The House of Bernarda Alba - Federico García Lorca

Summary

The House of Bernarda Alba is a three-act play by Federico García Lorca, depicting the tyrannical rule of Bernarda Alba over her five daughters after the death of her second husband. Set in a small Andalusian village in the early 20th century, the play explores themes of repression, desire, honor, and freedom. Bernarda imposes eight years of strict mourning and confinement on her daughters, isolating them from the outside world and any possibility of marriage or love, except for Angustias, the eldest, who is set to inherit a large sum and marry the village's most eligible bachelor, Pepe el Romano. The impending marriage fuels jealousy and secret desires among the sisters, especially Martirio and Adela, who both secretly yearn for Pepe. The stifling atmosphere of the house, Bernarda's unyielding authority, and the sisters' suppressed passions lead to an inevitable tragic climax, highlighting the devastating consequences of extreme social and moral rigidity.

Book Sections

Section 1

The play opens immediately after the funeral of Bernarda Alba's second husband. Bernarda, a domineering matriarch, declares an eight-year mourning period, confining her five daughters—Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio, and Adela—to the house. This strict decree signifies the beginning of their complete isolation from the outside world. Bernarda's authority is absolute, and she prioritizes family honor and appearance above all else. Her aged mother, María Josefa, who is kept locked away due to her perceived madness, briefly escapes, expressing her desire for marriage and freedom, a stark contrast to Bernarda's decrees.

The financial situation becomes clear: Angustias, being the daughter of Bernarda's first husband, is the only one with a significant inheritance. This makes her a desirable match for Pepe el Romano, the most eligible young man in the village, despite being much older than him. The other sisters resent Angustias's good fortune and impending marriage, as they are left with no prospects. The first hints of jealousy and suppressed desire emerge, particularly when the sisters discuss Pepe's visits. The play establishes the stifling, oppressive atmosphere within the house, where every word and action is scrutinized by Bernarda and her loyal maid, Poncia.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Bernarda Alba	A tyrannical, iron-willed matriarch. Obsessed with family honor, appearances, and social status. Cruel, unyielding, and authoritarian.	To maintain absolute control over her household and daughters. To preserve the family's honor and reputation at all costs, even if it means sacrificing her daughters' happiness. To enforce strict social and moral codes.
María Josefa	Bernarda's elderly mother, deemed mad and kept locked away. Possesses a childlike innocence but also speaks uncomfortable truths.	To escape her confinement and find freedom, love, and marriage. To express the natural desires for companionship and motherhood that Bernarda denies her daughters.
Angustias	The eldest daughter, 39 years old. Plain, sickly, and wealthy due to her inheritance.	To marry Pepe el Romano, seeing it as her last chance for a husband and a way out of her mother's house. To gain independence and escape her sisters' resentment.
Magdalena	The second daughter, 30 years old. Emotional, easily moved to tears, and resigned to her fate.	To mourn her father sincerely. To express her unhappiness with her imposed life. Initially, she harbored hopes of marriage but now feels hopeless.
Amelia	The third daughter, 27 years old. Meek, timid, and quiet.	To avoid confrontation and live peacefully within the confines of her mother's rules. To observe the events around her, but rarely participate actively.
Martirio	The fourth daughter, 24 years old. Frail, sickly, and secretly bitter. Suffers from a hunchback and an unrequited love in the past.	To escape her physical ailments and emotional pain. Initially, to avoid love due to past disappointment, but secretly desires Pepe el Romano, leading to intense jealousy and internal conflict. To lash out at others due to her own suffering.
Adela	The youngest daughter, 20 years old. The most rebellious, passionate, and beautiful. Fiercely desires freedom and love.	To break free from her mother's tyranny and the suffocating environment. To find love, passion, and live life fully. She is driven by a powerful yearning for personal liberty and fulfillment.
Poncia	Bernarda's head maid, 60 years old. Loyal yet insightful and critical of Bernarda behind her back. Represents the voice of common sense and experience.	To serve Bernarda while also maintaining a degree of independence and speaking her mind when Bernarda is not present. To observe and comment on the dynamics within the house, sometimes acting as a confidante or a harbinger of doom. She also seeks to secure her own position and provide for her family.

Section 2

The tension inside the house escalates. The sisters are seen sewing and discussing Pepe el Romano's nightly visits to Angustias. Magdalena expresses her despair, while Martirio reveals her bitterness and jealousy more overtly. Poncia, having observed the household for decades, senses the escalating passions and tries to warn Bernarda about the dangerous atmosphere, but Bernarda dismisses her concerns, blinded by her belief in her absolute control and the family's honor.

