GENERATION OF 1936: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, REPRESENTATIVES - LITERATURE - 2025

The generation of 1936 was a group of Spanish poets and writers born around 1910 whose literary productions reflected the ideologies that led that country to the Civil War, which took place between 1936 and 1939. A cultural generation is made up of a small number of people that transform the cultural values ​​of the time.

This was the case with the 1936 generation, also known as the Civil War generation. Many of its representatives faced physical difficulties and moral miseries due to social instability and political chaos. Once the war was over, one part (that of the losing side) received harsh criticism and persecution.

Gonzalo Torrente Ballester, one of the representatives of the 1936 generation

These were the ingredients that gave strength to his essentially existentialist philosophy. The authors associated with this trend were charged with providing a broad cultural portfolio consisting of individual works, literary collections, magazines, newspapers, and other publications.

These works document the experiences of the intellectuals who worked on both sides of the opposing factions. Like their predecessors in '98, the generation of 1936 advocated reorienting Spanish life.

Origin

Before 1936, the Spanish intra-national territorial space was divided according to the power relationship. There was a center (Madrid, the capital) and a periphery (autonomous regions: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia).

During the war period from 1936 to 1939, the national space was separated according to political preferences into two camps: the republican and the nationalist. Between both sides were the undecided.

Faced with this social and political rethinking, poets and writers took sides, some in favor and others against antagonistic groups. Many even took an active part in the conflict as combatants.

Before the war, the now called generation of 1936 shared spaces with that of 98. The latter's literary production was dedicated to criticizing the ineffective political system that was responsible for the Spanish decadence from 1898 on.

After the conflict ended, the Spanish extra-national space became relevant, where a good part of this generation took refuge. From exile, they began to document the experiences of the war for the world.

On the other hand, the works of those who belonged to the "winning" side extolled the values ​​of nationalism personified by Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975.

characteristics

Poetry as a weapon of war

At the time of the outbreak of the Spanish civil war, all Spanish poets were active on the opposing sides. Intense ideological propaganda was developed by intellectuals on both the national and republican sides.

In this context, poetry became a weapon of war that attacked the opposite and praised the friend. At this stage, literary production was not distinguished by its quality but by its commitment to causes.

Themes of sadness and abandonment at the end of the Civil War

Franco's triumph meant the defeat of the Republicans and their ideals, and the defeated intellectuals faced executions, jail, and exile. In this period, the literary production abounded in themes of pain and nostalgia.

Thus, the recurring themes were Spain, the painful absence of the homeland, death and the beginning of a new life in other areas and in other cultures. The poetic language became simple and approached the simplicity of everyday language.

Existential trend

The representatives of the 1936 generation that remained in Spain after the war ended were divided into two groups: rooted poets and uprooted poets.

In the group of the rooted, the works speak of rooting in life and satisfaction with existence. They are poets who identify with the Franco regime and show their optimism for victory in the war.

On the contrary, for the group of uprooted the world is an inhospitable place, and poetry is the means to seek salvation. In this way, her view of the world is harrowing and terrible. This is expressed in a refreshing, surreal and deeply human language.

The poetry of these authors includes the European existentialist current that reflects the loneliness of man in a chaotic world, without meaning. The themes will be personal emptiness, loneliness and uprooting.

In addition, the religious also appears frequently, but it is a conflictive religiosity, with doubts and even despair.

Representatives and outstanding works

Dionisio Ridruejo (1912-1975)

Dionisio Ridruejo was a Spanish writer and politician, and one of the most distinguished poets of the first poetic generation that emerged after the Spanish civil war.

From his extensive lyrical work we can highlight Plural, First Book of Love, Poetry in Arms, Sonnets to the stone, Fable of the maiden and the river, Notebook of Russia, In the loneliness of time, Elegías and In eleven years.

Luis Felipe Vivanco (1907-1975)

Luis Felipe Vivanco was a Spanish architect, philosopher and poet. He published his first works in the magazine Cruz y Raya. When the war broke out, he decided in favor of General Franco and wrote propaganda poetry.

His writing is described as intimate, realistic, and meditative. Some of her productions include Cantos de primavera, Tiempo de dolor, Continuation of life, Los ojos de Toledo, El desempado and Memoria de la plata.

Pedro Laín Entralgo (1908-2001)

Entralgo was a doctor, essayist, professor and rector of the Complutense University of Madrid. In 1989 he won the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.

Some titles of his authorship are: The generation of 98, Spain as a problem, What do we call Spain, Medicine and history and Studies of the history of medicine and medical anthropology.

Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (1910-1999)

Gonzalo Torrente Ballester was a narrator, playwright and literary critic. In his works, he developed the struggle for power between social classes as the main theme. He recreated this theme with irony, humor and a lot of imagination.

The following works are part of his literary production: The coup d'état of Guadalupe Limón, The joys and shadows, Reason and being of the future drama, Political ideas. Liberalism and Contemporary Spanish Theater.

References

1. Gracia Guillén, D. (2015, June 02). The generation of 1936. Taken from racmyp.es.
2. Hobsbawm, E. (2007, February 17). War of ideas. Taken from theguardian.com.
3. Generation in Literature. (s / f). Causes of the Generation of '98. Taken from mediateca.cl.
4. Xunta de Galicia. (s / f). Spanish poetry after 36. Taken from edu.xunta.gal.
5. López, JF (s / f). Dionisio Ridruejo. Taken from hispanoteca.eu.
6. Writers (s / f). Vivanco, Luis Felipe. Biographies. Taken from writers.org.
7. Fernández de Cano, JR (s / f). Laín Entralgo, Pedro (1908-2001). Taken from mcnbiografias.com.
8. Cervantes Library. (2016). Gonzalo Torrente Ballester. Chronology of works. Taken from cervantes.es.