues. Jaime Gil de Biedma and José Ángel Valente stand out.
Narrative
The Existential Novel
The novel took a while to adjust to the new Spanish reality. Two novels broke the narrative and aesthetic postwar propaganda: The Family of Pascual Duarte (Camilo José Cela) and Nada (Carmen Laforet). Cela’s novel premiered Tremendismo, a style that reflects the violence, crime, and brutality of human beings struggling to survive.
The Social Novel
Writers wanted to denounce social injustice and raise awareness among individuals. The themes focused on Spanish reality, represented in rural or urban settings. Style gave greater emphasis to content than form; narrators gave up high vocabulary and preferred simple techniques.
Theater
The postwar period affected theater much more than other literary genres. The economic crisis reduced theatrical productions, and censorship limited creativity.
- Bourgeois Theater: There is a scene of commercial character, an amiable tone, intended for a bourgeois audience that demands comedies. Jacinto Benavente is a prominent figure.
- Social Theater: The economic opening of the 1950s opened the door to a theater of social conscience, whose intention was for the viewer to reflect on society. This drama revolved around social injustices. Lauro Olmo is a notable figure.
- Experimental Theater: Dramatists maintained social criticism but looked for new ways of expression. The works remained critical, but the claim became real at the symbolic level, introducing innovative techniques: mime and lighting effects. Fernando Arrabal is a prominent figure.
Literature in Exile
Many writers had to leave Spain at the end of the Civil War, fearing reprisals. They formed a very disparate and heterogeneous group called “Literature in Exile.” It is characterized by the treatment of some common themes. In terms of style, each writer pursued their own course, with few ties and common influences.