Historical Novels and Costumbrismo: Spanish Literary Traditions
Narrative: The genre is not romantic but desarrollo. Three subgenres include:
- Historical Novels: Novels inspired by historical and legendary themes, preferably from the past, especially the development in Europe more than in Spain. A great historical novel is Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, inspired by a typical medieval gentleman. The protagonist undertakes a series of adventures: defending the weak (like Robin Hood), seeking justice, and pursuing a lady whom he eventually marries. This greatly influences
Mercedes Rodoreda and Llorenç Villalonga: Life and Works
Mercedes Rodoreda (1908-1983)
The Spanish Civil War profoundly influenced Mercedes Rodoreda’s narrative style. Her life can be divided into three stages: her youth (before the war), her maturity (during and after exile), and her later years (after returning from exile).
Rodoreda was born in the Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona. She was the only daughter in a close-knit, Catalan-speaking family. She only attended school for three years, receiving most of her education at home. Her father instilled
Read MoreRealism vs. Fantasy: The Novel’s Rise in 18th Century Literature
Realism vs. Fantasy in Restoration and 18th-Century Literature
The aim of this essay is to discuss the reasons why the novel became more realistic towards the eighteenth century and its evolution since the Restoration. To accomplish this, this essay will focus on the ideas of some critics concerning this issue.
First of all, it is important to highlight the concept of romance, which refers to works relatively free of the more restrictive aspects of realistic verisimilitude. Romances do not refer to
Read MoreAnalysis of the Play: Sociocultural Context and Narrative
Play Summary
The play opens in a verbena in San Juan, where Pijoaparte (a lower-class boy) meets Maruja, Teresa’s maid (a bourgeois). Maruja and Pijoaparte begin a romance one summer day. Maruja falls and hits her head, entering a deep coma from which she will not awaken. During Maruja’s hospital stay, Teresa and Pijoaparte fall in love and begin dating. After Maruja dies, Teresa is forced to return to her family’s villa for the holidays, losing contact with Pijoaparte. Pijoaparte learns she is at
Read MoreVictorian Era Literary Giants: Thackeray to Stoker
Victorian Era Literary Giants
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 – 1873): Born in India in 1811, where his parents served in the British administration. He is considered both a novelist and an illustrator. Acclaimed as the best Victorian novelist after Dickens during his lifetime, although his relevance and popularity have declined since the 20th century, partly because of his focus on the nobility instead of the poor. Thackeray traveled to Africa on several occasions, reflecting those experiences
Read MoreCorrales de Comedias & Baroque Poetic Styles
Corrales de Comedias: Spanish Baroque Theater
Theater achieved great popular success in the 17th century in Spain, with playwrights like Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, and others. Plays were significant social events, as theater was the most popular form of entertainment at the time.
The corrales de comedias (pens theater) were typically open courtyards surrounded by houses. At one end of the yard stood the stage, usually without scenery and often without a curtain.
Layout and Audience
The general
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