Images of Self and Other in Catalan Literature
What is it about?
This chapter explores Catalonia’s relationship with(in) Spain, in particular the attempt to articulate a Catalan cultural identity distinct from that of Spain. Through an analysis of the trope of exile, the chapter focuses on the ways in which in order to consolidate Catalan self-identity various writers from the nineteenth century until the present day construct an image of Spain as Catalonia’s cultural other. Specifically, it examines several nineteenth-century texts before analyzing two relatively recent historical novels that treat the topic of Catalonia’s defeat in the War of Spanish Succession and its incorporation within the modern Spanish nation-state.
Why is it important?
This research is important because it shows how representations of Spain in Catalan literature helped shape Catalans' self-image.