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Literary Movements from Modernisme to Postmodernism

Code: 105835
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics FB 1
English and Catalan Studies OB 1
Catalan and Spanish Studies FB 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
Josep Sanz Datzira
Email :
josep.sanz@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Clàudia Serra Gómez

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There is no previous requirement in order to take this course.

Objectives

Propaedeutic course. Introductory overview of Catalan literary movements throughout the 20th century and their relationship with current cultural movements. The training objective of this course is the acquisition of the skills to contextualize the great movements and currents of 20th century Catalan literature in the context of universal literary traditions. In addition, students will gain familiarity with the fundamental bibliography of the period and with the reading strategies that will allow them to elaborate a critical discourse.

Learning outcomes

  1. Write text commentaries from a critical standpoint.
  2. Identify principal and secondary ideas and express them using correct language.
  3. Identify the relationships between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  4. Identify the key elements of Western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day.
  5. Comment on literary texts, using the instruments acquired, with regard to the historical, social and cultural context.
  6. Critically interpret literary works, taking into account the relationships between the different areas within literature and their relationship to humanistic, artistic and social areas.
  7. Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
  8. Use technological resources (digital and audiovisual) to acquire knowledge and apply it in language and literature.
  9. Produce written work and oral presentations that are effective and framed in the appropriate register.
  10. Gain a greater capacity for reading, interpreting and critically analysing literary and linguistic texts.
  11. Make appropriate use of the knowledge acquired in order to collect data and handle documentary sources in the study of Catalan language and literature.
  12. Respect the opinions, values, behaviour and customs of others.
  13. Plan, organise and carry out work in a team.
  14. Use IT tools and be able to consult specific documentary sources.
  15. Master oral and written expression in Catalan.
  16. Produce work in accordance with academic ethics.
  17. Produce critical texts on the main trends, the most significant authors and the most representative works in Catalan literature.
  18. Describe the historical context of contemporary Catalan literature and relate works to their historical and cultural context.
  19. Interpret Western cultural tradition from the 19th century to the present day, pinpointing features of the Western tradition in a contemporary text.
  20. Present and explain overall perspectives on phenomena of contemporary Catalan literature.
  21. Discern the sex/gender factor in the configuration of the literary canon.
  22. Identify the main and secondary ideas and express them with linguistic correctness.
  23. Strengthen the capacity of reading, interpretation and critical analysis of literary texts and language.
  24. Properly apply the knowledge gained to data collection and management of documentary sources application to the study of Catalan language and literature.
  25. Produce written and oral texts with correction rules.
  26. Maintain an attitude of respect for the opinions, values, behaviors and practices of others.
  27. Identify relationships between literature and history, art and other cultural movements.
  28. Comment on literary texts, apply the acquired tools and take into account the historical and sociocultural context.
  29. Critically interpret literary works take into account the relationships between different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  30. Apply the tools and know consult the specific documentary sources.
  31. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  32. Identifying the relationships of literature with history, art or other cultural movements.
  33. Identifying the key elements of the Western culture from the 19th century to the present.
  34. Commenting on literary texts, applying the acquired tools and taking into account the historical and sociocultural context.
  35. Critically interpreting literary works taking into account the relationships between the different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  36. Demonstrate knowledge of the topics related to the study of literature and its methods of analysis.
  37. Apply the tools and know consult the documentary sources.

