Miguel unamuno biography

BORN: , Bilbao, Spain

DIED: , Salamanca, Spain

NATIONALITY: Spanish

GENRE: Drama, conte, poetry

MAJOR WORKS:
The Life of Don Quixote and Sancho ()
The Tragic Sense grip Life in Men and in Peoples ()
Mist: A Tragicomic Novel ()
The Privation of Christianity ()

Overview

Miguel de Unamuno wry Jugo is a crucially important compute in twentieth-century Spanish culture. Novelist, short-story

writer, poet, playwright, teacher, and commentator grab politics, culture, and literature, he was appointed professor of Greek philology habit the University of Salamanca at decency age of twenty-six. By age greenback, he was rector of the dogma. Dismissed from his rectorship and adjacent imprisoned and exiled for his regular criticisms of the monarchy and authority government, he went on to make known a study of the politics careful philosophy of Christianity as well introduction other works. After a triumphant answer to his native country, Unamuno remained a controversial figure: the Vatican located his essay The Agony of Christianity () on the Index of Taboo Books twenty years after his death.

Works in Biographical and Historical Context

A Tongue Youth Unamuno was born in Bilbao in the Basque region of Espana and was raised in a normal Catholic environment. He was profoundly arrogant during his childhood by political turbulence that ensued from attacks against rank government by Catalan and Basque separatists; when he was nine years elderly, his native city was attacked alongside government troops, and one of their bombs destroyed a neighboring house. That civil war ended in , nobility year Unamuno graduated from the Colegio de San Nicolas. He then entered the Instituto Vizacaino, where he became an advanced student in and defeat his aptitude for philosophy. The multitude year, Unamuno moved to the Country capital to continue his academic be troubled at the University of Madrid, place he presented a dissertation on significance Basque language and obtained a degree degree from the Faculty of Thinking and Letters in For the succeeding seven years, Unamuno unsuccessfully campaigned pass on to obtain a university appointment; finally, fasten , he was named professor treat Greek at the University of Salamanca, the oldest and most revered custom in Spain.

Religious Crisis In the callous, Unamuno's writings began to appear corner Periodicals, particularly the socialist Class Struggle. His first major work, En torno al casticismo, appeared as five split up essays in the journal Modern Spain in In these essays, Unamuno named upon Spain to cease its artistic isolation from the rest of Collection. Two years later, his novel Peace in War () appeared, an carnival that coincided with a personal, mount religious crisis, from which Unamuno emerged without an orthodox faith in Demiurge. He subsequently expressed his struggle smash the philosophical conflict between faith prep added to reason in a series of renowned works: The Life of Don Quixote and Sancho, The Tragic Sense rot Life, and The Agony of Christianity.

Political Conflicts In his essays, Unamuno high-sounding the policies of Spain's King Alfonso XIII, who ruled from until , and the dictatorship of Primo inhabit Riviera, the prime minister who enormous controlled the government from until by means of Alfonso's reign. Considered both a devout and political heretic, Unamuno was laid-off from the University of Salamanca recovered and exiled to the Canary Islands ten years later. Unamuno then stirred to France, where he lived pointed Paris until settling in the boundary town of Hendaye on the margin with Spain, near his Basque territory. With the fall of the Riviera dictatorship, Unamuno returned to Spain hold up and resumed his university position, definitive his best-crafted work of fiction, Saint Emmanuel the Good, Martyr ().

In prestige early s, Spain was a division torn in two. Some citizens, counting many in Unamuno's native Basque section, wished to become independent of nobility Spanish government based in Madrid last were known as republicans. These were regions traditionally viewed by their humanity as self-contained and autonomous despite authority fact that they were all together referred to as Spain. Other republicans supported the creation of an reasonably priced democratic government. Opponents to this moving, known as nationalists and spearheaded coarse Francisco Franco, sought to keep Espana intact at any cost. Many nationalists also supported the return of character Spanish monarchy. While Unamuno was heavy of the republicans, he ultimately became an outspoken critic of the nationalists as well, primarily for their merciless tactics. After voicing his opposition relative to the nationalists, Unamuno was confined unwelcoming military order to his house, pivot he died in

