Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi (Jan 2017)
The Reality of Esperpento in Spanish Literature: The Reflections of Esperpento in Valle-Inclán's Play "Bohemian Lights"
Abstract
The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century were the period of tragic years for Spain, the land of the conquerors, regarded as a global empire that the sun never set once upon a time. The loss of last colonies, civil commotions and disorder had caused a deep crisis that will be very hard to recover over many years. "Generation of 98", arising from the reaction against this crisis, has left its mark on this period by challenging the society and the cultural life to revive. The member of this generation, Ramón del Valle-Inclán (1866-1936) is one of original, innovative and groundbreaking writer of Spanish and world literature. Bohemian writer succeeds to convey the tragic reality of the turn of the century Spain to the reader by using the "esperpento" technique. He virtually draws a wide panorama of Spain in crisis by combining the real history and fiction. In order to reach this end, he creates new genres and styles instead of traditional techniques; brings new perspectives. Valle-Inclán is one the most significant playwrights and novelists who reflects best the cultural, social and ideological structure, and also pessimistic spirit of the turn of the century Spain. It is possible to see "esperpento" literary genre which systematically distorts reality in writer's play "Luces de Bohemia (Bohemian Lights)" first published in 1920, as a clear instance. Great writer has already breathed a new life into the theater world with this remarkable play. While this play discusses the glitter of the modernist period and the heroic life on the one hand, it reaches to the reader as a manifesto of the lifestyle seen alternative to historical reality of the period, as if being reminiscent of the past identified with bohemian and night life on the other hand. This glitter and darkness are virtually the play of shadows and lights. In this play, it has been tried to raise the perception level by distorting systematically the tragic reality of the country in the line of society awareness and solution search for problems. In this study, esperpento concept as a literary genre and a new way of seeing the world will be evaluated historically and theoretically; and reflections of esperpento with regard to the manifestation of the reality will be examined by considering "Bohemian Lights" play at length. In this context, it has been aimed to reveal the backdrop of the play which is, in a sense, cultural, social and ideological manifesto of Spain in crisis.
