The Tree of Knowledge: Characters, Setting, and Themes
The Tree of Knowledge: Main Elements
Narrative Elements
Narrator: Predominantly subjective.
Setting: Features two types of spaces:
- Real locations (Madrid)
- Locations with a realistic basis (Alcolea del Campo is fictional but represents towns in Ciudad Real).
Baroja contrasts the rural setting with the city.
Time: Follows a chronological order, from the beginning of Andrés’s studies to his suicide. The narrative pace varies:
- The first five chapters cover the first year of university.
- Chapter 6 covers the second year.
- Chapter 7 covers the third year.
- Chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11 focus on a specific period.
Slowdowns and accelerations occur. There are temporal breaks when the protagonist recalls his childhood.
Main Theme: The conflict between the protagonist’s inner thoughts and the external world.
Subthemes:
- Scientific knowledge
- The struggle for life
- Criticism of Spanish society
- Philosophical questions
- Love
Key Characters
Andrés Hurtado: The main character. Baroja depicts his life from his studies until his death. The reader delves into Andrés’s personality as the novel progresses. Hurtado shares traits with Baroja: he is antisocial, an anarchist, and a revolutionary. His personality and way of thinking evolve through his experiences, ultimately leading to his suicide due to his hatred of society.
Lulú: An ideal character that Baroja gradually develops. She begins as a young girl and matures into an intelligent and sensitive woman of strong character.
The Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 is the traditional name for a group of Spanish writers, essayists, and poets deeply affected by the moral and social crisis in Spain. This crisis followed the military defeat in the Spanish-American War and the loss of the Philippines and Cuba. They initially wrote in a critical, leftist vein, later focusing on a conception of the old and the new.
Pío Baroja (1872-1956)
Born in San Sebastián, Pío Baroja lived most of his life in Madrid, but also in Pamplona and Valencia, where he completed his medical studies. He earned a doctorate with a thesis On Pain. He briefly practiced as a doctor. Dedicated to literature, he became involved in politics, sympathizing with anarchism. He rejected communism, socialism, and democracy. During the Civil War, he went to France but returned in 1940. He died in Madrid in 1956. He traveled throughout Spain and was a solitary figure.
Linguistic Analysis
Register: This refers to the variety of language defined by the specific linguistic choices a sender makes to adapt to the communicative situation. The sphere of activity and themes in this case indicate a non-specialized vocabulary. The relationship between interlocutors determines a formal register. It is a written text, implying prior planning and organization, evident in the linear sequence. It incorporates elements of colloquial register to engage the reader.
Modalization: The presence of the sender is apparent in the text through modalization procedures. These procedures reflect the degree of certainty (epistemic), the degree of necessity (deontic), and the positive or negative value (evaluative).