This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Spanish Literature: Realism to "Modernismo"

Code: 106359 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Spanish Language and Literature OB 3

Contact

Name:
Montserrat Amores Garcia
Email:
montserrat.amores@uab.cat

Teachers

Rebeca Martín López

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

By obtaining the minimum of credits in basic training subjects, students have demonstrated to have acquired the basic competences and they will be able to express themselves orally and in writing.

It is also expected that students know the general rules of submission of an academic work. However, students could apply the specific rules that the teacher of the subject may indicate to them, if they deem it necessary.


Objectives and Contextualisation

It is intended to offer an overview of the development of Spanish literature in its different genres from the Revolution of 1868 to the end of the first phase of the Restoration, in 1910. Therefore, the configuration of the essential aesthetic and literary movements of the period will be studied: the reception in Spain of Realism and Naturalism and its main productions during the seventies and eighties of the nineteenth century; the crisis of the end of the century and the reception, development, and exhaustion of Modernism in the first decade of the twentieth. This overview will be completed with the detailed study of key works of the different tendencies.

The purpose of the subject is that students acquire a general knowledge of the literary dynamics of the period, in order to learn how to distinguish between texts arising from different aesthetic approaches and exercise themselves in the analysis and commentary of texts and works of different genres, with the literary, social and political history of a specific period as a backdrop. Moreover, students must be familiar with the most important bibliography of the period, both in terms of editions of texts and studies. The aspects related to the gender perspective are taken into account in the content of the subject.


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Develop arguments applicable to the fields of Hispanic literature, literary theory, Spanish language and linguistics, and evaluate their academic relevance.
  • Identify the most significant periods, traditions, trends, authors and works in Spanish-language literature in their historical and social context.
  • Recognise the main theories, themes and genres of literature in the different Spanish-speaking countries.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
  • Use the methodology and concepts of literary analysis taking into account sources and contexts.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the features of the literary genres of the Spanish Enlightenment and Romanticism.
  2. Analyse the features of 19th-century Spanish narrative.
  3. Assess, through the analysis of literary productions, the prejudices and discriminations that may be included in actions or projects, in the short or long term, in relation to certain people or groups.
  4. Comment on a text taking into account the figures of thought and expression.
  5. Contextualise historically, socially and ideologically the literary production of Realism and Modernism.
  6. Contextualise historically, socially and ideologically the literary production of the Enlightenment and Romanticism.
  7. Contextualise historically, socially and ideologically the literary production of 19th century Spanish narrative.
  8. Contextualise historically, socially and ideologically the literary production of 19th century Spanish poetry and theatre.
  9. Critically interpret bibliography.
  10. Critically interpret literary works taking into account their historical and social context.
  11. Elaborate summaries or reviews of academic works.
  12. Examine the features of 19th-century Spanish poetry and theatre.
  13. Identify the features of the literary genres of Realism and Modernism.
  14. Justify the characteristics of the texts and literary periods under study in different types of academic writing (written exams, academic papers, summaries and reviews).
  15. Recognise the principles of the discipline of study and its main sources.
  16. Use appropriate terminology in the construction of an academic text.
  17. Use digital tools to obtain, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of Spanish language and literature.
  18. Use the appropriate terminology in the construction of an academic text and in the transmission of their knowledge.
  19. Use traditional sources to obtain, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of Spanish language and literature.
  20. Write and present academic works.

Content

1. The reception of Realism and Naturalism in Spain.

2. From the Revolution of 1868 to "Semana trágica" (1909). 

3. The development of the Realist-Naturalist novel in Spain.

4. The reception of Modernism in Spain.

5. Poetry and theatre between 1895 and 1910.

 

Mandatory readings

Leopoldo Alas, Clarín, La Regenta, ed. by Rafael Rodríguez Marín, Castalia (Castalia Didáctica, 62), Madrid; ed. by Sergio Beser and Rebeca Martín, Crítica (Biblioteca Clásica, 10), Barcelona; ed. by Juan Oleza, Cátedra (Letras Hispánicas), Madrid;  ed. by Gonzalo Sobejano, Castalia, Madrid.

AA.VV., Antología de la poesía modernista española prepared by the teachers of the subject.

Ramón del Valle-Inclán, Romance de lobos. Comedias bárbaras III, ed. by Ricardo Doménech, Espasa Calpe (Austral, 344), Madrid, 2006; ed. de Margarita Santos Zas, Alianza editorial, Madrid, 2019.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Master classes and classroom practices 60 2.4 2, 4, 7, 5, 11, 18, 17, 19, 13, 9, 10, 14, 15, 3
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 10.5 0.42 2, 4, 7, 5, 20, 11, 18, 17, 19, 13, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 3
Type: Autonomous      
Individual study and production of papers and analytical comments written 75 3 2, 4, 7, 5, 11, 18, 13, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 3

The learning of this subject by the students is distributed as follows:

- Directed activities. These activities are divided into master classes and seminars and classroom practices led by the faculty, in which theoretical explanation is combined with discussion of all types of texts.