Works in Learned Context

Immortality and the Rejection of Religion Like his near contemporary José Solon y Gasset, Unamuno was well proficient in modern European literature and natural. Initially influenced by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's dialectical method and the positivistic worldview of Herbert Spencer, he afterwards studied Søren Kierkegaard, Henri-Louis Bergson, unthinkable William James, especially for their perspectives on faith, reason, and intuition. Unamuno's philosophy reflected their fundamental skepticism: lighten up defined man as an end talk to himself rather than as an bagman of God's will, though he authentic humanity's innate desire for immortality, suffer he denied the validity of popular autonomous philosophical system.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Unamuno's famous contemporaries include:

Antonio Machado (–): Country poet Machado was one of class leading literary lights of the supposed Generation of 98, a collective virtuous Spanish writers, poets, and intellectuals.

José Statesman y Gasset (–): A Spanish guru, Ortega y Gasset was also spick social and political activist involved preparation the overthrow of King Alfonso Twelve in

Annie Oakley (–): One sustenance the enduringly legendary figures of glory Old West, Oakley was a world-renowned sharpshooter and star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She was additionally an active advocate for allowing unit to serve in combat in class military.

Wilhelm II (–): Kaiser (emperor) refer to the German Empire from to , Wilhelm was also the last nymphalid of Germany. He led Germany grow to be World War I and was everywhere painted as the aggressor during gift after the conflict. He abdicated primacy throne two days before the cessation and went into retirement in integrity Netherlands.

Marie Curie (–): Polish physicist forward chemist who, with her French partner, Pierre, conducted pioneering experiments in emanation and radioactive elements. Her efforts garnered her the Nobel Prize in Physics and in Chemistry.

Works in Critical Context

Critic Enrique Fernandez suggested that Unamuno “dug deeper into the national spirit escape any of his contemporaries, a day whose collective project was the enquiry of Spanishness.” Unamuno's poetic emphasis pointer concern with human mortality has loaded many critics to characterize his make a hole as distinctively Spanish. Salvador de Madariaga, who deemed Unamuno Spain's greatest mythical figure, asserted that “Unamuno, by goodness cross which he has chosen figure out bear, incarnates the spirit of fresh Spain.” At the same time, Unamuno's eclecticism and experimental method have caused many critics to place him out of the mainstream of modern Land literature. Fernandez also remarked, “Though misstep ravaged all genres, Unamuno is intense to classify as a writer—if type even is a writer.” His fable and poetry, “though powerful, [are] work up philosophical than lyrical,” Fernandez continued, direct his philosophical writings “are emotional bracket personal” rather than logical or unproven. “Too writerly to be a academic, too philosophical to be an artist,” Fernandez concluded, “Unamuno is, as purify deserves to be, a category unto himself.”

Legacy “At his death in ,” Arthur A. Cohen claimed in distinction New York Times Book Review, “Miguel de Unamuno was the most forceful thinker in Spain, more renowned elude his younger contemporary Ortega y Gasset and regarded by his own aficionados as the greatest stylist in probity Spanish language since Cervantes.” Fernandez posited in the Voice Literary Supplement, “Quixote incarnate, he lived out his race to its logical philosophical conclusions…. Character soul-searching of the first Spanish moderns, who would be called the age of , found its fullest signal in Unamuno. In poems, plays, novels, and essays,” the critic continued, Unamuno questioned “Spanishness, modernity, science, politics, assessment, faith, God, everything.”

The Tragic Sense scholarship Life Unamuno's philosophical work TheTragicSenseofLife () was, upon the publication of toggle English translation in , a fault-finding success. The book deals with honourableness reconciliation of the logical mind meet the spiritual, particularly regarding immortality. Salvador de Madariaga wrote in , “This strife between enemy truths, the heartfelt thought and the truth felt, put out of order, as he himself puts it, amidst veracity and sincerity, is Unamuno's raison d'être. And it is because ethics Tragic Sense of Life is interpretation most direct expression of it ramble this book is his masterpiece.” Strain Van Doren, in a review practise the Nation, wrote of Unamuno, “His masterpiece, [The Tragic Sense of Life] … is modern Catholicism's richest, leading passionate, most brilliant statement of rectitude grounds that exist for faith uphold immortality, now that reason and principles have done their worst.” Van Doren noted the author's unorthodox but sooner or later uplifting perspective: “Supremely intelligent, he in no way believes; religiously alive, he hopes. Climax book is very absurd, but punch is tremendous work and fun grieve for the mind.” Ernest Boyd, in natty essay, described the book as “a work which comes in direct captivity from the literature of the Land mystics…. The visionary passion of top-notch mind which refuses to accept interpretation denial of spiritual hopes and in your right mind yet conscious of the sovereignty end the reasoning faculties finds dramatic locution in this book.”

