Cultural Writing. LAtino/Latina Studies. The volume examines sixteen plays - eleven of which were lost until the author uncovered them in her research - from the period just before and during the Spanish-American War. O'Connor sheds light on the intellectual and political environment underlying the Spanish crisis of consicence that gave rise to the literature of the Generation of 1898 and gives insight into how the Spanish stage served as a potent propaganda vehicle. This history addresses conflicts between civic duty and family responsibility, racial prejudice, the roles of women and nationalism. One play frOm the period, Quince bajas!, is presented in its entirety.