Contents

1. The concepts of period and literary movement


1.1. Theoretical approaches to literary history


1.2. The movements of contemporary Catalan literature in literary histories


2. Emergence and development of Modernisme


2.1. The definitions of the movement


2.2. Modernisme and the contemporary Catalan literary field


2.3. Aesthetic and ideological diversity


3. Emergence and development of Noucentisme


3.1. The definitions of the movement


3.2. Literary genres


4. The avant-garde


4.1. Definition of literary avant-garde


4.2. The Catalan avant-garde


4.3. The avant-garde and literary periods


5. The interwar literary movements (1920s and 1930s)


5.1. The plurality of movements


5.2. Literary ideas and groups of authors


5.3. Women and literature


6. War, postwar period and exile


6.1. Historical circumstances and literary movements


6.2. Literary ideas and groups of authors


6.3. Diaspora and cultural organisation


7. The Catalan literary system during Historical Realism


8. Postmodernity and postmodernism


8.1. Definitions of the postmodern period


8.2. Literary trends and cultural market



Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Collective written commentary on theoretical, critical and literary texts 20.5 0.82
Sources and documentary resources 15 0.6 8, 10, 14, 21, 23, 37
Mentoring. Supervision of exercises 10 0.4
Oral presentation of readings of theoretical and critical texts 13 0.52
Personal study 35 1.4
Teacher's exhibition of program points and contextualization of readings 22.5 0.9
Discussion of theoretical, critical and literary texts 22 0.88

The subject is distributed in theoretical sessions and reading seminars that can be flipped classroom. The theoretical sessions have a panoramic and contextualizing character and include the commentary of criticism and theoretical texts. The reading sessions prepare the student for oral presentations. Tutorials are applied to follow up on written assignments.

The calendar will be available on the first day of class. Students will find all information on the Virtual Campus: the description of the activities, teaching materials, and any necessary information for the proper follow-up of the subject.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Final written test of the studied contents 50 % 1.5 0.06 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20, 24, 27, 31
Reading seminar and group work 20 % 8 0.32 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 36, 37
Exercise-questionnaire about theoretical aspects of the subject 5 % 1 0.04 3, 10, 18, 19, 23, 27, 32, 33, 36
Individual literary commentary 25 % 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35


Activities

Continuous assessment

Exercise-questionnaire about theoretical aspects of the subject: 5%

Individual literary commentary: 25%

Final written test of the studied contents: 50%

Group work and In-Class activities on reading seminars: 20%



Unique assessment is not available.

At the end of each evaluation activity information of the procedure and date of qualifications review will be provided (via Moodle).

The final grade of the evaluation is the average grade of each activity (0 for unperformed activities). In order to pass the course, a minimum overall grade of 5 must be obtained. Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed in any of its phases. Any work that includes fragments generated with AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment.


Recovery

In order to do the recovery the student must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities that amounts to at least two-thirds of the total qualification of the course.

Recovery canbe done only if the overall grade is between 3.5 and 4.9. The final written exam can be reassessed.


Exchange students


Exchange students who request to sit an exam early must submit to the lecturer a written document from their home university justifying their request.



Bibliography

1. Theoretical studies

Bourdieu, Pierre, Las reglas del arte. Génesis y estructura del campo literario, Barcelona: Anagrama, 2010.

Even-Zohar, Itamar, Polisistemas de cultura, 2007 https://www.tau.ac.il/~itamarez/works/papers/trabajos/polisistemas_de_cultura2007.pdf. Obres en diverses llengües: https://www.tau.ac.il/~itamarez/ez-publications.htm i en català: https://www.tau.ac.il/~itamarez/works/papers/trabajos/index.html

Gutiérrez Carbajo, Francisco, Movimientos y épocas literarias, Madrid: UNED, 2002.

Jameson, Fredric, El Posmodernismo o la lógica cultural del capitalismo avanzado, Barcelona: Paidós, 2002.

Lyotard, Jean-François, La condició postmoderna. Informe sobre el saber, Barcelona: Angle, 2004.

Wellek, René; Warren, Austin, Teoría literaria, Madrid: Gredos, 2009 [1953].

2. History of Catalan literature

Bordons, Glòria; Subirana, Jaume (ed.), Literatura catalana contemporània, Barcelona: Edicions de la Universitat Oberta / Proa, 1999.

Bou, Enric (dir.), Nou diccionari 62 dela literatura catalana, Barcelona: Edicions 62, 2000.

Bou, Enric (dir.), Panorama crític de la literatura catalana. Segle XX, vol. V i VI, Barcelona: Vicens Vives, 2010 i 2009.

Broch, Àlex (dir.), Diccionari de la literatura catalana, Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2008.

Carbó, Ferran; Simbor, Vicent, Literatura catalana del siglo XX, Madrid: Síntesis, 2005.

Castellanos, Jordi (ed.), Guia de literatura catalana contemporània, Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1973.

