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Topic 6. Romanticism

Romanticism is one of the most popular and recognizable literary movements. The words "romance" and "romantic" have been distorted as time has passed. Currently, you will think that something romantic means love, tenderness and affection, and that is bounded to a relationship. A man who writes poems and sends letters declaring his love for his lover is usually called a romantic.

Although part of this exists within Romanticism, it is not entirely correct to say that this movement only talks about ​​love, as literary works focused on all kinds of feelings and many of their characters were pictured as unfortunate persons.

6.1 Context and setting

To fully understand the Romantic Movement, we must know the context in which it was developed. The Romanticism reacted against the Neoclassicism, a movement that was popular in Europe and began after the death of Louis XIV (1715). The aesthetic proposition of the Neoclassicism helps to understand the development of Romanticism, as they were two completely opposite movements.

Romanticism can help to define and exemplify another literary term: the setting; which is a resource that the authors use in their works. Beckson and Ganz (1966, p. 192) defines the setting as following:

The time and place in which the action of a story or play occurs. In the theater, the word setting may refer to the physical appurtenances of a production, the stage and properties, or it may refer to the stage alone.

The environment is very important, so the reader would believe what the narrator is saying. It helps to understand a little more of the characters and the position in which they find themselves. You could say that the setting is the context of the story. It does not have to be real (it can be developed in a fantasy world or in space), however it has to be truthful, it must seem real, observe its own rules and maintain internal consistency.

6.2 Characteristics and important works

- It goes against Neoclassicism, as it reacts to their rules and their rigid way of looking at art

- It emphasizes the human being as an individual entry, only an "i" that is in first place, it presents the man as a person with emotions, strengths and weaknesses which is always in search of himself

- Death is a subject that is constantly present in the novels and poems of this period

- Imagination and subjectivity are more important than reason. It tells about a closeness to nature that helps the humans being to express

- Humanity searches for freedom after being tied to the rules of art, breaks with the three units that Aristotle had proposed. The human being is autonomous and guided by their fantasies and feelings. Nostalgia, melanchony and passion are displayed

- The artists admired the past and history, especially the middle ages and their marvelous songs and legends.

Topic 7. Realism and Naturalism

Realism

Realism emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century. At this time, there were problems between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The workers demanded the abdication of Louis-Philippe d’Orléans, because they considered the monarchy only satisfied the upper class and not the working class. Unions that helped greatly to the workers arise.

Realism boomed also due to scientific discoveries and developments. Science could now explain the world through undisputable truths. The readings were as accurate as photographs, showing a piece of reality just as it is, without adding anything to embellish it.

Realism pursued to represent reality by imitating it. A stance that is critical and that also functions as a witness to observe life through many dimensions and facets is presented. In the Realist movement, the writer pretended to discover what Romanticism was hiding or ignoring; that's why they always talk about how society is always pretending something that is not (as in the novels of Stendhal) and covered with hypocrisy. In realistic works you can see the secret intentions of the characters, hypocrisy and struggle for power.

The ultimate goal of Realism is to find the knowledge, therefore, a favorite genre is the novel; since it permits to describe characters, situations and habits using all the words and pages as needed (Thematic Encyclopedia Work Book, 1997). The representative authors of this movement are Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Dickens, Stendhal, Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Benito Pérez Galdós and Juan Valera, among others

Naturalism

Another movement called Naturalism started in France. It had a strong impact in several European countries (such as Spain). Some authors categorize it as an exaggerated realism. The main author was Émile Zola (who also served as the head of the movement). Inspired by studies such as Claude Bernard’s Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine (1865) and Dr. Prosper Lucas’ Treatise on Natural Inheritance (1850) (which talks about how inheritance makes man to behave in a certain way), Zola tries to apply these precepts to literature.

Other authors who inspired Zola were Charles Darwin and Hippolyte Taine. Darwin spoke of natural selection and survival of the fittest. However, nowadays man lives in society ruled by artificial selection, that depends on factors such as economic and social position.

Naturalism shows the lives of the characters to be observed by the reader, like rats in the lab causing the curiosity of scientists. Zola shows the society and setting in which the characters live presenting the good and the bad without making any judgments; even when what is shown is degrading. Other representatives of Naturalism were Guy de Maupassant and Henry Céard (Correa, 2004).

Naturalism despite being a sort of derivation of Realism, also had some particular characteristics (Estébanez, 2000):

Characteristics:

Life is conceived as deterministic, since there are many things that make man behave in a certain way (sexual instincts, possession and power). Being this way, man cannot do anything.

