Unamuno, Poet of Doubts
Miguel de Unamuno, Spanish essayist, novelist, playwright and philosopher, has played a key role in enlightenment movement in Spain. Peace in War, Love and Pedagogy, The Mirror of Death, Mist, Abel Sanchez, Tulio Montalbán, Aunt Tula, Teresa and How To Make A Novel, Don Sandalio, Chess Player are among his popular works.
In a meeting organized by Alhoda Publishing Group and Iranian Artists Forum about this writer, Javier Ernandes, Persian Language professor of University of Barcelona, spoke about the importance of identifying the works of Unamuno to be acquainted with the modern literature and philosophy of Spain and added that Unamuno is one of the greatest philosophers and writers of Spain who lived before the civil war in Spain. His works are influenced by the existentialism literature and philosophy, which were dominant before the war in the country; accordingly, having information and knowledge about either literature or philosophy of post-war era is only possible through recognition of literary and philosophical works of such great scholars as Unamuno.
Another speaker of the ceremony was Najma Shobeiri, Spanish Language professor, who spoke about character and biography of Unamuno and said that Miguel de Unamuno was born in Bilbao, a port city of Basque Country, the son of Félix de Unamuno and Salomé Jugo. As a young man, he was interested in the Basque language and competed for a teaching position in the Instituto de Bilbao against Sabino Arana. Unamuno, who had lost his father in childhood, has been raised in a famine environment with his mother, grandmother and aunt. In this family, he never experiences childhood smile and joy because her mother wears black for the death of the father. Like many other writers, Unamuno lived in his father's library and near a scholar mother. Hence, he has strong emotions which can be felt through his poems. He served as the chancellor of University of Salamanca during cultural and political revolution in Spain. He was ousted by the government in 1924, which it was followed by the fierce contest of Spanish scholars. He lived in exile until 1930, first banished to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, from which he escaped to France. Unamuno returned to Spain after the fall of General Primo de Rivera's dictatorship in 1930 and took up his rectorship again. After collapse of Rivera's dictatorship, Spanish people experienced their Second Republic, a short struggle to control their country via democracy. He was a candidate for the small intellectual party Agrupación al Servicio de la República.
Elsewhere in her remarks, Shobeiri referred to the religious confliction of Unamuno and compared it with Hafiz's religious confliction. He even was upset for the fact that his name has been selected by the priest of the neighborhood. He suffers from conflicts and doubts all over his life; however, he remains as pious and religious man, with its all doubts, till death.
Shobeiri pointed out to Unamuno's Aunt Tula, in which he depicts a woman who is seriously bounded and noble. The story deals with two sisters who fall in love a man; but they do not want to prevent the other reach her love, the nobility is so outstanding that makes the reader giddy. One of sisters eventually marries the man and after a while dies and another one decides to raise her sister's five children but never accept to marry the man. For this university professor, the 20-year Unamuno is not different from the 70-year Unamuno and he repeats himself in his works.
She added that Unamuno's life has been filled with philosophical worries, as a philosopher says, "Unamuno's works are filled contest and deny and there are jumps from disappointment to hope." In fact it is the existentialist aspect of his works. He believed in what used to do. Although Unamuno was not a good poet, he can be listed as the committed poets of 19th century in Spain. He is referred to as the king of confliction; he believes while thinks unbelievably. His works are recognized with loneliness, as he says, "Here living is alone, you live alone and only feel muds and soils on your body." Although a cross was hanging over all rooms of Unamuno's house, he always denied the death and escaped from it. In other words, he had doubts on existence of God. His sources of philosophical thinking wereSchopenhauer's works and thoughts. There are many examples of confliction between faith and unfaith in his works. He has problem with time and never can rid of the dream of eternity and always asks why we need to approach the death over time?
