The representation of prostitution in Cela and Martín-Santos’s literature during Spain’s first Francoism

Abstract

The representation of the prostitutional world during the first Francoism is always embedded in the illustration of the dropouts; its aim being to cast a light on the indescribable. Moving away from the politically correct fiction depicts a vision of prostitution, sometimes contrasting with reality. Studying novel writers such as Cela and Martín-Santos reveals to be of great interest since both writers, with noticeably different narrative technics, offer a critical and denunciatory vision of the Spanish society as well as of the gloomy prostitutional world. However, fiction will never fill in the numerous gaps that exist in the history of prostitution during that time. Indeed, the referential illusion that defines fiction, forbids its use as a historical document, which does not decrease the significance of the literary substratum.