- Supervised activities. These tutorials are programmed by the teacher, dedicated to correcting and commenting on problems at different levels of literary analysis.

- Autonomous activities. These activities include both time devoted to individual study and production of papers and analytical comments written, as well as oral presentations.

- Evaluation activities. The evaluation of the subject will be carried out through written tests.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Essay or text commentary 20% 1.5 0.06 2, 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 5, 20, 11, 12, 18, 17, 19, 13, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 3
First written tests 40 % 1.5 0.06 2, 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 5, 20, 11, 12, 18, 17, 19, 13, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 3
Second written test 40 % 1.5 0.06 2, 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 5, 20, 11, 12, 18, 17, 19, 13, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 3

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
To be eligible for a pass, students must complete all the required readings and obtain a final weighted average of 5 or higher across the assessed activities. The assessment for the course consists of three components:
1. A text commentary or the development of a topic related to the course material. The lecturer will provide the content of this task on the first day of class, and it will be completed in a session dedicated to this activity. (20%).
2. A written exam covering the material taught during the first half of the course (40%), which will include topics related to realism and the corresponding readings.
3. A second written exam covering the material taught during the second half of the course (40%), which will include topics related to modernism and the corresponding readings.
Erasmus students wishing to take an exam in advance must submit a written request from their home university justifying their application.
Written expression must be appropriate in all assessment tasks. Students must produce a well-structured discourse, with fully developed, coherent paragraphs. Errors (in spelling, syntax, punctuation, unnecessary repetition, anglicisms, Catalanisms, etc.) will result in a deduction of 0.25 points per mistake. Any assessment with more than ten such errors will be graded as a Fail.
All coursework and submitted assignments must be original. Partial or full plagiarism of any external materials published in any format will not be accepted under any circumstances. Students must correctly acknowledge the authorship of all quotations and any use of external sources, following standard bibliographic citation practices. If requested by the lecturer, students must be able to provide the sources used (annotated articles and books, outlines, notes, etc.). The submission of non-original material without proper attribution or the inappropriate or incorrect use of bibliographic references will result in an automatic fail (mark of 0), with no possibility of reassessment.
If a student commits any form of misconduct that may significantly alter the result of an assessment task, the work in question will be marked with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may follow. If multiple instances of misconduct are confirmed in the assessment tasks for the same course, the final grade for the course will be a 0.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively in the preparation process for the text commentary or thematic development task. The use of AI technologies for text generation is not allowed. If such technologies are used, the student must: (i) identify the sections generated using AI; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and final outcome. A lack of transparency in the use of AI in this assessed activity will be regarded as academic dishonesty and will result in the task being graded with a 0 and deemed non-recoverable, or may lead to more severe penalties in serious cases.
At the time of each assessment activity, the lecturer will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and date for reviewing marks.
Students may resit the course provided they meet the following requirements:
a) Have completed at least 2/3 of the assessed activities, that is, both written exams on course content and readings [40% + 40%].
b) Have obtained a minimum average mark of 3.5 in the continuous assessment.
c) The commentary [20%] is not subject to resit. If the student did not complete the text commentary, this component will be awarded a mark of zero for the purpose of calculating the weighted average.
The mark obtained in the resit will replace the failed component for the purpose of calculating the final course grade.
A final grade of “Not assessed” will be given when none or only one of the assessment tasks is completed. Completion of two or more tasks will be interpreted as the student’s intention to be assessed in the course.

SINGLE ASSESSMENT
The date of the single assessment will be announced during the first days of the course on the Virtual Campus.
To be eligible for a pass, students must have completed all the required readings and complete the following assessment tasks:
1. A text commentary or the development of a topic related to the course material. The lecturer will provide the content of this task on the first day of class, and it will be completed in a session dedicated to this activity. (20%).
2. A written exam covering the material taught during the first half of the course (40%), which will include topics related to realism and the corresponding readings.
3. A second written exam covering the material taught during the second half of the course (40%), which will include topics related to modernism and the corresponding readings.
The same resit system as that used for continuous assessment will apply.
All other provisions regarding written expression, plagiarism, exam review, resits, and the “Not assessed” classification shall follow the rules established for continuous assessment.

 


Bibliography

This is a selected bibliography on the topics under study. The specific bibliography of the authors and topics studied will be provided throughout the course.

ALONSO, Cecilio, Historia de la literatura española. 5: Hacia una literatura nacional. 1800-1900, Crítica, Barcelona, 2010.

