ABSTRACT
Coinciding with the rise of nationalistic sentiment in Europe in the nineteenth century and influenced by costumbrista aesthetics and themes, the género chico partook in the projection of Spain as an “imagined community” (Anderson 25).1 Whereas the genre’s main objective was to offer light entertainment, its plays also served as a platform where writers and music composers tackled the problems associated with constructing and maintaining the true Spanish national character.2 Nonetheless, the second half of the nineteenth century, the heyday of género chico, would not witness a unified and cohesive Spain. Fraught with constant political and social turmoil, this period saw the rapid succession of different government forms. When Isabel II’s chaotic reign came to a halt with the Revolution of 68, the ensuing brief reign of Amadeo I was followed by the also short-lived first Republic. Soon after, by the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1875 and the establishment of the turno pácifico-a type of government in which the conservative and liberal parties would alternate in power. Similarly, the formation of an organized urban working class during this time threatened the cultural hegemony of the recently empowered middle class and increased social instability. Catalan and Basque national identities experienced a revival as well, weakening the prospect for a unified Spanish identity.
