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The Meaning of Space in Los bravos
Cross-Cultural Studies
2017,
46(), pp.173-197
DOI : 10.21049/ccs.2017.46..173
Publisher : Center for Cross Culture Studies
Research Area : Literature
DOI : 10.21049/ccs.2017.46..173
Publisher : Center for Cross Culture Studies
Research Area : Literature
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The present work aims to analyze the concept of space in Jesús Fernández Santos’ work Los bravos. Throughout its pages, one can observe the multidimensional possibilities of space in literature. Throughout time, the concept of literary space has developed and it has been modified constantly in order to meet the needs required for the evolution of narratology. In the past, Aristotle stated that space is the place where characters and physical objects happen to exist. This remained almost unchanged until the Renaissance. In the 19 th century, space stopped being considered just a mere scene where the action takes place as it was given more importance by romantic authors in their works. Realism intensified the spaces as the interior of the house. In fact, the descriptions of space became more important. In this article, I focus on the various meanings of space in the novel Los bravos. First, I analyze the dichotomy between real and ideal spaces, and continue with the cathartic dimension of the fictional space. Then, I present and analyze the opposition between urban and rustic spaces in this novel, and, finally, I show the confrontation between the spaces of men and women. Through this analysis, we can observe that characters have a space where they feel more comfortable and how, occasionally, they leave their “usual space of action” to reach their “ideal place”. Women want to stay in their kitchen to chat with each other, while men prefer to leave the house to visit a cafe with their colleagues. The door and the window divide the border of the worlds of men and women. However, that line is not only dividing the structure of the house, but it is also of a psychological house.
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