Diario las Américas., 1958-04-08
Know thy
Nei9hbotI
By ANTONIO RUIZ

URUGUAY - Ihe literary lie
of Uruguay had its real start in
the early 18th. century. During
the colonial period, letters had
been limited largely to scientific,
educational and religious subjects.
The struggle for independence
produced Bartolome Hidalgo, sol
der, writer and first of the gau-
cho poets. A "Montevldeano" him
self, he introduced into verse the
language of the country folk. An.
dreS Lamas and the Argentine
emigre Miguel Cane founded the
newspaper 'El Iniciador" in 1888,
when romanticism was launched
on the Left Bank of the La Plata
River. Of the numerous romantic
poems based on the customs and
legends of native tribes in the Rio
de la Plata region, "Tabare," pub
lished in 1886 by Juan Zorrilla
de San Martin, is considered the
greatest.
This poem, describing the death
throes of the native race, has eros
sed the Uruguayan borders, until
now it represents to the world one
of the genuine epics of America.
The national poet of Uruguay, 70
rrilla de San Martin combined ro-
mantle liric sentiment with vigor-
Gus descriptions Of the wilderness,
of primitive Indian rites, and of
the Spanish conquest.
About the time "Tabare", ap-
peared, "ISmael," the first great
Uruguayan novel, was written by
Eduardo Acevedo Diaz. 1t was the
first of a series of historical ro-
mances. The influence of Europ-
can romantics is evident in all of
Acevedo Diaz works.
At the end of the 10Th century,
naturalism replaced romanticism
in Uruguayan letters. Realism and
objectivity became the rule of
writer's like Javier de Viana, mas
ter of tales of creole life. His no
wells and short stories are well do
cumented records of the harsh but
highly interesting life in the Uru-
guayan plains.
The realistic, psychological, phi
losophical and didactic novel
reached perfection in the hands
of Carlos ReyleS, who is far above
other modern Uruguay authors.
LA Raza de Cain (Race of Cain)
is probably the most ~forceful no
vel written by Reyles, who also
distinguished himself as an es-
Sayist and short story writer.
Although the poet and short
story writer Horacio Quiroga
spent much of his life in Argent
ma, he figures prominently in his
native Uruguayan literature. His
best-known books are "Cuentos
de Amor, de Locura y de Muerte"
(Tales of Love, Madness and
DEATH and eel Salvaje" (The Sa-
vase). Other good novelists and
short story writers are Francisco
ESplnola and Hitherto Hernandez.
With the presentation of mi
hlJo, ell Doctor" (My Son, the
Doctor) in 1903, Florencio San
chez brought the Uruguayan thea
tire to a flourishing era. The ma
turaliSt spirit of lola = pessimis-
tic, realistic and bitter - that is
present in Sanchez plays, is count
er-balanced by the authors ten
der pity for humanity. His fol-
lower, ErneSto Herrera, won a
place in the theatre, even though
he lived barely beyond adele
scense.
Notable modern %playwrights in
clude the novelist Jose P. Bellan,
Francisco Imhoff, Victor Perez Pc
TIT, who also was an important
critic and novelist, Carlos M.
Princivalle and Justine Zavala Mu-
noz. Prize-winning plays have al
so been written by Jose Maria de
Podesta, and by Carlos Denis Mo-
lima.
Spanish Version Page 3