The Rhetoric of Miguel De Unamuno's Newspaper
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“WITH WEAPONS OF BURNING WORDS”: THE RHETORIC OF MIGUEL DE UNAMUNO’S NEWSPAPER WRITINGS A Dissertation by ELIZABETH RAY EARLE Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Nathan Crick Committee Members, Leroy Dorsey Alberto Moreiras Randall Sumpter Head of Department, Kevin Barge August 2019 Major Subject: Communication Copyright 2019 Elizabeth Ray Earle ABSTRACT Although he was most famous for his books of fiction and philosophy, 20th century Spanish public intellectual Miguel de Unamuno also wrote a large body of newspaper articles in which he critiqued politics and society during his lifetime. Unamuno lived during a polarized time in Spanish history, and he witnessed many political and social conflicts, including the Third Carlist War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, a military dictatorship, the Second Spanish Republic, Franco’s military coup, and the Spanish Civil War. In the midst of this atmosphere of conflict and polarization, Unamuno used the medium of the newspaper to diagnose Spain’s problem and to present possible solutions. This project examines the rhetorical style that Unamuno developed in response to his political context, as he examined Spanish society and the various political regimes in Spain. As he defined the problem, Unamuno characterized it as one of ideology, excess rationalism, and inauthenticity. To solve this problem, Unamuno approached it in two ways. First, he acted as what he called an “idea-breaker,” or as one who assumes an attitude of skepticism and uses individual thought to break down ideas and dogma. Second, he created a unified collective consciousness in Spain through what he called intrahistory, or the history that occurs beneath the level of written history. Intrahistory comprises the everyday bonds between people, and Unamuno used this to build a community and a collective consciousness in the people of Spain. He did this through his use of language, descriptions of the physical environment, deep bonds of personal relationships, legends, and spiritual authenticity. ii For Jude. Love you more, locked. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “With Weapons of Burning Words” examines how Miguel de Unamuno used language to create a community and a unified collective spirit in his time. As I contemplate Unamuno’s relationship to his community and the importance of it to him, I cannot help but think about my own community of people near and far, the ways they have impacted me, and the bonds we share. I could not have completed this project without the support and assistance of many people who, in shaping me over the years, also shaped this work. First and foremost, none of this would have happened without the guidance of my mentor, teacher, and friend, Nathan Crick. Thank you for encouraging me to return to Spain. Thank you for always having an open door and an open ear. Thank you for the most honest feedback and for patiently showing me, draft by draft, the writing process. I cannot imagine where I would be if I had not walked into your office in 2012. I also owe a great deal of thanks to my exceptional committee members, Dr. Leroy Dorsey, Dr. Matthew May, Dr. Alberto Moreiras, and Dr. Randall Sumpter, for your input, your brilliance, and your guidance. Thank you to my writing consultant and friend, Julia Medhurst, for your many hours spent reading drafts and providing thoughtful suggestions. I am grateful for the support provided by all of the faculty and staff in the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University. The Universidad de Salamanca and the Casa-Museo Unamuno were sites of vital importance to this work. Thank you, especially, to Francisco Javier del Mazo Ruiz and Clemente Bernal Pérez, who daily helped me to locate any resource I could dream of, and to director Ana Chaguaceda Toledano for taking care of Unamuno’s memory so beautifully. iv Finally, I am especially indebted to my family. Jude, thank you for reminding me to be whimsical and to take play breaks, for making me smile, for giving me bone-crushers, for trekking around Spain with me, for helping me stay organized, for being my best cheerleader and my motivation during marathons and dissertations, and for being the type of person who wants to name their pet fish Aristotle and Unamuno. Thanks, also, to my parents, my father who instilled in me a love of history, academia, travel, and coffee, and my mother, who provided me with a sense of courage and who made this adventure possible. My brothers, Rick, Jim, and Randy and their families provide unwavering support and have always been near in spirit and heart. My sister, Carrie, was the person with whom I first experienced Spain’s magic. Thank you for coming to my rescue, for being the world’s most creative and lovely soul, and for reminding me to let miracles replace grievances. Many other friends, mentors, and colleagues form part of my community and indirectly influenced the shape of this work. I am grateful to you all for your steadfast support and inspiration. v CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES Contributors This work was supervised by a dissertation committee consisting of Professors Nathan Crick [advisor], Leroy Dorsey, and Randall Sumpter of the Department of Communication and Professor Alberto Moreiras of the Department of Hispanic Studies. All work conducted for this dissertation was completed by the student independently. Funding Sources Graduate study was supported by a Diversity Fellowship from the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGAPS) at Texas A&M University. Research in Spain was supported by the Aggies Commit Fellowship from OGAPS, a Summertime for Advancement in Research (STAR) Award from Texas A&M University, Professional Development Support Awards from the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University, and a Graduate Research Enhancement Grant from the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University. Dissertation writing and compilation was supported by a Dissertation Fellowship from OGAPS and a Graduate Research Fellowship from the Glasscock Center for Humanities Research at Texas A&M University. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. iv CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES .................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Method ................................................................................................................... 9 Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER II UNAMUNO’S OVIPAROUS GROWTH AS A WRITER ......................... 20 The History of the Spanish Press ..................................................................................... 29 The Formation of the Unamunian Spirit (1864-1876) ...................................................... 32 Development and First Manifestations of Public Intellectualism (1877-1890) ................. 36 Finding His Voice in Salamanca (1891-1897) ................................................................. 43 The Spanish-American War and the Creation of a Generation (1898-1913) ..................... 48 World War I, Neutrality, and Destitution (1914-1922) .................................................... 54 Dictatorship in Spain and Unamuno’s Exile (1923-1930) ................................................ 58 Return to Salamanca and the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1935)............................... 66 Civil War and Unamuno’s Legacy (1936) ....................................................................... 70 CHAPTER III A RHETORICAL APPROACH TO UNAMUNO’S NEWSPAPER WRITINGS ................................................................................................................... 76 The Press: Shaping Culture, Public Opinion, and Community ......................................... 79 A Rhetorical Approach to Intellectual History................................................................. 90 The Rhetorical Symbol ................................................................................................... 106 CHAPTER IV THE CHALLENGE OF SPAIN’S DOCTRINAL TENDENCY ................. 122 Unamuno’s Critique of the Press ..................................................................................... 124 The Press as Journalistic Machine ............................................................................. 124 The Doctrinal Tendency of the Press ......................................................................... 132 The Press as Linguistically Rancid ............................................................................ 139 vii Page Spain’s Exigences: Ideology, Rationalism, and Inauthenticity ......................................... 145 Ideology: Ideocracy, Common Sense, and the Tyranny of Ideas ................................ 146 The Authority of Rationalism and