Sobre el relato breve y sus nombres. Evolución de la nomenclatura española de la narración breve desde el Renacimiento hasta 1850

Abstract

In the 19th century the short story acquires authentic literary dimension. Nevertheless a common definition of the term does not exist and the short story adopts multitude of names, according to the taste or caprice of the author. The article analyzes, first, the terminological problems that the word “cuento” to designate to the brief story and in I make concrete his use to refer, well to a story of oral transmission, well to a history of fantastic character, independently of his extension or to a not literary manifestation. Secondly he analyzes the historical evolution of the definition of the kind of the short story, dividing her in two parts: until 1800 and from 1800 until 1850. The conclusion is that the authors who were writing shorts stories from 1800 to 1850, were lacking a theoretical base to begin his literary activity. The concept of narrative finish of appearing to the literary theories of the epoch but the differentiation of kind between novel and short story was not not insinuated..