Spanish Literature: 1902 Novels & Pre-War Theatre

Spanish Narrative Styles & 1902 Novels

Direct and Indirect Narrative Styles

Both direct and indirect styles are employed in narrative to reflect the words and thoughts of characters.

  • In direct style, the character’s words are transcribed literally.
  • In indirect style, the narrator reports what the character says or thinks.

Novels of 1902: A Turning Point

Four novels published in 1902 marked the beginning of the revival of the novel in the first third of the twentieth century. Common features found

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Generations of Spanish Literature: 1940-1970

Spanish Novel of the 1940s

Their works reflect the harshness of daily life and speak of uprooted and marginalized characters, whose concerns were inadequacy or sadness. This is known as the existential novel.

Works:

  • *The Family of Pascual Duarte* (Cela)
  • *Javier Mariño* (Torrente Ballester)
  • *Nada* (Carmen Laforet)
  • *The Shadow of the Cypress is Long* (Delibes)

Spanish Novel of the 1950s

Social realism appears, which includes:

  • *The Light and the Blood* (Ignacio Aldecoa)
  • *Among Curtains* (Carmen Martín Gaite)
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Postwar Spanish Writing and Authors

Spanish Postwar Literature

Context: The Civil War

On July 17, 1936, a group of officers sublevó. En the peninsula, the uprising was uneven; the Republicans were unable to control the situation. Franco’s army occupied the country, cities were bombed, thousands were killed. The world of culture was deeply affected by these events.

Postwar Poetry

Notable figure: Miguel Hernández (1910-1942). His main feature is his inexhaustible metaphorical imagination. His work can be differentiated into two stages:

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Characters of The House of the Spirits

Character Descriptions

Regarding the main characters, as the story goes, there is really only one central figure: the fiery and formidable Esteban Trueba. From here, there is an almost uncountable number of characters who have a small role that is essential to develop the events as they should.

Esteban Trueba

The main character, with his influence encompassing every page of the book, is Esteban Trueba, who at the time the story is told, is old, sickly, with few friends, but with his trusty silver-handled

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Virgil: Life and Major Works

Virgil: Life and Works

Virgil was born in Mantua in 70 BC into a modest family. Around the age of twenty, he went to Rome to perfect his knowledge of rhetoric. He could not practice oratory because he lacked the temperament or attitude: he was ill, shy, and had a weak presence. Dispossessed of his father’s estate, he returned to Rome, explained his situation to Augustus, and was granted an indemnity and an estate in Campania. In the final days of his life, he lived in a villa in Naples that Augustus

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Spanish Neoclassical Literature: Prose & Theater

Neoclassical Prose

During the Neoclassical period, there was limited production of lyric poetry but a significant rise in the essay and theater genres.

Key Neoclassical Prose Writers

Benito Jerónimo Feijoo (1676-1764)

Feijoo is considered the first contemporary Spanish essayist. His work is characterized by a personal tone, clear language, and a great variety of themes. His extensive work spans thirteen volumes, divided into:

  • Universal Theater
  • Erudite and Curious Letters

He advocated for the search for

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