Miguel de Unamuno
New Currents of Thought
Psychoanalysis (Freud)
Marxism, gains importance
Existentialism (man is born in order to die)
 Soren Kierkegaard “leap of faith”
1898
Explosion of the Maine in
Santiago de Cuba
War with the United
States: begins April 23
Destruction of the
Spanish Fleet in the
Pacific and the Caribeean
Treaty of Paris:
December 10
Effects
Spain loses its last colonies:
– Independent: Cuba and the Phillipines
– Protectorates of the U.S.: Puerto Rico y Guam
Crisis in Spain: end of empire
Spanish intellectuals try to understand the
essence of Spain.
Miguel de Unamuno 1864-1936
Intellectual
Essayist
Novelist
Dramatist
Poet
Chronology
1864 Born in Bilbao.
1873 Siege and bombardment of
Bilbao by the Carlists. Interrupts
Unamuno’s education.
1880 Attends U of Madrid
1883-84 Receives doctorate
1891 Marries Concepción
Lizarraga. In June passes tests
to become Professor of Greek at
the U of Salamanca.
Spends his life in Salamanca,
except for periods of exile and
deportation due to his political
views.
1896-1897 he experiences a
personal religious crisis that
causes a distrust of progress
and science.
Chronology
1914 Becomes rector of the University, a
post he loses because of criticism of
Alfonso XIII.
1924 Deported to Fuerteventura
(Canarias) for his opposition to the
dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, Is
exiled in Paris and then in Hendaya,
until 1930. Loses his professorship.
1930 Returns to Spain, given the
professorship of History of the Spanish
Language.
1931 Named rector of the University but is
fired due to his sympathy for the
rebellion of General Francisco Franco.
1936 Reinstated as rector but loses the
post due to his disapproval of the
nationalists. Dies in Salamanca, 31st of
December under house arrest.
Sample of Works
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Essays
Vida de Don Quijote y Sancho (1905)
suggests that Cervantes' hero represents
the spirituality of the Spanish people.
Del sentimiento trágico de la vida en los
hombres y en los pueblos (1913).
Novels:
Paz en la guerra (1897) explores the
relationship of self and world through the
familiarity with death. It is based on his
experiences as a child during the Carlist
siege of Bilbao.
Niebla (1914) called this work a “nivola” to
dintiguish it from the novel
Abel Sánchez (1917) uses Cain and Abel
story
San Manuel Bueno, Mártir (1933)
Poems: “El Cristo de Velázquez” (1920)
Cristo de
Velazquez