The Generation of ’27: Lorca and Spanish Literature
Federico García Lorca: Life and Works
Early Life and Influences
Federico García Lorca (Fuentevaqueros, 1898 – 1936) was a prominent Spanish poet, playwright, and theater director. Although he initially studied law, Lorca’s passion for music led him to Madrid, where he connected with the Generation of ’27, a group of influential Spanish writers and intellectuals. His travels to New York and Buenos Aires significantly impacted his artistic development.
Lorca’s work garnered both admiration and envy, reflecting the social and political tensions of pre-war Spain. His tragic death during the Spanish Civil War marked a significant loss for Spanish literature.
The Generation of ’27
The Generation of ’27 was a group of Spanish poets, including:
- Rafael Alberti
- Jorge Guillén
- Dámaso Alonso
- Gerardo Diego
- Vicente Aleixandre
- Luis Cernuda
- Emilio Prados
They shared a common aesthetic and intellectual vision, blending traditional Spanish poetry with avant-garde influences. The group’s gatherings and collaborations fostered a vibrant literary scene.
Characteristics of the Generation of ’27
The Generation of ’27’s poetry was characterized by a balance between opposing forces:
- Intellect and emotion
- Aesthetic purity and human authenticity
- Minority and vast company
- Secrecy and clarity
- The occult and the popular
- The universal and the Spanish
This balance between tradition and innovation is a defining feature of their work.
Lorca’s Literary Works
Poetry
Lorca’s major poetry collections include:
- Canciones (Songs)
- Poema del Cante Jondo (Poem of the Deep Song)
- Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Ballads)
- Poeta en Nueva York (Poet in New York)
- Diván del Tamarit
- Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías (Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías)
- Sonetos del Amor Oscuro (Sonnets of Dark Love)
Theater
Lorca’s theatrical production can be divided into three stages:
- Early Experiments: El maleficio de la mariposa (The Butterfly’s Evil Spell), Los títeres de Cachiporra (The Billy-Club Puppets), Mariana Pineda, El amor de Don Perlimplín con Belisa en su jardín (The Love of Don Perlimplín and Belisa in the Garden), La zapatera prodigiosa (The Shoemaker’s Prodigious Wife)
- Avant-Garde Experience: El público (The Public), Así que pasen cinco años (When Five Years Pass)
- Fullness: Bodas de sangre (Blood Wedding), Yerma, Doña Rosita la soltera (Doña Rosita the Spinster), La casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba)
Dramatic Techniques and Character Analysis in The House of Bernarda Alba
Setting and Time
The play takes place in a confined space, Bernarda Alba’s house, which symbolizes mourning, silence, and oppression. The use of color, particularly the contrast between white (light, life) and black (repression, death), reinforces the play’s themes. The outside world represents freedom and desire, contrasting with the suffocating atmosphere within the house.
The play’s action unfolds over a few hot summer days, compressing the traditional eight years of mourning into a single day. Lorca masterfully uses dialogue to create a sense of urgency and intensity.
Characters
- Bernarda: Represents authority, tyranny, and social conventions.
- Angustias: Bernarda’s eldest daughter, inherits a fortune but lacks passion.
- Magdalena: Represents submission and repressed desires.
- Amelia: Resigned, fearful, and shy.
- Martirio: Complex character with hidden passions.
- Adela: Embodies rebellion and vitality.
- María Josefa: Bernarda’s mother, her madness reveals the truth about the family’s oppression.
- La Poncia: The maid, provides commentary and advice.
- Pepe el Romano: The unseen object of desire, represents male dominance and female frustration.
The House of Bernarda Alba explores themes of female repression, desire for freedom, and the clash between tradition and individual will, making it a powerful and enduring work of Spanish literature.