56 Modem Spanish Literature
ever created. As in Pirandello’s play the character rises
against his author, and insists on living a life independent of
the author. Thus Don Quixote becomes the symbol of the
whole chivalry of Spain, the embodiment of the idea of
nobleza, and I think it is important to realize this in dealing
with the whole of Spanish literature after that book, because
in Spain you will find, even today, that every Spaniard knows
Don Quixote by heart. It is the basis of nearly everything
in Spanish literature ever since, and the flavor of its irony,
sadness, chivalry, and humor is reflected in writers from
Quevedo to Ramon Pérez de Ayala. And today you have
Unamuno writing the tragic history of Don Quixote to show
that the knight is the symbol of the whole Spanish race.
Now, with regard to our days that I have said must be
taken as a basis for an interpretation of modern Spain.
What do you find when you come to the nineteenth century?
The most miserable era in Spanish history; there is the sad
vision of a Spain torn in twain by the Carlist wars, enduring
one oppressive government after another; her gradual de-
cline, and the loss of her remaining colonies in 1898. But
this disaster aroused the Spanish people and after that year
you notice the inauguration of an era of progress in modern
Spain. It was immediately after that time that a new page
was turned, and we hear of what is called the generation of
1898. I might add that the leaders in this generation were
Unamuno, Martinez Ruiz (Azorin), Benavente, Baroja,
Valle-Inclan, Maeztu, and Ruben Dario.
Now 1898 was the year also in which Spain turned its
attention seriously to economic reforms, and after that you
have an era of improvement in the country; we find a great
change on all sides. New ideas came in, and the Spaniards
awoke to a great activity in a period which we might set be-
tween the years 1902, when the present King came to the