When Mexico began struggling for independence, as did other colonies at the time, these endeavors to break away from the Spanish homeland were reflected specially in the literature of the time, with very patriotic writings and poetry flaring national sentiment. Until this point in time, the Spanish Crown had forbidden fiction so it was only once the region had formally cut its ties with Spain that fictional works began to emerge. One of the first Mexican writers to publish a novel was José Joaquín Fernandez de Lizardi. This was also a time when literature and politics intermingled considerably.

In the late 19th century a literary movement known as modernism passed through Mexican literary circles. These modern writers, one of which was Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera, believed in “art for art's sake” and wrote on rare and exotic themes. Once this movement passed other trends influenced literature and social themes began being a central part of literary works.