La casa de Bernarda Alba
Federico GarcÃa Lorca
Spain
Federico GarcÃa Lorca’s La Casa de Bernarda Alba (1936) [Spain] is a striking examination of authoritarian control, the repression of women, and the devastating clash between personal desire and societal expectations. Set entirely within the stifling confines of Bernarda Alba’s home, the play opens after the death of her husband, when Bernarda imposes an eight-year mourning period on her five daughters, effectively imprisoning them. This setting serves as the foundation for Lorca’s deeper exploration of the themes of freedom, desire, and the tragedy that stems from repression.
At the heart of La Casa de Bernarda Alba is the theme of repression, embodied most clearly in the character of Bernarda Alba. Her obsessive control over her household reflects not only her own authoritarian nature but also the broader moral codes of rural Spain, which demanded strict adherence to honour, purity, and obedience - particularly from women. Bernarda’s oppressive rule, therefore, becomes a symbol of the way society confines women, suffocating their freedom and silencing their desires. In addition to controlling her daughters physically by locking them inside the house, Bernarda controls them emotionally, denying them the opportunity to express their true selves.
The themes of desire and repression drive much of the tension in the play. Each daughter reacts to this repression differently. Angustias, the eldest, consents to an emotionless marriage with Pepe el Romano, seeing it as her only escape. In contrast, Adela, the youngest and most passionate, openly rebels against the restrictions imposed on her by secretly pursuing a relationship with Pepe. Her affair with him - despite Pepe being promised to Angustias - represents her defiance of both her mother and the oppressive social structures that bind her. Adela’s struggle for freedom, which clashes so violently with Bernarda’s rigid sense of honour, ultimately leads to the play’s tragic conclusion.
The house itself, a central symbol in the play, mirrors the repressive atmosphere of the society it represents. With its locked doors and whitewashed walls, it becomes a prison for the daughters, where life and vitality are stifled by the demands of tradition. The house is more than a physical space - it is a metaphor for the suffocating expectations of purity and obedience that women are forced to live within. In contrast, Adela’s green dress, worn as an act of rebellion against the mourning period, symbolises her desire for life, passion, and freedom. Thus, Lorca juxtaposes Adela’s yearning for self-expression with the house’s oppressive rigidity, setting the stage for the inevitable tragedy that unfolds.
The role of women in La casa de Bernarda Alba is integral to Lorca’s critique of the social structures of rural Spain. Women, in this world, are confined to roles dictated by honour and tradition, and their worth is tied to their purity and obedience. Bernarda herself, despite being a woman, perpetuates these values, becoming an enforcer of the very patriarchal system that oppresses her daughters. In addition to reflecting the broader social system, Bernarda’s character highlights the internalisation of these repressive norms, showing how women themselves can become agents of their own oppression.
In addition to its focus on repression, the play explores the destructive consequences of denying desire. Lorca demonstrates how the suppression of natural instincts, particularly in women, leads to emotional and psychological breakdowns. The tragic ending, after Adela's relationship with Pepe is exposed, serves as a powerful metaphor for the price of repression. Adela’s tragic end symbolises the inevitable destruction that occurs when human desires are denied a legitimate outlet by the oppressive structures of society.
The themes of death and tragedy are omnipresent in La Casa de Bernarda Alba, with Lorca carefully constructing an atmosphere of fatalism. The play begins with the death of the father and ends with Adela’s death, creating a cyclical sense of doom that reinforces the idea that repression and control lead only to destruction.
Finally, Lorca uses the play to explore the tension between tradition and modernity. Bernarda Alba represents the old, rigid social order, clinging to codes of honour and strict hierarchies. In contrast, her daughters - particularly Adela (the youngest) - embody the desire for change, for a life that is not confined by such oppressive traditions. Lorca, through this conflict, critiques the refusal of Spanish society to adapt to modern values, showing how the adherence to outdated norms can suffocate human potential and lead to tragedy.
As part of Lorca’s trilogy alongside Bodas de sangre and Yerma, La casa de Bernarda Alba stands as a profound exploration of the ways in which personal freedom and individual desires, particularly those of women, are crushed under the weight of Spanish societal expectations.
