The Workings of Memory

The process of modernization that occurred in Spanish society in the first decades of the twentieth century resulted in significant changes in all aspects of life, from economic and social structures to the emergence of new cultural modes and values. While these decades brought new opportunities for women and a degree of social and intellectual freedom, female writers and intellectuals in early twentieth-century Spain nevertheless encountered many obstacles in their efforts to transcend gender barriers and participate in the literary and cultural scene of the day. This book focuses on the life-writing produced by four women writers and intellectuals who were active in the Madrid cultural arena during this period: Carmen Baroja (1883-1950), Mar a Mart nez Sierra (1874-1974), Mar a Teresa Le&3243;n (1903-1988), and Concha M ndez (1898-1986). The study examines ways in which these writers portray their positioning in relation to dominant cultural models of the time and their engagement with political and social issues in a period of changing gender dynamics and political instability. In broader terms, this book examines the complex relationships between memory, writing, and identity, and thus contributes to the growing field of explorations of the workings of memory in narrative.