THE TREE OF EARTH SCIENCE
Introduction
Pío Baroja was born in San Sebastián in 1872. In Madrid he studied medicine and the pain was doctorate with the thesis. Psychophysics study, but exercised a short time as a doctor, in Cestona. He returns to Madrid to run his aunt’s bakery, but his contacts with writers lead him to give himself fully to his literary vocation. After a series of collaborations in newspapers and magazines, he publishes his first books in 1900.
Until 1911, the date of the tree of science, publishes – in addition to stories, articles and essays – seventeen novels that constitute the most important of its production and published in trilogies whose titles are: Basque land, the fantastic life, the fight forLife, cities, race and sea. Apart from these trilogies, from 1913 to 1935 Baroja developed a more extensive narrative series, the titled Memoirs of a Man of Action. In 1935 he entered the Royal Academy of Language and died in 1956.
Developing
Baroja was a man of lonely and bitter mood, he himself attributes "an imbalance and a rabid man’s mood". This explains his pessimism about man and the world and yet Baroja is able to feel an immense tenderness for marginalized beings. And few like him have whipped human cruelty. In addition, his absolute sincerity caused his fame as a sullen and intractable individualist. Finally, although his hope in a better society was smaller every day, he always felt a great longing for action. The improvisation and energy he project in many of his characters opposed the bugues and gray life.
From his youth sympathies for anarchism, Baroja maintained a negative and critical attitude towards Spanish society. It is difficult to find in your works or statements proposals that can be considered as an alternative to what is rejected. The lack of a concrete political ideology, its aversion before any type of dogmas, and its radical pessimism in its vision of man and the world will lead him to a marked skepticism and to look indifferently at the deep changes that occur in the European society of the European society of theepoch.
Baroja does not believe in philosophical, political or sentimental solutions, although it does not reject the need and the value of the search. Defeat is also irrevocable. Although death does not intervene, it is clear that the characters will no longer return to the fight.
The generation of 98
Since the early twentieth century, the expression of existential concerns (product of the deep historical and cultural crisis) constitutes one of the most notable veins of European literature. The distressed questions about the human condition are often closely related to religious experiences. In Spain, religious and existential issues occupy a first order place in the work of the writings of 98, with Unamuno at the head. Pío Baroja addresses these concerns for Spanish society in the tree of science, 1911, whose title comes from those of the protagonist, Andrés Hurtado, with his uncle Iturrioz about the problem of knowledge. Andrés’ vital trajectory is narrated from his medical student to his final suicide.
This work has a strong autobiographical work, starting with the protagonist who suffers in his first rural destination similar to those that Baroja happened in Cestona. Andrés Hurtado has a crisis of consciousness very similar to those that the novelist had and his understanding of German philosophy coincides with that of Baroja. Booja also died a brother in Valencia and the places of study of the Madrid novel portray those who saw Baroja during the race. The philosophical concerns of the book are: the existentialist problem and the difficulty of reconciling beliefs and experiences, science and life.
Apparently it looks like a work made of accumulation of "pieces", presented without too much chronological concern. However, it has a very coherent structure always starting from the protagonist character Andrés Hurtado, depending on which the entire novel is articulated. The nuclei of the narration are:
- Childhood, quickly seen from the university time, as an explanation of its character.
- The medical student phase is training based on the experiences, the new relationships that he weaves and the discovery of his sister’s personality during Luisito’s illness.
- After the race and with an unknown future, Andrés reflects, tries to organize a system of scientific, philosophical, political, vital beliefs: unable to religious faith, begins the search for a secular faith, which does not find. Professional practice forces you to assume small ethical behaviors of salvation and discover that the vocational vacuum in the town and the displeasure in Madrid are joined to the previous existential disorientation.
- Finally comes the discovery of Lulu, and with it intimacy and liberation. So until he is dedicated to assume responsibility for freedom and happiness or unhappiness of others, in the person of his son. Given the fulfillment of his fears and in the face of loneliness and failure, Andrés fulfills his last resignation: suicide.
conclusion
Andrés’ life always runs inside small groups: the family, two or three friends and Lulu and his family. The family, like life, has difficult aspects to carry: the selfish, conservative and variable father, the drunk brother … however, it is in this nucleus where his future character develops. The religious fanaticism and the early death of his mother, the disaffection of his father, loneliness and lack of affinity with his brothers marked him and made him a retracted, independent and insecure child.
But also in the family he cope. Baroja’s tendency to loneliness and the flight of social and superficial contact, are revealed in Andrés’ dialogues with his uncle Iturrioz and marrying Lulu, when they are isolated at his house from which they just come out. This isolation allows you to achieve the most happiness moments.
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