A key event occurs when Angustias discovers her portrait of Pepe el Romano has been stolen. After a heated search and Bernarda's interrogation, Martirio reluctantly admits to taking it, claiming it was a "joke." However, her true motivation is revealed to the audience: she is also secretly in love with Pepe, and her act was one of desperate jealousy. Adela defends Martirio, creating further suspicion.

Later, Poncia recounts a chilling story about a young woman from a neighboring village, the daughter of La Librada, who had an illegitimate child and murdered it to hide her shame. The villagers, incited by Bernarda, almost lynched her. This incident serves as a grim parallel to the sisters' repressed desires and the severe consequences of social transgression in their world. Adela, hearing the story, expresses a defiant pity for the woman, hinting at her own burgeoning rebellion.

The act concludes with the growing certainty that something is amiss with Pepe's nightly visits. Poncia reveals that Angustias falls asleep early, suggesting that Pepe's late-night visits might be with someone else. Martirio and Adela are deeply affected by this revelation, their secret passions for Pepe intensifying, and the stage is set for a direct confrontation over the man they all desire.

Section 3

The final act begins with the house still suffocating under Bernarda's rule. Bernarda's guests, including Prudencia, a neighbor, discuss their lives and the oppressive heat. Prudencia, though a minor character, offers an outside perspective on the rigid social expectations of the community. Bernarda continues to assert her dominance, controlling even the smallest details.

After the guests leave, Bernarda and her daughters discuss Pepe's visits. It is clear that the tension has reached a breaking point. Bernarda tries to interrogate her daughters about their behavior, sensing insubordination. Martirio and Adela, particularly, are on edge. Martirio's resentment towards Adela is palpable.

The climax of the play unfolds. Martirio, consumed by jealousy, confronts Adela directly, revealing that she knows Adela has been secretly meeting Pepe el Romano. Adela, defiant and no longer willing to hide, confesses her love for Pepe and her determination to be with him, even if it means becoming his mistress. She openly rebels against Bernarda's authority, snatching Bernarda's cane (a symbol of her power) and breaking it in two.

Bernarda, enraged by Adela's insubordination, calls for her shotgun and rushes out, accompanied by Martirio, claiming she heard Pepe trying to escape. A gunshot is heard. Martirio returns, telling Adela that Bernarda shot Pepe and killed him. Believing Pepe is dead, Adela, in despair, locks herself in her room.

Bernarda returns, triumphant, claiming to have shot Pepe, though she only wounded him and he escaped on his horse. The family then discovers Adela has hanged herself. Bernarda, unwilling to let shame stain her family's honor, immediately declares that Adela "died a virgin," demanding silence and respect for her daughter's memory, despite knowing the truth. She reiterates her absolute authority and the importance of maintaining appearances, ending the play with her chilling command: "Silence, silence, I said! Silence!"

Literary Genre

Tragedy, Rural Drama, Social Drama. The play is a poetic drama written in prose, characteristic of García Lorca's later works.

Author Facts

• Federico García Lorca (1898 – 1936) was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director.
• He is one of the most prominent figures of the Generation of '27, a group of Spanish avant-garde writers and artists.
• His work often explores themes of love, death, passion, repression, fate, injustice, and the conflict between desire and social norms.
• He was a passionate advocate for the marginalized, including women, gypsies, and homosexuals, whose struggles often appear in his art.
• He was tragically assassinated by Nationalist forces at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, likely due to his outspoken liberal views and suspected homosexuality, becoming a symbol of the cultural casualties of the conflict.

Moral (Moraleja)

The play vividly illustrates the destructive consequences of extreme repression, authoritarianism, and an obsession with honor and social appearances. It warns against the dangers of denying individual freedom and natural human desires, showing how such suppression inevitably leads to rebellion, suffering, and tragedy. The moral highlights the importance of empathy, communication, and authenticity over rigid adherence to suffocating societal norms.

Curiosities

• "A photographic document": Lorca subtitled the play "A Drama of Women in the Villages of Spain" and stated his intention for it to be a "photographic document," suggesting a realistic and unflinching portrayal of rural Spanish society.
• All-female cast: The play famously features only female characters on stage (though the male character, Pepe el Romano, is central to the plot, he never appears). This emphasizes the suffocating, matriarchal world of Bernarda Alba and the isolation of the women.
• Final play: The House of Bernarda Alba was completed just two months before Lorca's assassination in August 1936, making it one of his last and most powerful works.
• Based on reality: Lorca drew inspiration from real people and events in his native Andalusia, particularly from the strict social codes and customs of the region during his time, including a real Bernarda Alba who lived in his village.
• Symbolism: The play is rich with symbolism: the white walls of the house representing purity and death, the heat symbolizing passion and repression, Bernarda's cane as a symbol of her authority, and water (or its absence) representing life and freedom.