Introduction
Anyone who has read a significant portion of Spanish literature knows that they either begin or end tragically, or “better yet” they are tragic all the way. I know that first statement is probably a generalization but nevertheless I think it is true. Spanish literature whether in the form of novels, dramas, poetry, etc. is filled with tragedy. Because of the tragedy that is so readily available in Spanish literature, in this blog I will be exploring the various ways in which tragedy is presented in various works and what the tragedies may reflect about human life or the “human condition” as philosophers often say. Specifically I will be looking at Gabriel García Márquez’s novel Cien Años de Soledad, Rodolfo Usigli’s drama Corona de sombra, the novella Lazarillo de Tormes, and three short stories by various Hispanic authors.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Las medias rojas
De barro estamos hechos
El salvamento
Lazarillo de Tormes
Corona de sombra
Cien años de soledad
In addition to tragedy constituting the solitude that surrounds the various members of the Buendía family, the very solitude that epitomizes Márquez’s fictional characters is in itself a tragedy because in an abstract sense it is what eventually brings the downfall of the Buendía family and Macondo. What is interesting to note about the way in which tragedy is portrayed in this novel and in other pieces of Spanish literature is that tragic events are not events that simply bring about an ephemeral sadness instead they are intense happenings that leave long lasting and significant effects on the characters. In permeating his novel with tragedy after tragedy that in effect create a whole new tragedy of solitude, I believe that Márquez is reflecting the idea that while solitude has merits in that it may sometimes bring needed reprieve, it can become a disease if we allow it to consume us and in a sense become our own tragedy. Therefore through tragedy Márquez reflects a human condition in which transient solitude is permissible but long lasting isolation is a detriment.