Analysis of Bernarda Alba’s House: Themes and Symbolism
Analysis of Bernarda Alba’s House
Character Analysis
Bernarda: An authoritarian, aggressive, and uncompromising character representing the oppressive social forces. She embodies traditional morality and is obsessed with appearances.
Poncia: The maid, sharing Bernarda’s age and traditional views, but also possessing a more nuanced understanding of the household dynamics.
Angustias: The eldest daughter, older, unattractive, and sickly, but wealthy, making her a desirable match despite her personal limitations.
Amelia and Magdalena: Two daughters who remain relatively passive, with Magdalena showing grief for their father and Amelia demonstrating submission to Bernarda’s authority.
Martirio: A complex character embodying resentment and jealousy, adding to the tense atmosphere of the household.
Adela: Represents passion, instinct, and the desire for freedom. Her rebellion against Bernarda’s rules ultimately leads to tragedy.
María Josefa: Bernarda’s mother, whose senility and madness allow her to challenge Bernarda’s authority and voice truths the others cannot.
Key Themes
Social Classes
The play highlights the rigid social hierarchy of the time, with Bernarda emphasizing the distinctions between classes and treating those below her with contempt. Her disdain for the poor underscores her obsession with status and appearances.
Role of Women
Lorca portrays the oppression faced by women in a patriarchal society. Bernarda enforces traditional gender roles, restricting her daughters’ freedoms and dictating their behavior. Adela’s rebellion against these constraints highlights the struggle for female autonomy.
Tradition and Repression
- Mourning: Bernarda imposes an excessive eight-year mourning period, stifling her daughters’ lives and highlighting the oppressive nature of tradition.
- Arranged Marriages: Angustias’s impending marriage to Pepe el Romano, motivated by financial considerations, exemplifies the limitations placed on women’s choices.
- Decency and Reputation: Bernarda’s obsession with maintaining a respectable facade underscores the societal pressures and constraints placed upon women.
- Conservative Morality: The emphasis on virginity, religion, and appearances reflects the restrictive moral code that governs the characters’ lives.
Authoritarianism
Bernarda’s tyrannical rule, symbolized by her cane, creates a suffocating atmosphere within the household. Her daughters live under constant surveillance and fear her harsh judgments.
Oppressive Society
The constant gossip and rumors within the village contribute to the oppressive environment. The characters are trapped in a web of social expectations and judgment, leading to hypocrisy and tension.
Desire for Freedom
While all the sisters yearn for freedom, Adela is the only one who actively rebels against Bernarda’s control. Her defiance represents the struggle against societal constraints and the pursuit of individual liberation.
Symbolism
- Water: Represents sexual desire and the life force. The lack of rivers and the presence of wells symbolize death and repression.
- The Moon: Associated with Adela’s passion and eroticism, contrasting with the darkness and confinement of the house.
- White and Black: White symbolizes life, freedom, and purity, while black represents death and religious fanaticism. The fading white walls of the house signify the loss of innocence.
- Green: Represents both rebellion and death, foreshadowing Adela’s tragic fate.
- The Stallion: Symbolizes Pepe el Romano’s virility and sexual allure, adding to the tension and desire within the household.
- The Cane: Represents Bernarda’s tyrannical power and the phallic symbol of male dominance.