ANDREU MIRALLES, Xavier, El descubrimiento de España. Mito romántico e identidad nacional, Taurus, Madrid, 2016.

ALLEGRA, Giovanni, El reino interior. Premisas y semblanzas del Modernismo en España, Encuentro, Madrid, 1986.

ARBONA, Guadalupe y Paloma Falconi (eds.), Vasijas de barro. La figura del sacerdote en la literatura contemporánea, Madrid, Encuentro, 2014.

BESER, Sergio, Leopoldo Alas, crítico literario, Madrid, Gredos, 1968.

____, «Verba manent». Estudios y ensayos literarios, Vigo, Editorial Academia del Hispanismo, 2010.

BLOM, Philipp, Años de vértigo. Cultura y cambio en Occidente, 1900-1914, Anagrama, Barcelona, 2010.

COLETES BLANCO, Agustín, coord., Clarín, visto en su centenario (1901-2001): seis estudios críticos sobre Leopoldo Alas y su obra, Oviedo, Real Instituto de Estudios Asturianos, 2002.

DÍAZ LAGE, Santiago, Escritores y lectores de un día todos. Literaturas periódicas en la España del siglo XIX, Zaragoza, Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza, 2020.

DORCA, Toni, Volverás a la región. El cronotopo idílico en la novela española del siglo XIX, Madrid, Iberoamericana, 2004.

DURAND, Frank, ed., “La Regenta” y Leopoldo Alas, Madrid, Taurus, 1988.

ESTABLIER, Helena, ed., El corazón en llamas: cuerpo y sensualidad en la poesía española escrita por mujeres (1900-1968), Madrid/Frankfurt am Main, Iberoamericana/Vervuert, 2023.

FRAU, Juan, Poética del folletín. La fórmula delrelato inacabable, Sevilla, Editorial Universidad de Sevilla, 2018.

GARCÍA SARRIÁ, Francisco, Clarín o la herejía amorosa, Madrid, Gredos, 1975.

GONZÁLEZ SORIANO, José Miguel, coord., Rostros y voces de mujeres de la Edad de Plata [dossier monográfico]. Lectora. Revista de dones i textualitat, 28 (2022).

HUERTA CALVO, Javier, ed., Historia del teatro español, Madrid, Gredos, 2003, vol. 2.

JAGOE, Catherine, Alda BLANCO y Cristina ENRÍQUEZ DE SALAMANCA, La mujer en los discursos de género, Barcelona, Icaria, 1998.

KIRKPATRICK, Susan (2003), Mujer, modernismo y vanguardia en España (1898-1931), Valencia, Cátedra – Universitat de Valencia – Instituto de la Mujer, 2003.

LABANYI, Jo, Género y modernización en la novela realista española, Madrid, Ediciones Cátedra-Universitat de València-Instituto de la Mujer, 2011.

LAVAUD, Jean-Marie, El teatro en prosa de Valle-Inclán (1899-1914), Barcelona, PPU, 1992.

LISSORGUES, Yvan, ed., Realismo y naturalismo en España en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, Barcelona, Anthropos, 1988.

____, Leopoldo Alas, Clarín en sus palabras (1852-1901). Biografía, Oviedo, Ediciones Nobel, 2007.

LITVAK, Lily, ed., El Modernismo, Madrid, Taurus (El escritor y la crítica), 19812ª.

LÓPEZ, Ignacio Javier, La novela ideológica (1875-1880). La literatura de ideas en la España de la Restauración, Madrid, Ediciones de la Torre, 2014.

MAINER, José-Carlos, La edad de plata (1902-1939). Ensayo de interpretación de un proceso cultural, Madrid, Cátedra, 19812ª.

___, ed., Modernismo y 98, tomo 6 dela Historia y crítica de la literatura española, Barcelona, Crítica, 1979.

___, Modernismo y 98. Primer suplemento, tomo 6/1 de la Historia y crítica de la literatura española, Barcelona, Crítica, 1994.

___, Historia de la literatura española. Modernidad y Nacionalismo (1900-1939), Barcelona, Crítica, 2010.

___, La escritura desatada. El mundo de las novelas, ed. muy ampliada, Palencia, Menoscuarto, 2012.

MARTÍNEZ CACHERO, José María, ed., Leopoldo Alas «Clarín», Madrid, Taurus (El escritor y la crítica), 1978.

MARTINÓN, Miguel, Era obra de su tiempo. Texto y contexto de «La Regenta», Madrid, Verbum, 2016.

MARTYKÁNOVA, Darina y Marie WALIN, coord., Ser hombre. Las masculinidades en la España del siglo XIX, Sevilla, Editorial Universidad de Sevilla, 2023.

MASCARELL, Purificació y Verònica ZARAGOZA GÓMEZ, coords., “Canon, género y escritura: el rescate de las mujeres de la Edad de Plata español”  [dossier monográfico], Impossibilia. Revista Internacional de Estudios Literarios, n.º 23 (2022).

