The Emergence and Development of Comparative Literature in Spain

Although modern Spain has established relations with the European Union and has opened her political and economic doors to the rest of the world, the comparative literature used to be considered marginal. This article reviews and analyzes the causes of its marginalization and based on past and current status of comparative literature in this country predicts its future. Lack of attention to comparative literature in Spain has its roots in the decline of her political and economic power over Spanish colonies, domination of fascist regimes, closed doors to other countries, and involvement in civil wars. Fearing to lose their national literary identity, made Spanish researchers hesitant to adapt new theories of comparative literature as expressed in other parts of the world. Another reason is the multiplicity of languages and literatures in different regions of Spain, which has caused serious conflicts and disagreements among authors and poets. Regional authors usually claimed that the culturalidentity of Spain belonged to them and this created a gap between different languages and literatures of various regions. Thus, comparative literature was neglected as a discipline. From midtwentieth century with the establishment of the Comparative Literature Association of Spain, the number of comparative literature programs increased in the Spanish universities as well, and the researches of the prominent Spanish scholars, like Claudio Guillén, revived the academic life of this discipline in Spain.