Bazan and Naturalism

As Profa. Haidt mentioned, Bazan's short stories can fit into two categories; ones where social conditions destroy the characters and others that recount an interesting event. However, all of them represent Naturalism. This was apparent as I read Cuentos de la Tierra. Abuse, death, infidelity, murder, greed, etc. are real life experiences. I connected personally with these stories more than the other works we have read. One aspect about Bazan's stories that I found interesting was her incorporation of morals in some, but not in others. For example, the irony in "Reconciliados" is meant to show how it doesn't matter that you won a petty argument once you've passed on. Everyone – both the hero and the villain - will die. That is real life. However, in "El Panuelo" there is no justice. That is also real life. But there appears to be no moral either. What can the reader take away from the story other than simply the inevitability of harsh reality? Relatives die, poverty causes struggles and natural accidents happen. “El Panuelo” is definitely an example of the destruction that social conditions can cause. It’s almost as if Bazan is saying, “I know it’s horribly depressing to read about an orphan dying while trying to make a living, but that’s the way life works.” I think that theme is present throughout all of the stories, but some of them have a moralistic tone. I suppose morals exist in real life too though. All in all, as a Naturalist Emilia Pardo Bazan did an excellent job.