Themes in The House of Bernarda Alba: Freedom, Love, and Hypocrisy
Thematic Groups in The House of Bernarda Alba
The central theme of the play is the clash between a traditional, authoritarian figure, Bernarda, and the desire for freedom, represented by her mother (Maria Josefa) and her daughter Adela. It’s a conflict between two attitudes about life and two ideologies. First, we have Bernarda’s attitude, which stands for a life dominated by appearances and a morality based on traditional authoritarianism. On the other hand, we have a liberal attitude. In the play, important topics such as developing a love affair, the falsity of some characters, and the marginalization of women also arise.
The central theme, the confrontation between life models, has been discussed since the beginning of the play. Bernarda attempts to impose her rules, especially after the death of her husband, becoming the head of the household. But Maria Josefa, her mother, and Adela attempt to challenge this domain. The rest of the daughters are resigned to their fate. Poncia and the Maid (servants) fear and whisper about Bernarda behind her back.
We see how the rules are imposed by Bernarda from the beginning of the work, imposing an 8-year mourning period after the death of her husband. This mourning dictates the behavior of her daughters in relation to men. All the women of the house must submit to her discipline, but the impulse and unbridled love are stronger for Adela than her fear of her mother’s authority.
Several factors help us see how Adela shows her rebellion:
- She keeps a variety of flowers when the logical thing during mourning is to wear black.
- She wears her green dress in front of the chickens.
- She expresses her desire for freedom and does not accept the rules imposed by her mother.
In the end, she confronts her mother and defends her freedom, in gestures like breaking the cane, which is a symbol of authority.
But unfortunately, that freedom is short-lived, and she commits suicide as the last sign of rebellion, definitively closing the road to freedom for her sisters. On the other hand, Maria Josefa’s rebellion is different. Her madness allows her to show her desire for freedom, to face her daughter, and rebel against her tyranny. The oppression of Bernarda provokes two responses, as we have seen: Adela’s suicide and the madness of her mother.
Secondary Issues
One of the secondary issues is the sensual and harmonious search for a man. The real tragedy of this is reflected in the women locked in a lack of love and the inability to achieve it during the 8 years of mourning. The arrival of Pepe El Romano stirs passions among Bernarda’s daughters, who want to marry to get rid of their mother’s authoritarian regime. The main conflict between the sisters arises when Bernarda approves the marriage between Angustias and Pepe El Romano.
It is important to note that there are references to men throughout the work, such as when Poncia speaks of her love stories, or when we see Maria Josefa’s desire to marry on the beach, or when Amelia talks about her memories of Enrique Humanes. But the main anger is directed at Martirio because her sister Adela has the affection of Pepe el Romano, and she is also in love with him.
Another important issue is the hypocrisy shown throughout the play. The concern for the opinion of others and the desire to appear as something they are not. The fear of what the neighbors say marks Bernarda’s state of being. She fears what others may say. Another example of hypocrisy is Bernarda’s attitude when she sees that her daughter Adela has committed suicide and her attempts to hide the reality.
On the other hand, we have the feelings of hatred and envy that exist in the relationships between the characters. Bernarda is hated by neighbors and servants because of her class pride. Angustias is envied and hated by her sisters because of her marriage.