Guerras literarias del XVIII español: la modernidad como invasión (review)

In Guerras literarias del XVIII español, Jesús Torrecilla explores the ambiguities and contradictions within the literature, culture and politics of XVIII century Spain—a period that is often not discussed under the pretext that not much literature was produced during it. Torrecilla demonstrates that not all Europeans were accepting French Neoclassicism as universal, but rather some were attempting to develop their own literature in spite of French hegemony.

Torrecilla argues that when a country's military hegemony is preponderant, its literature gains esteem in other nations as it is considered modern; therefore, modernity is related to the power that strong nations can exert on weaker ones. Confronted with their decline in power and French modernity, Spanish writers bifurcate in their approaches to literature: the classicists imitate Neoclassicism, claiming that it reflects immutable and universal values of good taste, and the nationalists aim at developing and reviving autochthonous styles.

The methods and rationalization employed to accept or reject Neoclassicism are discussed by Torrecilla. He addresses how Great Britain, as a result of its successful military advances, starts a literary counter attack by highlighting Shakespeare's literature. Other European countries see in Great Britain an alternative to French Neoclassicism and defend Shakespearean literature by emphasizing that the classics were responding to their environment, just like Shakespeare, and that the French were merely using formulaic imitations of the classics, which led to the creation of literature devoid of spontaneity and passion.

Of particular importance to Torrecilla is the rejection of Golden Age Spanish theater by neoclassical supporters due to its disregard to the Aristotelian rules of unity. Feijoo, amongst other writers, tries to vindicate Golden Age Spanish theater by comparing it to neoclassical theater. However, Torrecilla argues that the contradictions within the arguments and approaches of both groups impede their clean division into separate groups. In response to accusations of treason, many classicists incorporated a central theme of defending their country against invaders; while the nationalists, who were accused of lacking education, tend to utilize neoclassical conventions to prove that their dislike for them does not stem from ignorance.

Although many classicists and nationalists' tragedies of the XVIII century converge in having a neoclassical style and a patriotic theme, they diverge in objectives and therefore should not be analyzed as one group. While the classicists believe in the universality of the neoclassical style, the nationalists do not, but employ it only to show they are acquainted with it. Likewise, the classicists employ the topic of foreign invaders to demonstrate their patriotism by extolling national heroes, while the nationalists use it to show the dangers of foreign invasion and of traitors.

Torrecilla also discusses the increase of anti-French sentiments as a result of the War of Independence and correlates it with the rise in popularity of non-elite songs and poetry. Because progress was associated with the Spanish elites and the French, the culture of the lower classes was considered the pure Spanish culture; due to this, some of the elites start imitating the lower-class customs—this differs from the previous tendency that tried to rescue ancient elite Spanish traditions. The romance is revived because it was preferred by the lower classes thus believed to be of truly Spanish in origin. Torrecilla distinguishes between the literature of that era and Romantic literature in that the former is guided by anti-French sentiments, whereas the latter is a style coming from Germany and England.

Finally, Torrecilla addresses Spain's appropriation of ancient Muslim culture and science as a tool to claim its contribution to the development of modern Europe via the Spanish Muslims that translated Greek classical texts into other European languages. Muslim literature and science provide a Spanish national alternative to accepting foreign science, though this view faces oppsition from those Spaniards who consider the Muslims uncivilized barbarians. By the second half of the 1700s, the rest of Europe has also developed an Oriental-inspired literature. In reaction to this, the nationalists...