DEATH IN THE LITERATURE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT

Abstract

This article examines representations of death in eighteenth-century literature, particularly within the Hispanic tradition, as expressions of the intellectual transformations brought about by Enlightenment thought. The central argument holds that, despite the Enlightenment’s emphasis on rationalism and scientific knowledge, death remained an unresolved concern that generated new literary, aesthetic, and moral discourses. Methodologically, the study employs a comparative textual analysis of narrative, poetic, and dramatic works, focusing on rhetorical strategies such as allegory, satire, irony, and corporeal description, and situating them within their philosophical and cultural context. The discussion addresses works by Joaquín Bolaños, José Cadalso, Thomas Gray, and José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, highlighting the shift from a predominantly religious conception of death toward a more physical understanding centered on bodily decay and the loss of worldly goods. The article also shows how eighteenth-century literature oscillates between moralizing intent, burlesque trivialization, and preromantic melancholy, thereby revealing tensions between faith, reason, and emerging sensibility. The scope of the study lies in demonstrating that these literary representations articulate a distinct Enlightenment aesthetics of death in Hispanic culture, where religious imagery persists while new scientific and existential concerns emerge, anticipating key features of modern thought.