Abstract
Critics of the work of Rosalía de Castro (1837-1855) have noted the difficulties her novel El caballero de las botas azules (1867) poses for both Spanish and Galician literary historiography. A metafictional satire written in Spanish and set in Madrid, it is difficult to place within narratives of Galician literary history that imagine Rosalía as a saintly founding mother, as well as within narratives of Spanish literary history that imagine a teleological development of the novel from Romantic to Realist forms. This article will situate El caballero as a hinge text, a farewell to a Romantic poetics of melodrama and named emotions and a move towards a modern literature of affect, a transition that is inflected by a profound meditation on the role of literature within a world of increasing consumerism and commodification. The discussion will be framed in terms of the twin themes of hysteria and dandyism.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call