Castellanos, Jordi & Marrugat, Jordi (dir.), Història de la literatura catalana. Literatura contemporània II. Modernisme. Noucentisme. Avantguardes, Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana / Barcino / Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2020.

Castellanos, Jordi & Marrugat, Jordi (dir.), Història de la literatura catalana. Literatura contemporània III. Del 1922 al 1959, Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana / Barcino / Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2021.

Fuster, Joan, Literatura catalana contemporània, Barcelona: Curial, 1972.

Malé, Jordi, Història de les històries de la literatura catalana, EDIUOC, PID_00167451: http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/

Massot i Muntaner, Josep, «La historia de la literatura catalana als Països Catalans», dins Escriptors i erudits contemporanis, Barcelona: PAM, 1996, p. 273-281.

Molas, Joaquim (dir.), Històriade la literatura catalana. Part moderna, vols. VIII, IX, X i XI, Barcelona: Ariel, 1986-1988.

Molas, Joaquim, «Sobre la periodització en les històries generals de la literatura catalana», dins Sobre la construcció de la literatura catalana, Palma: Lleonard Muntaner, 2010, p. 73-93.


3. Catalan literary movements (20th-21st centuries)

Modernisme and Noucentisme

Diversos Autors, «El Modernisme. Un entusiasme», Serra d’Or, núm. 135, desembre 1970: http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/serra_dor/obra-visor/any-xii-num-135-desembre-1970/html/

Castellanos, Jordi, «Modernisme i Noucentisme», L’Avenç, núm. 25, març 1980, p. 26-51.

Castellanos, Jordi, «El Noucentisme: ideologia i estètica», dins Aulet, Jaume (dir.), El Noucentisme. Cicle de conferències fet a la Institució cultural del CIC de Terrassa curs 1984/85, Barcelona: PAM, 1987, p. 19-39.

Castellanos, Jordi, El Modernisme. Selecció de textos, Barcelona: Les Naus d’Empúries, 1988.

Castellanos, Jordi, «Modernitat, Modernisme i la invenció de la història de la literatura catalana», dins Panyella, Ramon (ed.), Concepcions i discursos sobre la modernitat en laliteratura catalana dels segles XIX i XX, Lleida: GELCC / Punctum, 2010, p. 223-245.

Marfany, Joan Lluís, «Modernisme i noucentisme, amb algunes consideracions sobre el concepte de moviment cultural», Els Marges, núm. 26, 1982, p. 31-42: https://www.raco.cat/index.php/Marges/article/view/108221

Marfany, Joan-Lluís, Aspectes del Modernisme, Barcelona: Curial, 1984.

Molas, Joaquim, «Segona història del Modernisme», dins Garcia i Espuche, Albert (dir.), El Modernisme, Barcelona: Olimpíada Cultura / Lunwerg, vol. I, 1990, p. 27-31.

Murgades, Josep, «Assaig de revisió del noucentisme», Els Marges, núm. 7, 1976, p. 35-53: https://www.raco.cat/index.php/Marges/article/view/98702

Murgades, Josep, Escrits sobre Noucentisme. Barcelona: Edicions UB, 2022.

Panyella, Vinyet, Cronologia del Noucentisme (Una eina), Barcelona: PAM, 1996.

Peran, Martí (dir.), El Noucentisme. Un projecte de modernitat, Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana, 1994.

Vallcorba, Jaume, Noucentisme, mediterraneisme i classicisme, Barcelona:Quaderns Crema, 1994.

Avant-garde and interwar movements

Diversos Autors, «Les avantguardes a Catalunya (1914-1936)», L’Avenç, núm. 19, setembre 1979, p. 17-48.

Diversos Autors, Els anys vint en els Països Catalans (Noucentisme / Avantguarda), Barcelona: PAM, 1997.

Diversos Autors, Avantguardes a Catalunya 1906-1939, Barcelona: Fundació Caixa de Catalunya / Olimpíada Cultural Barcelona'92, DL 1992.

Foguet, Francesc i Gassol, Olívia (eds.), L'humor constructiu. Vindicació de la Colla de Sabadell: Joan Oliver, Francesc Trabal i Armand Obiols.

Barcelona: Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat, 2020.

Malé, Jordi, Les idees literàries al període d’entreguerres. Antologia de textos, Lleida: Pagès, 2011.