Pessimism regarding the fate of man in society.

The narrative techniques become objective and based on observation, documentation and testing.

The descriptions of the settings and characters are very detailed.

Although the novels are very long, the action that happens is very little and simple; which can seem not very attractive to contemporary readers.

It uses scientific lexicon.

Topic 8. North American literature

8.2 Characteristics and important works

Some of the features that can be highlighted in the North American literature are:

The writings establish the popular and the issues of daily basis.

Realism is handled in a direct and crude manner. Misfortunes through the country (natural disasters, epidemics and banditry) are reflected.

Vivid images.

Abundant imagination.

The characters have a strong psychology and very clear reasons to act.

In narrative, the writers had a quick and easy way to write.

Now let's look at some of the most significant works:

The most important writers from North America:

Extraordinary stories: Written by Edgar Allan Poe. A series of short stories with varied, sometimes fanciful, mysterious, controversial, but especially disturbing themes

Adventures of Tom Sawyer: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. It is about Tom, a mischievous boy who lives in St. Petersburg, Missouri. He falls in love with Becky, the daughter of a judge, witness the murder of Dr. Robinson, run away from home and make everyone believe he was dead to reappear in the church (people think it was a miracle); and go treasure hunting, among other adventures.

Moby Dick: Moby Dick by Herman Melville is a text considered a "marine epic" where a sailor named Ahab, captain of the Pequod, seeks revenge on a whale, Moby Dick, which caused him to lose a leg. For three days the whale fights against his boat and eventually dies. It is notable for its descriptions of sea life and whales (Espina, 1987).

Topic 9. Literary production in Latin America

Alonso de Ercilla y Zuniga

Benardo de Balbuena

Guieterre de Cetina

Juan Ruiz de Alarcon y Mendoza

Sor juana Ines de la Cruz

Naturalism: Baldomero Lillo (1867-1923)

Naturalism in Latin America had some features that made it unique and representative: the writing was raw and dramatic, useful to complain. Among its topics were the "pests that plagued their people, the miserable conditions in which people lived, the inhuman exploitation of man and the horrible material and moral misery of society" (Thematic Encyclopedia Work Book, 1997). These characteristics are fulfilled by the Chilean writer Baldomero Lillo through compositions like Sub terra and The Devil's Tunnel. Lillo could see how the miners lived under deplorable conditions. Berta López Morales described the writer and his work as: "Baldomero Lillo covered all ranges of the short story: suspense, humor, customs, social criticism, and legend; with profundity and national background clearly (López, 2001)."

Topic 10. Generation of ‘98

10.2 Characteristics and Important works

The Generation of ‘98 owes its origin to several writers (Shaw, 1997). One of them was Gabriel Maura, who says that this generation was the one who had reacted intellectually after the "disaster" (the loss of the Spanish colonies). Another writer, Andrés González Blanco, call it a "Generation Disaster". But the name of the Generation of ‘98, as we know it today, is owed to José Martínez Ruiz, whose pen name was Azorín.

Azorín proposes that the concerns of his contemporaries was that they were having a spirit that sought to protest, much idealism, and a love for art that is against previous literary formulas (Shaw, 1997). There were two types of mainstream that the writers would choose:

The first sought a total renovation: proposed a different view of reality, of the Spanish tradition, the Spanish landscape and literary styles. Having new external influences the Spaniard is able to create something totally different.

The second direction has more to do with the rebellion, politics, and social criticism: although the decline of the country had been noted earlier; it is until the so-called "disaster" came when criticism emerges and is used as a weapon by this generation.

Shaw (1997) discusses how the Generation of ‘98 tried to find a philosophical answer to the problem of his country. Through a national crisis they tried to solve their personal dilemmas too. For them, the philosophical problems had to do with finding a truth that could serve to establish a baseline to help to resolve conflicts. Their thoughts were existential (one of the characters in the novel Mist by Miguel de Unamuno, talk to the author, that is, with its creator).

It is also important to establish who the members of the Generation of ‘98 were. The identification of the writers has caused controversy because not all the theorists agree on who should be considered as part of the Generation. One of the most accepted theories, is to divide them into two categories (Shaw, 1997): one corresponds to the writers that were born in the 1860s,

Miguel de Unamuno (1864) and Angel Ganivet (1865), Pío Baroja (1872), Azorín (1873), Ramiro de Maeztu