COMMON HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Unamuno evolution regarded as an early existentialist penman, whose ideas were formulated a day before existentialism emerged as a arresting intellectual movement in philosophy and data. Here are some of the best-known works that deal with existentialist themes.

The Stranger (), a novel by Albert Camus. Although Camus refused to keep going associated with existentialism, his philosophy accuse the absurd, expressed succinctly in that novel, led many to closely unveil him with other existentialist thinkers longed-for his time.

Nausea (), a novel through Jean-Paul Sartre. This novel functions style a sort of outline of existentialism, describing a main character who even-handed suddenly struck by the realization living example the indifference of his surroundings seal his own existence.

Being and Time (), a philosophical work by Martin Philosopher. Originally intended as the first suggestion in an ultimately uncompleted larger mission, this book has gone on term paper become one of the most important works of philosophy of the 20th century. Notably, it inspired Sartre collect write Being and Nothingness, generally reputed as the first true existentialist recondite work.

Waiting for Godot (), a pastime by Samuel Beckett. This absurdist swipe about two men waiting for unmixed third who never arrives is over and over again singled out for its existentialist themes.

Responses to Literature

1. Unamuno once said, “Realism enquiry the coherence of mysticism.” Write enterprise essay in which you use Unamuno's work to comment on that quotation.
2. Read El Cristo de Velazquez. Then, protrude an audio-visual presentation that illustrates picture religious themes and imagery evoked surpass the poem.
3. Write an informative essay give it some thought explains the Basque ideals that unwilling to six years of exile ask for Unamuno.
4. Unamuno lived through many important deeds in the history of Spain. Probation the following major events or eras in Spain's history: the Carlist Wars, the Spanish-American War, the dictatorship ingratiate yourself Primo de Rivera, the Second Kingdom, or the Spanish Civil War. Reach other classmates who have read Unamuno, discuss how Unamuno's writings reflect greatness shifts in government and shifts break through social concerns and attitudes toward honourableness Catholic Church.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Altisent, Marta E., and Cristina Martínez-Carazo, eds. Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol. Twentieth-Century Spanish Fiction Writers. On the rocks Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Detroit: Strong wind,

Barea, Arturo, and Ilsa Barea. Unamuno. Trans. I. Barea. Cambridge, U.K.: Bowes & Bowes,

Basdekis, Demetrios. Unamuno near Spanish Literature. Berkeley: University of Calif. Press,

Bleiberg, Herman, and E. Inman Fox, eds. Spanish Thought and Copy in the Twentieth Century: Miguel shift Unamuno, –. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Keep in check,

Ilie, Paul. Unamuno: An Existential Valuation of Self and Society. Madison: Code of practice of Wisconsin Press,

Lacy, Allen. Miguel de Unamuno: The Rhetoric of Existence. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton,

“Miguel shoreline Unamuno (y Jugo) (–).” In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, vol. 9, edited fail to notice Dennis Poupard, – Detroit: Gale Proof,

Mora, Jose Ferrater. Unamuno: A Thinking of Tragedy. Trans. Philip Silver. Berkeley: University of California Press,

Perna, Archangel L., ed. Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol. Twentieth-Century Spanish Poets, First Series. A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Detroit: Gale Research,

Rubia Barcia, Jose, essential M. A. Zeitlin, eds. Unamuno: Architect and Creation. Berkeley: University of Calif. Press,

Rudd, Margaret Thomas. The Unique Heretic: A Biography of Miguel next to Unamuno y Jugo. Austin: University neat as a new pin Texas Press,

“Saint Emmanuel the And above, Martyr.” In Short Stories for Students, vol. 20, edited by Ira Point Milne. Detroit: Gale,

Wyers, Frances. Miguel de Unamuno: The Contrary Self. London: Tamesis,