Articulating the nation. María by Ayguals de Izco and the Spanish nationalization (1845-1850)

Main Article Content

Xavier Andreu Miralles
Recent studies on nationalism have highlighted the narrativity of national identities and the need to question elitist theoretical models of nation-building. In this article, the author draws on these new proposals and on the concept of "articulation" by Michael Kennedy and Ronald Suny in order to study the interaction between nationalist intellectuals and their public. It analyzes one of the most popular and successfull novels of mid-nineteenth-century Spain, María, la hija de un jornalero (1845-1846) by Wenceslao Ayguals de Izco. Firstly, the article studies the nationalization in the novel of some languages (honor, love, religion) that were easily recognizable by the readers. Afterwards it analyzes the narrative strategies used by Ayguals that contributed to read the novel in a national way. Finally it reflects on the social scope of this novel.
Keywords
Nation-building, Intellectuals, Spain, Ayguals de Izco, Serial novel

Article Details

How to Cite
Andreu Miralles, Xavier. “Articulating the nation. <em>María</em> by Ayguals de Izco and the Spanish nationalization (1845-1850)”. Rubrica Contemporanea, vol.VOL 6, no. 11, pp. 25-43, https://raco.cat/index.php/rubrica/article/view/326903.
Author Biography

Xavier Andreu Miralles, Universitat de València

Postdoctoral researcher at University of Valencia, Departament of Modern History.