Popol Vuh and Columbus: Creation Myths and Exploration
Popol Vuh: The Book of Council
The Popol Vuh, also known as the Book of Council or the Community Book, is a sacred text of the K’iche’ Maya people of Guatemala. Originally preserved through oral tradition, it was written down in the mid-seventeenth century by a native, possibly a former priest, using the K’iche’ language and Latin characters. The first translation into Spanish was made in the early eighteenth century by Francisco Ximénez, a parish priest in Chichicastenango. This manuscript, known
Read MoreChivalry, Courtly Love, and Eroticism in Tirant lo Blanch
Tirant lo Blanch: A Multifaceted Novel
Military Prowess and Strategy
The novel showcases medieval warfare with striking detail, emphasizing both the author’s ambition and the quantitative descriptions of military actions and strategies. The narrative vividly portrays the deployment of tactics, such as the ingenious substitution of crossbow projectiles with projectiles made of soap and cheese against the Turks.
Social Customs of the Time
Tirant lo Blanch offers a window into the lives and customs of
Read More20th-Century Spanish Novelists: A Renewal of Realism
20th-Century Spanish Novelists
A Renewal of Realism
The novelists of the early 20th century in Spain demonstrated a clear desire for renewal and improvement of Realist techniques:
- Subjectivity: The novel ceased to be an instrument for knowledge of reality and became a means of expressing the author’s feelings and thoughts (Unamuno).
- Emphasis on Imagery and Expression: This is evident in the works of Valle-Inclán.
- Diminished Importance of Plot: The narrative breaks down into scenes (Azorín).
- Symbolic
The Foundation Series: An Overview
Argumentation
The first story is located on Trantor, the capital planet of the 12,000-year-old Galactic Empire. While the rule gives the appearance of stability, beneath this facade, a slow decline is underway. The main character, Hari Seldon, a mathematician, has developed psychohistory, which applies mathematical principles to large populations, allowing for long-term predictable outcomes.
Seldon discovers a horrifying truth about the Empire’s decline. His findings are considered treasonous and
Read MoreHouse of Bernarda Alba: A Tale of Repression and Rebellion
House of Bernarda Alba
Synopsis
House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca explores the lives of five sisters trapped in a rigid, oppressive household ruled by their domineering mother, Bernarda. The play delves into themes of repression, rebellion, and the suffocating effects of societal constraints.
Characters
Bernarda Alba
The tyrannical matriarch, Bernarda, imposes an eight-year mourning period on her daughters, further isolating them from the outside world. Her iron grip fuels their resentment
Read MoreAnalysis of La Celestina
La Celestina: An Analysis
Style and Language
Two distinct styles are employed in La Celestina. The first is a cultured style, characterized by hyperbaton, Latinate syntax, homoioteleuton, a lexicon rich in cultisms and metaphors, and long paragraphs with complex subordination and Greco-Latin references. The second is a popular style, less affected, with short phrases, nicknames, sayings, idioms, a conversational tone, and frequent exclamations. The text also features geminations, parallelism, and
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