La medievalización de La voluntad de Azorín

Abstract

The literary controversy between tradition and innovation has decisively influenced post-imperial Spanish literature. As a consequence of the progressive loss of international political influence, Spanish writers observed a decline in European readers and reacted with a significantly defensive nationalist position. Nationalism and literature have maintained an intimate relationship in Spain ever since. Azorín, aware of his position on the margins of the literary market, attempts to connect with fashionable European impressionism, alleging a Spanish origin of the movement, especially noting its mystical components, which he considered Spanish. The result is a creative effort to produce a hybrid text that combines Spanish and European literary elements. Even though these authors do not accomplish their mission of increasing their readership, they do succeed, perhaps unintentionally, in creating an original product that interestingly shows the process undergone by these writers in their attempt to be fashionable, like the Europeans, while remaining loyal to their Spanish tradition.