Abstract:
Within the scope of literature written during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), I believe that the works of Arturo Barea (1897-1957), the press censor turned author, have been consistently overlooked and their importance underestimated, especially his collection of short stories, Valor y miedo (1938). Although other scholars have engaged with this material, few offer in-depth analyses, with many preferring to present a surface discussion of a wider selection of Barea’s literature. For these reasons, this study aims to provide a comprehensive dissection of eight short stories from Valor y miedo in relation to the issue of war trauma: “Servicio de noche,” “Piso trece,” “Sol,” “Argüelles,” “Bombas en la huerta,” “La mosca,” “Proeza” and “Refugio.” To support my discussion I will also address The Clash, the third part of Barea’s autobiographical trilogy, The Forging of a Rebel. This thesis crosses disciplinary boundaries in that, in addition to a literary analysis, it attends to the overarching themes of traumatic experience, the transmission of trauma, Barea’s potential diagnosis with either or both Acute Stress Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and the role of expressive writing as therapy for working through the symptoms of stress-related mental disorders. I aim to provide evidence that Barea’s desire to preserve historical memory and elevate “low”-class victims’ narratives began during the war itself and not in the postwar years. Given the current debate in Spain with respect to acknowledging the terms of the Ley de Memoria Histórica and the proposed exhumation of the dictator Francisco Franco’s body from the Valle de los Caídos, I consider this research highly relevant to Spain’s present sociopolitical climate.