Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Decimonónica
Volume
11
Issue
1
Publisher
Decimonónica
Publication Date
2014
First Page
30
Last Page
45
Abstract
Commonly noted in nineteenth-century realism was a conscious decision to minimize romanticism’s supernatural imaginings in favor of a mimetic discourse that reflected the vicissitudes of contemporary society. Realist authors tended to emphasize complex relationships between characters within a specific social milieu that allowed for a more sophisticated and lifelike representation of reality. As one of the prominent representatives of Spanish realism, it is not surprising that Galdós’s narratives reflect this move toward greater verisimilitude. In his 1870 article, “Observaciones sobre la novela contemporánea,” Galdós formulated his vision for the realist novel as a discursive space in which to identify the socio-cultural underpinnings defining the bourgeoisie as well as to diagnose and resolve the complications resulting from the ascension and establishment of this new class:
La novela moderna de costumbres ha de ser la expresión de cuanto bueno y malo existe en el fondo de esa clase, de la incesante agitación que la elabora, de ese desempeño que manifiesta por encontrar ciertos ideales y resolver ciertos problemas que preocupan a todos, y conocer el origen y el remedio de ciertos males que turban las familias. La grande aspiración del arte literario en nuestro tiempo es dar forma a todo esto. (130, emphasis mine)
Recommended Citation
Sierra, Sarah, "La sombra, Memory, and the Narrative Self: Galdós’s Practice of Realism" (2014). Decimonónica. Paper 30.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/decimononica/30