Mariano José de Larra and Sánchez de Castro (1809-1837) was a notable Spanish writer, journalist, and politician. His work is among the most prominent in the ranks of Romanticism. Furthermore, his work developed aspects of critical thinking; he reflected on the shortcomings of Spanish society of his time.
As a journalist, Larra possessed the power to write articles of all kinds and develop the essay as a genre. Through his pen, he had the ability to draw readers into his political ideas and conceptions. Scholars have considered him to have the verbal ability to "manipulate."
Although the writer's end was not as expected, he was a man who always expressed his desire for a country of constant progress. He loved and defended freedom, always sought to keep his audience informed, and tried to establish criteria for the country's current situation.
Biography
Birth and family
Mariano José de Larra was born in Madrid on March 24, 1809. His parents were physician Mariano de Larra y Langelot and Maria Dolores Sánchez de Castro. From the age of four to nine, he lived in exile in Paris with his family, due to the withdrawal of Napoleonic troops.
In 1818, the Larra Sánchez family returned to their country after an amnesty granted by King Ferdinand VII. They settled in the Spanish capital. They were able to start over thanks to their father becoming the physician to the monarch's younger brother, as he allowed them to stabilize both economically and socially.
Larra's Education
Mariano's primary education was partly spent in exile. Upon returning to Spain, he was able to resume his studies, benefiting from the influence of his father as a doctor.
For a time, Mariano had to move to other cities due to his father's work. This situation caused some instability in the writer, although he helped with his writing.
After graduating from high school, the young man began studying medicine in Madrid, but left his studies unfinished. Later, he decided to study law and went to Valladolid to complete his degree. He was not a consistent student, despite passing his courses, and he later dropped out and went to the capital in 1825.
Mariano de Larra resumed his studies and joined King Ferdinand VII's militia, the Royalist Volunteer Corps. The purpose of this force was to attack those in the liberal movement. During this period, the young man began a serious encounter with writing.
The writer's loves
The writer's university studies in Valladolid were affected by a turbulent relationship he had with a woman who turned out to be his father's lover. Years later, on August 13, 1829, he married Josefa Wetoret Velasco.
The couple had three children: Luís Mariano, Adela, and Baldomera. The marriage was shaky from the beginning. The author began an extramarital affair with a woman named Dolores Armijo shortly after their marriage.
In 1834, Larra found himself alone, separated from his wife, and at the same time his lover left him. This situation was a low blow for the writer. However, he continued to work as a writer and journalist.
Larra's first professional works
Larra began his career in journalism when he was just nineteen years old, in 1828. It was on this date that he launched the monthly publication The Satirical Goblin of the time, It was with these articles that he gained public recognition, although he signed them under the pseudonym “El Duende”.
The writer was critical and analytical, and he conveyed the situations his country experienced to the public in a satirical and ironic tone. In a very short time, he managed to strengthen these characteristics of his personality and writing style in the magazine. The Poor Talker . On that occasion, he signed as Juan Pérez de Munguía.
Some time later, in 1833, he left aside the nicknames by which he was known and began to seal them with the pseudonym “Figaro”, whose works he published in newspapers The Observer e The Spanish Magazine . In addition to giving the public the custom, he took the opportunity to make political and literary criticisms.
Last steps of Mariano José de Larra
Larra decided to embark on a business and educational journey in 1835. He visited several European cities, including Paris, Brussels, London, and Lisbon. He spent considerable time in the French capital, where he had the opportunity to meet writers Alejandro Dumas and Victor Hugo.
On his return to Madrid, he published several of his works in the newspaper The Spanish . This was the time of the government of Juan de Dios Álvarez Mendizábal, with whom Larra sympathized. Shortly afterward, he criticized him for the harm he inflicted on the poorest.
Concerned about the situation in Spain, he joined the Moderate Liberal Party and, in 1836, was elected deputy for the city of Ávila, in the Castile region. The same revolts that occurred in the country prevented him from serving as a deputy.