NAUPERT, Cristina, La tematología comparatista entre teoría y práctica: la novela de adulterio en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, Madrid, Arco/Libros, 2001.

OCAMPOS PALOMAR, Emilio y Dolores ROMERO LÓPEZ, eds, El feminismo en la literatura de la Edad de Plata, Sevilla, Ediciones Complutense/Editorial Renacimiento, 2024.

OLIVA, César, Teatro español del siglo XX, Madrid, Síntesis, 2002.

PLAZA, Inmaculada, Modelos de identidad en la encrucijada: imágenes femeninas en la poesía de las escritoras españolas 1900-1936, Málaga, Publicaciones de la Universidad, 2015.

ROMERO TOBAR, Leonardo, coord., Siglo XIX (II), Tomo 9 de la Historia de la literatura española dirigida por Víctor García de la Concha, Madrid, Espasa Calpe, 1996.

RUBIO CREMADES, Enrique, Panorama crítico de la novela realista-naturalista española, Madrid, Castalia, 2001.

SÁNCHEZ, Raquel, Señoras fuera de casa. Mujeres del XIX: la conquista del espacio público, Madrid, Catarata, 2019.

RUIZ RAMÓN, Francisco, Historia del teatro español, Madrid, Alianza, 1971, 2 vols,

SIEBENMANN, G., Los estilos poéticos en España desde 1900, Madrid, Gredos, 1973.

SÁNCHEZ LLAMA, Íñigo, Galería de escritoras isabelinas. La prensa periódica entre 1833 y 1895, Madrid, Ediciones Cátedra-Instituto de la Mujer, Madrid, 2000.

SOBEJANO, Gonzalo, Clarín en su obra ejemplar, Madrid, Castalia, 1985.

SOTELO VÁZQUEZ, Adolfo, El naturalismo en España: Crítica y novela, Salamanca, Almar, 2002.

TORRES NEBRERA, Gregorio, Las «Comedias Bárbaras» de Valle-Inclán. Guía de lectura, Madrid, Ediciones de la Torre, 2002.

VÁZQUEZ RAMIL, Raquel, Mujeres y educación en la España contemporánea. La Institución Libre de Enseñanza y la Residencia de Señoritas de Madrid, Madrid, Akal, 2012.

ZAVALA, Iris M., ed., Romanticismo y Realismo, tomo 5 de Historia y crítica de la literatura española, Barcelona,Crítica, 1982.

___, Romanticismo y Realismo. Primer suplemento, tomo 5/1 de Historia y crítica de la literatura española, Barcelona, Crítica, 1994.

 

Sitios en internet

«Realismoy Naturalismo» (Aula de Letras)[http://www.auladeletras.net/material/real.pdf]

Mercedes Laguna González, «El Naturalismo en la novela española», Lindaraja [http://www.filosofiayliteratura.org/Lindaraja/literatura.htm]

Biblioteca Miralles (Biblioteca de la Literatura Española del Siglo XIX) [http://www.bibliotecamiralles.org/]

Leopoldo Alas (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/bib_autor/Clarin/]

Emilia Pardo Bazán(Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/bib_autor/pardo_bazan/index.shtml]

José María de Pereda (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/bib_autor/pereda/ 

Juan Valera (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/bib_autor/valera/]

Proyecto Filosofía en Español(contiene una buena biblioteca de textos del fin de siglo). [http://www.filosofia.org/]

Ángel Ganivet (1865-1898) (blog dedicado al escritor granadino). [http://www.angelganivet.blogspot.com/]

Rubén Darío, El Modernismo y otros textos críticos (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/SirveObras/01371963766703757432257/index.htm]

Fin de siglo: poesía modernista [http://www.spanisharts.com/books/literature/modernismo.htm]

Fundación Zenobia-Juan Ramón Jiménez [http://www.fundacion-jrj.es/]

Juan Ramón Jiménez (Centro Virtual Cervantes). [http://cvc.cervantes.es/literatura/escritores/jrj/default.htm]

Juan Ramón Jiménez (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/bib_autor/juanramonjimenez/]

«Pío Baroja, todavía» (Guipuzkoakultura.net) [http://piobaroja.gipuzkoakultura.net/index-es.php]

El teatro deValle-Inclán [http://www.spanisharts.com/books/literature/tvinclan.htm]

Cátedra Valle-Inclán (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes) [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portal/catedravalleinclan/]

El Pasajero. Revista de Estudios sobre Ramón del Valle-Inclán [http://www.elpasajero.com]

Sociedad de Literatura Española del Siglo XIX (Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes). [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portal/slesxix/]


Software

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Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Spanish first semester morning-mixed