The House of Bernarda Alba: A Feminist Analysis of Repression and Rebellion
The Characters in The House of Bernarda Alba
We must distinguish between three types of characters in the play:
- Visible characters (on stage): Starring: Bernarda, her daughters (Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio, and Adela), Maria Josefa, and Poncia. Secondary: Maid, Beggar, Prudence, Girl, and Women (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th).
- Invisible characters (not appearing on stage but affecting the development of the action): Pepe el Romano, La hija de la Librada, and the reapers.
- Referred to characters (characters mentioned for some peculiarity, or part of a story): Antonio Maria Benavides, Enrique Humanes, Paca la Roseta, Woman of the sequins, Don Arturo (the notary), and the man with the lace.
Bernarda is the repressive force, subject to old and outdated approaches. She represents criticism and is depicted with a cane on stage, exhibiting male attitudes. She opposes the erotic impulses of her daughters, prioritizing “honor” and “decency,” obsessing over virginity and appearances. Bernarda seeks to impose her point of view at all times. She believes she belongs to a higher social class and forbids her daughters from marrying men from the village. She wants to ban everything that deviates from her rigid life design, based on the principle of authority and the exercise of power, even if it’s unfair.
Angustias, the oldest daughter, is set to be married and is heir to a fortune that attracts men, including Pepe el Romano. She is portrayed as aesthetically unfortunate and lacks passion or enthusiasm for the marriage. However, it’s her only escape from imprisonment.
Magdalena, 30 years old, represents submission and acceptance of the situation. She occasionally curses the societal expectations imposed on women. Amelia, 27 years old, is shy, resigned, and plays a minor role. Martirio, 24 years old, is described as ugly, sick, hunchbacked, self-conscious, and aggressive. She is a tough nut to crack with a quick temper.
Adela, 20 years old, embodies rebellion. She is the youngest, prettiest, and the “unbroken mule.” Adela is determined to pursue her love for Pepe el Romano, even though he remains offstage. This ultimately leads to her suicide after believing Pepe is dead. As a rebel, she wears a green dress to oppose the strict black attire imposed by her mother. Adela is willing to defy her mother’s laws and break free from her control.
Maria Josefa, the grandmother, appears eccentric and foolish. While she occasionally appears on stage, she reveals the problems afflicting her granddaughters, such as their imprisonment, frustration, desire for marriage, motherhood, and freedom. Her perceived madness allows her to express her longing for freedom and confront Bernarda’s tyranny.
Poncia, through her dialogues with Bernarda, reveals the house’s past and the ongoing conflicts. Full of wisdom and common sense, she offers advice that Bernarda, deaf to any suggestions, ignores. The maid and some neighbors hold less significance in this “drama of women in Spain” (the play’s subtitle).
Main and Secondary Themes in The House of Bernarda Alba
Clash Between Authoritarianism and the Desire for Freedom
The play highlights the clash between Bernarda’s authoritarianism, which attempts to impose oppressive norms based on her position as “head of the household,” and the yearning for freedom, primarily embodied by Maria Josefa and Adela.
Hatred and Envy
Human relationships are dominated by hatred and envy. Bernarda is hated by the maids and neighbors; Angustias is hated and envied by her sisters; Adela accuses Martirio of jealousy, envy, and hatred. Women, locked in a hostile and savage environment, are driven to harbor intense feelings of hatred and envy due to their unfulfilled desires for love and freedom.
Social Criticism
Lorca critiques the Spanish society of his time, exposing social injustice, class differences, pride, and cruelty governing human relationships. Relationships are hierarchical and tainted with cruelty, with the lower strata facing constant meanness. Bernarda, greedy and vile, exemplifies this cruelty. Each character tends to humiliate those below them in the social pyramid.
Marginalization of Women
Women, confined to limited and often unfulfilling roles, have fewer resources than men to fight for their happiness. If they deviate from these roles (bride-mother-wife), society labels them as failures, useless, and worthless. Lorca reflects the marginalization of women by presenting two extreme models of female behavior: one based on “moral laxity” (Paca la Roseta, the prostitute) and the other on a rigid “decency.” The first group seemingly enjoys freedom, while the second endures submission to discriminatory social norms that benefit men. The play emphasizes the disparity between men’s and women’s work, with the former toiling in the fields and the latter confined to their homes. Men and women are unequal before the law, and women are expected to suppress their desires, particularly in love. Family submission of women to men is evident, and family honor, as in 17th-century works, hinges solely on women’s behavior.
Moral Clash Between Authoritarianism and the Desire for Freedom
The central theme revolves around the conflict between authoritarianism, represented by Bernarda, and the desire for authenticity, embodied by Adela and Maria Josefa. Secondary themes include the search for a husband, deceit, envy, social differences, the concept of honor, violence, and death. The confrontation between authoritarianism and freedom is established from the outset, with Bernarda imposing eight years of mourning on her daughters. They are obligated to submit to their mother’s irrational discipline. Bernarda’s authoritarianism occasionally turns physically violent (end of Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3). Adela’s desire for freedom and love outweighs her fear of Bernarda. Their personalities clash throughout the play, culminating in Adela’s defiance by wearing a green dress and proclaiming her desire for freedom. Maria Josefa’s rebellion manifests through her perceived madness, her only escape from confinement and abuse. However, her resistance proves futile, as do Adela’s attempts, ultimately leading to her death. The play concludes with Bernarda’s final words, signifying the triumph of authoritarianism.
Structure
The House of Bernarda Alba follows a classical tripartite structure, divided into three acts that reflect the classic pattern of presentation, middle, and end. Interestingly, Lorca doesn’t divide the acts into scenes, yet the play adheres to the law of three unities: unity of place (the house) and action, but not time. The play also presents a repetitive structure, with each act repeating a three-stage process: quiet, conflict, and violence. This reinforces the internal structure of presentation, middle, and end. Recurring elements further unify the work. Act 1 and Act 3 begin similarly: with a “shady silence” interrupted by bells in the former and the clatter of dishes in the latter. All three acts start with scenes of everyday life, but omens of a tragic outcome appear throughout, particularly from Act 2 onwards. The play revolves around death, beginning and ending with it, starting with tolling bells and ending with cries. Bernarda’s first and last words are “Silence,” emphasizing the cyclical nature of oppression and the tragic consequences of challenging it.