Analysis of Female Characters in Lorca’s Works
Lorca’s Female Characters: A Study
Lorca’s female characters stand out for their depth and well-developed nature. Lorca’s success is amplified by the subtle suppression of the male figures, around which all the passions and resentments within the work arise.
We can classify the characters of The House of Bernarda Alba based on several criteria:
Character Classification by Name
- Characters with symbolic names: Bernarda (meaning “bear strength”), Magdalena (suggesting a tendency to mourn), Adela (of noble character), Amelia (lacking grace).
- Characters with descriptive names: Such as the reapers, the notary, or generic figures like the woman in sequins.
Character Classification by Appearance
- Visible characters: Those present on the scene and included in the initial cast (protagonists and secondary characters).
- Invisible characters: Those not physically present but who influence the development of the action (Pepe el Romano, the reapers).
- Alluded characters: Anecdotal characters (Enrique Humanes, the Rosetta Paca).
Even though the male characters are absent, their dramatic importance is undeniable. The character of Pepe el Romano is fundamental, presented as a Don Juan figure, yet motivated by self-interest. This duality largely supports the tragic development of the action.
Key Characters
- Bernarda: Represents authority and power, embodying the most retrograde social conventions of Spanish tradition. She is also characterized by her excessive pride. Bernarda assumes the male role after being widowed. In terms of sexuality, she defends the traditional conception of female decency, honor, and virginity. Sexual repression is the trigger for dramatic conflict.
- The Daughters: All are obsessed with eroticism and long for marriage.
The Daughters of Bernarda Alba
- Angustias (39): The daughter from Bernarda’s first marriage, she inherited a large fortune, which attracts Pepe el Romano. There is no passion or illusion in their relationship.
- Magdalena (30): Shows signs of submission. She seems to be the smartest of the sisters and is the only one to openly express the truth that weighs on the house: “We are rotting because of what people say.”
- Martirio (24): Sickly, deformed, and tormented, she lives between childhood trauma and repressed sexual desire. This passion unleashes her jealousy of Adela.
- Amelia (27): The most indistinct of the sisters. She maintains a close relationship with Martirio, sharing more harmony and love than with the other sisters.
- Adela (20): The embodiment of rebellion against Bernarda’s dictatorship. She is young, beautiful, passionate, and honest. She does not submit to her mother and defends her right to sexual freedom, placing love above money, honor, and decency. Only death can achieve her release.
Other Characters
- María Josefa (80): Bernarda’s mother. She lives locked in a room, becoming, through her madness, a spokesperson for a common desire: freedom, marriage, and motherhood.
- La Poncia: Bernarda’s maid. Involved in the conflict, she offers warnings and advice, resenting Bernarda’s status. She is governed, like Bernarda, by a code of decency. Her foul language, marked by rustic wisdom, is notable.
- Pepe el Romano: The embodiment of the male figure. In contrast to the image the women of the play have of him, the audience sees him with negative connotations: he is self-interested and cowardly.
Relationships Among the Characters
- Relationship between mistress and maid: hatred and class resentment.
- Mother-daughter relationship: authoritarianism and rigidity vs. desire.
- Relations between sisters: hatred and envy.
- Relations between Bernarda and her neighbors: fear and mutual hatred.
Character Customization
- Indirect: through dialogue.
- Self-definition of the characters.
- Language (slang for Poncia).
- Movement of the characters in the scene.
- Characterization of the objects (stick, fan, sheep).
In short, Lorca attempts to characterize his characters in such a way that the simple story rises to the universal category of the human condition.