Buero Vallejo’s “The Foundation”: A Critical Analysis
Buero Vallejo: A Critical Analysis of “The Foundation”
Biographical Notes
Born in Guadalajara in 1916, Buero Vallejo moved to Madrid to study art. However, the Spanish Civil War interrupted his studies. He joined the Republican side, was imprisoned, and sentenced to death. Released in 1949, he shifted his focus to literature. In that same year, his play “Historia de una escalera” (Story of a Staircase) won the Lope de Vega prize. In 1986, he was awarded the Cervantes Prize, Spain’s highest literary honor.
Stages of his Work
1) Realistic Stage
This stage features works centered around contemporary reality. The action unfolds in real-time, and the stage space represents a specific place. Events occur in chronological order. Buero Vallejo introduces innovative elements, such as using unconventional settings like a staircase or rooftop. Notable works from this stage include “Historia de una escalera,” “In the Burning Darkness,” and “Today is a Holiday.”
2) Phase of Historical Reflection
This phase comprises plays with historical subjects, using the past to reflect on the present. This approach allowed Buero Vallejo to circumvent censorship and reach a wider audience. Many authors adopted this technique, known as posibilismo. The plays are structured with individual scenes presented within the same act, creating discontinuity of time. The action is set in abstract locations. Buero Vallejo addresses the issue of Spain and its people’s destiny in an unjust society. Works from this period include “A Dreamer for a People,” “Las Meninas,” and “The Concert of San Ovidio.” At the end of this phase, he publishes transitional works like “The Double History of Doctor Valmy” and “The Skylight,” introducing intermediary characters who act as narrators, interrupting and commenting on the events.
3) Third Stage
In this stage, the action is presented from a subjective point of view. The audience experiences the story through the perspective of a character, often with a physical or psychological limitation. The viewer sees reality filtered through the protagonist’s perception. Important works include “The Sleep of Reason,” “Arrival of the Gods,” “The Detonation,” and “The Foundation.”
Since 1977, the year of “The Detonation,” Buero Vallejo continued to premiere plays, though some critics noted a thematic wear. However, he remains a major figure in Spanish theater. Tragedy is his preferred genre, expressing a coherent vision of the world and human existence. His theater is based on the need for truth, freedom, and hope. Therefore, his works, though often bitter and dark, ultimately convey a message of salvation.
“The Foundation”: An In-depth Look
“The Foundation” belongs to Buero Vallejo’s third stage, where the action is filtered through a character’s perspective, often with a physical or mental impairment. The viewer doesn’t see objective reality but rather the protagonist’s subjective experience. Although the play has a timeless quality, to fully understand it, one must consider the context of its premiere in 1974, during the latter years of Franco’s regime, following the assassination of Carrero Blanco. Buero Vallejo achieved innovative technical and structural approaches in this work.
Thematic Concerns
- The Search for Truth: Buero Vallejo exposes lies, particularly those perpetuated by oppressive structures that prevent individuals from living in truth. Recognizing a false reality can motivate a change in attitude and reveal the true meaning of the work. The characters must remove the veils of deception to understand that “wherever you go, you’re in jail.” However, this discovery shouldn’t lead to despair but rather inspire action and resistance.
- Freedom: The pursuit of truth is complex because individuals must not only desire truth but also have the power to access it. People are conditioned by their reality, limiting their responsibility for their actions. Tomás, a character in the play, has been an informer, but Asel sympathizes with him because he understands that under immense pressure, such as torture, human responses are not truly free.
- Madness: Madness or mental disturbance represents constraints that limit human freedom. These conditions prevent individuals from fully grasping their reality. Recognizing and overcoming these limitations becomes a heroic act. Tomás’s journey from his comfortable room in the Foundation to the dark prison cell exemplifies this struggle.
- Repudiation of Social and Political Injustices: The play’s themes resonate strongly when considering its 1974 premiere during the Franco regime, where dissent was harshly suppressed. Despite its timeless and universal qualities, “The Foundation” critiques the specific injustices of that era.
- The Force of Love and Friendship: These forces drive individuals to fight for freedom and choose truth over deception, helping them endure and overcome adversity.
Structure
The play can be viewed as a fable in two parts, each subdivided into two scenes. This division reflects the protagonist Tomás’s transformative process.
Two key processes unfold:
- From Foundation to Prison: Tomás’s journey through madness.
- From Prison to Freedom: Tomás discovers the truth, leading to Asel’s escape plan, the exposure of Max’s betrayal, and the transfer of Lino and Tomás to punishment cells. The play concludes with an open ending, leaving the characters’ fate uncertain.
The play also features a circular structure, beginning and ending with music from Rossini’s “William Tell.” The idyllic setting of the Foundation at the beginning mirrors the potential for hope at the end.
Technical Aspects
“The Foundation” boasts a meticulous construction. Buero Vallejo employs various dimensions to guide the audience through a series of changes that culminate in the play’s powerful conclusion. The “immersion effect” draws the viewer into Tomás’s experience, transitioning from the idyllic Foundation to the brutal reality of prison. The audience becomes Tomás, gradually uncovering the truth alongside him. This technique aligns with contemporary trends in storytelling, moving beyond objective narration. Buero Vallejo’s use of immersion and theatrical effects is highly effective, creating a sense of shared alienation and universalizing the play’s message. These effects suggest a complex and multifaceted understanding of the world.