Malé, Jordi; Borràs, Laura (ed.), Poètiques catalanes del segle XX, Barcelona: UOC, 2008.

Molas,Joaquim, La literatura d’avantguarda (1916-1938), Barcelona: Antoni Bosch, 1983.


War, postwar period and exile

Diversos Autors, Literatura de la guerra civil. Memòria i ficció, Lleida: Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs, 2002.

Campillo, Maria (ed.), Llegir l’exili, Barcelona: L’Avenç, 2011.

Guillamon, Julià, El dia revolt. Literatura catalana de l’exili, Barcelona: Empúries, 2008.

Molas, Joaquim, La literatura de postguerra, Barcelona: Dalmau, 1966.

Samsó, Joan, La cultura catalana: entre la clandestinitat i la represa pública (1929-1951), 2 vol., Barcelona: PAM, 1994.

Vall, Xavier, L’existencialisme en la literatura catalana durant el franquisme, Catalonia, núm. 7, 2010: https://crimic-sorbonne.fr/img/pdf/vall.pdf

Vallverdú, Marta, Seixantisme. L’esclat cultural català dels 60. Barcelona: L'Avenç, 2023


'Realisme històric'

Castellet, Josep M.; Molas, Joaquim, Poesia catalana del segle XX, Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1963.

Martinez-Gil, Víctor (ed.), Una Terra, més enllà. Històries catalanes de ciència-ficció durant la guerra freda i el franquisme. Barcelona: Sfabula, 2023.

Vallverdú, Marta, «El Realisme Històric. L’agitació cultural dels anys seixanta», L’Avenç, núm. 385, novembre 2012, p. 28-43.


Postmodernity and postmodernism

Broch, Àlex, Literatura catalana dels anys setanta, Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1980.

Broch, Àlex, Literatura catalana dels anys vuitanta, Barcelona: Edicions 62, 1991.

Guillamon, Julià, La ciutat interrompuda, Barcelona: Anagrama, 2019 [2001].

Marrugat, Jordi, «L’escriptor català i la societat postfranquista. Models de relació de l’escriptor català amb la seva societat des de la fi del franquisme fins als nostres dies», I i II, Revista de Catalunya,núm. 234, 2007, p. 9-41 i núm. 235, 2008, p. 9-32.

Marrugat, Jordi; Martínez-Gil, Víctor i Santamaria, Núria (eds.), Literatura catalana de la postmodernitat I i II. Barcelona: Edicions UB, 2025.

Martínez-Gil, Víctor, «El lloc de la literatura en la societat postmoderna», dins Culla i Clarà, Joan B. (dir.), Història Política, Societat i Cultura dels PaïsosCatalans, vol. XII. Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana, 1999: p. 314-323.

Martínez-Gil, Víctor, «Els escriptors com a intel·lectuals postmoderns», dins Panyella, Ramon; Marrugat, Jordi (ed.), L’escriptor i la seva imatge. Contribució a lahistòria dels intel·lectuals en la literatura catalana contemporània, Barcelona: L’Avenç, 2006, p. 299-322.

Muntaner, Maria, et al. (ed.), Poètiques de ruptura, Palma: Lleonard Muntaner, 2008.

Orja, Joan, Fahrenheit 212. Una aproximació a la literatura catalana recent, Barcelona: La Magrana, 1989.

Pi de Cabanyes, Oriol; Graells, Guillem-Jordi, La generació literària dels 70. 25 escriptors nascuts entre 1939-1949, Barcelona: Institució de les Lletres Catalanes, 2004 [19711].

Rourera, Jordi, «Del nyap il·legible a la novel·la execrable. La “polèmica Carner” i altres manifestacions antinoucentistes dels Imparables», Els Marges, núm. 81, 2007, p. 107-20: https://www.raco.cat/index.php/Marges/article/view/142110


Webography

Traces. Bases de dades de llengua i literatura catalanes:http://traces.uab.cat/

lletrA. La literatura catalana a Internet-UOC: https://lletra.uoc.edu/

Associació d’escriptors en llengua catalana:https://www.escriptors.cat/autors

Short literary works will be proposed to be read during the course.

Software

   

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed