An «orphaned bird». Moratín's correspondence in the Triennium

Abstract

The study of Moratín's epistolary during one of the most turbulent periods of Spanish life provides abundant details of his personal world, his ideological concerns and his political orientation. Of the almost four hundred letters contained in the documentary treasure, one hundred and twenty belong to the Triennium period and are repeatedly addressed to his friend Juan Antonio Melón, his attorney Manuel García de la Prada and the always unconditional Francisca Muñoz. As a whole, this private correspondence outlines the autobiographical construction and projects the image of an exceptional writer, an enlightened reformist and chronicler of a particular way of understanding life and enduring the years, political departure and exile. At some point, perhaps he thought that the banishment was transitory, but as time goes by, he naturally assumes the impossibility of return. Instead of boasting of patriotism or gigantic effort not to succumb, he prefers to revitalize his national ties through writing from a distance.