Ideology of liberalism and traditionalism in the novels of Leopoldo Alas Clarín

Ph.D. thesis Ideology of liberalism and traditionalism in the novels of Leopoldo Alas Clarín is based on the analysis of ideological horizons of Leopoldo Alas Clarin (1852- 1901). He was a Spanish classic of realism and naturalism, a literary critic and an intellectual with broad interests as well as a meticulous observer and witness of the époque he was creating in. His literary works, especially novels, served as a polygon for ideological fight of Clarín, the liberal, with progressive worldview, against traditionalism, paradigm of ’the Spanish problem’ and illusory socio-political consensus in the period of The Restoration of the Spanish monarchy (1875-1923). The study is based on the basic attitude that literature is social institution which represents life. This attitude doesn’t have to be true if by this we mean that literature in each given time duly reflects current social situation. However, the writer doesn’t express entirety and totality of relationships in the society of one period, but he expresses himself as an individual whose ideology can be based on biographical, cultural and social grounds. We can accept the thesis that literary work, especially the novel of the 19th century, represents a place of reflection and realization of the specific ruling ideology although it is methodologically, theoretically and philosophically more correct to thoroughly examine this assumption. In that case, literature and novel represent the scene of disclosure and revealing of ideology as something relative and reconsidered. Using pluralistic, theoretical approach, this Ph.D. thesis aims to place Leopoldo Alas Clarín on the political, social, literary-theoretical and intellectual map of Spain in the 1870s and 1880s. The aim of the study is to represent author’s dominant, liberal ideology that is present on the several levels in his literary opus and especially in the novels La Regenta and Su único hijo. His clearly liberal ideology gives ground to some opinions and worldview of ruling, dominant majority, yielding under pressure of traditionalism and clericalism..