NATIONALISM AND HISTORIC NOVEL IN 19th CENTURY SPAIN

Abstract

Literature served as a fundamental "tool" when it came to creating nationalist myths. The nationalist liberals of the 19th century formed their canon taking control of all the culture which had been used in favor of absolute monarchies and they gave it a new meaning. At the same time, they encouraged the emergence of new works based on the ideology they defended. The Romantic Movement was one of the factors which collaborated most in uniting literature with nationalism. Novel immediately converted into the best artistic expression of state nationalism and into the simplest way to expand it among growing number of people. On the other hand, the relationship between history and literature had been strong since Ancient History. In this regard, historical novel in the 19th century is assumed to renovate this connection, but it also turned out to be a new artistic form which woul dmake the past of nations public to readers in a pleasant way. Its objective was to raise interest in history combining credibility with entertainment, without just limiting itself to figures or dates.