Spanish Realism and Naturalism: Authors and Key Works
Realism in 19th-Century Spanish Literature
Realism is an objective representation of reality. Its birth is closely linked to the rise of the bourgeoisie and the new urban society that formed as a result of industrial development. The novel enjoyed some popularity and became the genre in which realism reached its highest achievements.
The Transformation of Literature: Literature did not remain immune to these changes. In the realm of ideas, writers focused on society, objectively observing and describing social problems. With regard to form, they tried to reflect reality and took advantage of the novel. As for the term, they preferred a more sober and precise style, which acquired the relevant reproduction of colloquial speech.
Naturalism: A Branch of Realism
By 1880, at the time of splendor and maturity of realism, the theories of French writer Emile Zola, the founder of Naturalism, began to bear fruit in Spain. Writers found an explanation for human behavior. To this end, the French naturalists proposed the application of the scientific method. The writer could not stop at anything, no matter how disgusting, to find the source of a fact or cause that could explain the behavior of a character. The author virtually disappears from the narrative. Characters are deprived of their liberty and are victims of the environment where they live, their social circumstances, their physiology, or inheritance. There is a tendency to insist on sordid or miserable aspects. There are often unsavory, ugly, and brutal characters.
Leopoldo Alas “Clarín”: A Master of Naturalism
Leopoldo Alas, who always signed his writings under the pseudonym Clarín, was born in Zamora in 1858 but was raised in Asturias, where his family was from. He lived in Madrid, where he studied law, and then finally settled in Oviedo, whose university he attended. Raised in an environment that promoted tolerance and the ideal of freedom, he was very interested in the socio-political problems of his time and criticized the intolerance of the more traditional sectors of society.
Work: La Regenta (The Judge’s Wife): His first novel is a masterpiece, a brilliant demonstration of Spanish Naturalism colored by the deep ethical concern of the author. The action takes place in Vetusta, a fictitious name that hides the city of Oviedo. The work focuses on the story of Ana Ozores (the Regent), a beautiful and sensitive young woman married to a much older man. Two narrative techniques stand out:
- Interior monologue, in which the character expresses spontaneous and disorganized thoughts.
- Free indirect style, which involves mixing the speech of the narrator with the character’s thoughts without separating them.
Benito Pérez Galdós: A Literary Giant
Benito Pérez Galdós was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1843. At 19, he moved to Madrid to study law. His works can be categorized as follows:
- Realist Novels of Initiation: La Fontana de Oro
- Novels of Intolerance: Doña Perfecta, Gloria, Marianela, and La familia de León Roch. Common theme: personal and social consequences of intransigence.
- Naturalist-Realism: Fortunata y Jacinta
- Spiritual Realism: Misericordia
Episodios Nacionales: This includes 46 novels, grouped into five series. In addition to his own memory of events that he lived through directly, he used books, documents, and discussions with first-hand witnesses and completed all the historical material with visits to various places where the events he tells took place.
Galdós’ Style and Humor
- Style: The reproduction of spoken language is reproduced in all its variety of registers, both to characterize his characters and situations and to give realism to establish links with the reader.
- Humor: A constant in the work of Galdós, who cultivates it in all its manifestations. In his first novels, he uses caricature, sometimes fierce, to negatively characterize certain characters, but as he matured, his sense of humor took the form of subtle irony.
Other Notable Authors of the Period
Other notable authors of this period include Pedro Alarcón (El sombrero de tres picos), Juan Valera, Emilia Pardo Bazán, and Vicente Blasco Ibáñez.