The Generation of '98
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The Generation of '98 is the name given to a group of Spanish writers, poets and thinkers who suffered firsthand the ravages of the political, social, economic and moral crisis that devastated Spain after the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines in the year 1898. This group of literati is one of the most prolific and characteristic of modern Spanish literature, and for this reason, in this lesson from a PROFESSOR, we are going to explain to you which are the most important characteristics of this literary movement as well as which were the most important authors of the Generation of 98.
Index
- General characteristics of the Generation of '98
- Pío Baroja, one of the best known authors
- Ramiro de Maeztu
- Azorín, another of the authors of the Generation of '98
- Miguel de Unamuno
- Antonio Machado
- Ramón María del Valle-Inclán
General characteristics of the Generation of '98.
In the socio-political context of the
decline of the Spanish empire from the loss of the last colonies in Latin America is where the so-called Generation of 98 is located, since it was in the year 1898 in which the Spanish government definitively signed the treaty by means of which Cuba achieved the independence of the metropolis Spanish. This fact supposed a profound discomfort and outrage that were manifested in the literature of the writers of the Generation of '98.The disaster of '98 entails an unbreakable bond between this group of authors, who care about the essence of Spain and seek through literature the reason for the decline imperial and authentic patriotic values, in order to alleviate the disastrous image of Spain in the face of disinterest in the loss of the last colonies in America. Therefore, the literature of the Generation of '98 is marked by existential and social crisis that devastated our country in those years.
The writers observe the Castilian landscape, poor, simple and worn by the dry climate and compare to the general situation of the country, the apathy of the people before the decline of the great empire; they rebel and protest against this reluctance and for this they promote the culture and the economy of the country, with the aim of trying to get it ahead. To achieve this objective, they greatly exhale the national teachings and the patriotic and national value of Spain through a simple language that is capable of reaching all people, so they flee from overloaded and difficult to interpret rhetoric, using concise and brief phrases, whose socio-political charge is more important than artistic and stylistic beauty.
Despite their numerous attempts to rescue the grandeur of Spain, pessimism in the face of the disastrous situation that the country is going through leaves a deep mark on the work of all these writers.
The origin of the group that makes up the Generation of 98 was constituted mainly by three authors: Pío Baroja, Ramiro de Maeztu and Azorín. In addition to these three outstanding writers, we must also mention Miguel de Unamuno, Antonio Machado, Ramón María del Valle-Inclán and Ángel Ganivet, among many others. Throughout this lesson from a PROFESSOR we will study the most important characteristics that make up the literary production of these authors.
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Pío Baroja, one of the best known authors.
Pío Baroja is one of the fundamental pillars of the Generation of '98. Pessimism and restlessness are reflected in all of his literary works, which show a sincere vision of reality Spanish full of critical humor, which seeks change and regeneration of a country that is in its lowest hours.
Expressiveness is one of the fundamental characteristics of his books, which all belong to the narrative genre, and through grammatical simplicity it shows the strong character of all its characters. Of all his works we must name The search Y Zalacaín the adventurer.
Ramiro de Maeztu.
Thanks to his work as a journalist, Maeztu published numerous articles in defense of Hispanic and patriotic values, by means of which he intended to praise and retake again the great feats of the Spanish empire.
For this reason, he uses the media and portrays the virtues of the man of the country, who fights and defends his country. Most of these items were gathered in the work Defense of Hispanidad.
Azorín, another of the authors of the Generation of '98.
Within the most important authors of the Generation of 98 Azorín also stands out. José Martínez Ruiz, better known by his pseudonym Azorin He was a journalist by profession and was especially reflected in the economic and social problems that Spain was going through at the end of the 20th century.
In his works the countryside of Castile and the figure of the Spanish peasant are perfectly represented through minute and perfectly elaborated details. His main works are: The will Y Castile.
Miguel de Unamuno.
Undoubtedly, one of the most representative writers of the entire Generation of '98. With a strong and deep-rooted thought, the existential and philosophical problems are present throughout all of his work, and are reflected in the deep anguish before the dead and the fruitless search for God, themes that run through his entire production literary.
He leaves artistic beauty aside to focus on the transmission of your ideas. He cultivated all genres, and among his works, it is important to mention: Saint Manuel Good Martyr, Fog or The tragic sense of life.
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Antonio Machado.
Machado is another of the most important authors of the Generation of 98 and, also, is one of the most important poets of Hispanic letters. The main themes of his poetry revolve around the Castilian landscape and the intimate vision of love. Memories, longings for past desires and the inevitable passage of time mark all of his literary production.
The landscape of his native Andalusia as well as Castile, since he also lived in this land, has a fundamental role in some of his most important works such as: Solitudes or Castile fields.
Ramón María del Valle-Inclán.
Galician by birth, he is directly opposed to the majority of authors of the Generation of 98 since his main interest was literary beauty and not the situation of social crisis that Spain was going through in those years.
The musicality of his early works stands out greatly, as well as the pessimism about the reality that Valle expresses through a very particular humor, since he creates the so-called grotesques, which are grotesquely deformed reflections of reality, which develop in sordid environments and decadent.
Some of his works are: Bohemian lights, Sonatas or Tyrant Flags.
In this other lesson from a TEACHER we will discover a brief biography of Valle-Inclán.
If you want to read more articles similar to The Generation of '98 - Most Important Authors, we recommend that you enter our category of History of Literature.