Death of the journalist
The country's situation and the personal circumstances surrounding Larra's life began to weigh him down, making him negative and pessimistic. When they separated from their husband, they were unable to reach agreements upon divorce. His decadent spirit led him to commit suicide on February 13, 1837. He was only 27 years old.
Style
Mariano José de Larra's literary and journalistic style was characterized by its critical and satirical nature. He used satire to poke fun at the situation that had plagued Spain for some time. His linguistic ability was particularly substantial, and this captivated the reader.
Larra's journalistic style was vigorous, powerful, and clear, ultimately convincing. He leaned toward developing his usual critiques, delivered with relentless lines and a painful, penetrating tone. His language was so clear and simple that it was easy to convince the masses of his positions.
The writer belonged to the Romantic movement, but many scholars considered him the least romantic of his generation because his work was framed within the realities of the country. Such circumstances made him a creator of reason rather than beauty.
What brought Larra closer to the Romantic trend was his ability to capture strong connotations and an abundance of aesthetics. The author also utilized repetition of ideas and motifs, two aspects that favored his own appreciations, leaving the reader with an entertaining result.
Jobs
Mariano de Larra's work focused more on journalism, which made him a distinguished professional in the field. As previously stated, his articles reflected the country's current situation. Politics, literature, and customs were constant themes.
In his work, he developed themes such as failure, lack of freedom, education, the flaws of society that failed to lead to progress, laziness, among others. With his work, he became one of the first precursors of the opinion piece and the essay.
Here are some of the most important and prominent titles of Larra's work:
– Bullfighting (1828).
– Where they give them, they take them (1832).
– Dating mania and epigraphs (1832).
– Marrying early and badly (1832).
– Letter to Andrés Niporesas, written from Batuecas by El Pobrecito Hablador (1832).
– Old Castilian (1832).
– Who is the audience and where is it? (1832)
– In this country (1833).
– The new inn (1833).
– Critical Varieties (1833).
– Come back tomorrow (1833).
– The whole world is a mask (1833).
Friends (1833).
– Don Cándido Buenafé (1833).
– Don Timoteo or the writer (1833).
– Madrid life (1834).
– The three are only two and what is nothing is worth three (1834).
– Two Liberals or What Should Be Understood (1834).
– Among what people are we? (1834).
– European calamity (1834).
– Masked dance (1834).
– Advantages of half-doing things (1834).
– The album (1835).
– The antiquities of Mérida (1835).
– Literature (1836).
– Of satire and satirists (1836).
– No more accountant (1831).
– Count Fernán González and the exemption of Castile (1832).
Macías (1834).
– The doncel of Don Enrique el Doliente (1834).
Brief description of his most representative works
Come back tomorrow (1833)
It was one of the Spanish journalist's best-known articles. The author satirically criticized the operating system of public administration entities in Spain. On the other hand, he expressed concern about inefficiency and ineffectiveness in problem-solving.
Macías (1834)
It was a historical drama about the life of Macías, the troubadour, set in medieval Spain. It's a passionately dramatic story; the writer denounced his dissent against false morality. Political responses to this content were plentiful.
The Doncel of Dom Enrique, the Doliente (1834)
With this story, the author once again relied on Macías's love for Elvira, who was married to another man. The novel has an autobiographical feel, given the romantic experiences Larra experienced during her short life.
References
- Life and work of Mariano José de Larra. (2013). (N/a): notes. Recovered from: apuntes.com.
- Mariano José de Larra. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia. Retrieved from: wikipedia.org.
- Fernández, J. (2019). Romantic prose. Mariano José de Larra . Spain: Hispanoteca. Retrieved from: hispanoteca.eu.
- Escobar, J. (Sf). Mariano Jose de Larra . Spain: Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library. Retrieved from: cervantesvirtual.com.
- González, M. (S. f.). Mariano José de Larra- Style and validity . (N/a): First apartment. Retrieved from: pericav.wordpress.com