Feminist theory applied to:

The House of
Bernarda Alba
Written by Federico García Lorca
 Plot
After the death of Bernarda´s
second husband, she declared an
eight-year of absolute mourning in
her house. She has 5 daughters
between the age of 20 to 39:
Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia,
Martirio and Adela. Anguatias, the
oldest daughter from a previous
marriage of Bernarda´s, is the richest
daughter because her father was a
wealthy man. She is also fiancé with
Pepe el Romano, the only character
man in
The play that does not appear is
only mentioned, all the sisters are in
love with him because is the only
man that they can have contact with.
Turn out the family discover that the
youngest daughter Adela is having
an affair with Pepe. After being
discovered having sex in the chicken
coop, Adela runs away and
Bernarda told Adela that he shut him
down and died, after this Adela
hangs her self on her room.
 Background
✽ The play is based on the natal land of Federico García Lorca, he portrays the culture
and tradition of rural Andalusia.

✽ The play belongs to a trilogy of dramatic theatre next to the other titles Blood
Wedding and Yerma.

✽ The plays were written during the 1930s, before the Spanish civil war,

✽ The House of Bernarda Alba was his last play written the same year of his death.

✽ The play was not published until 1945.

✽ Role of the woman

✽ Oppression of woman sexuality

✽ Patriarchy system

✽ revindication of the woman

freedom
 Role of the woman

ADELA: Who are you to speak to me like that?

MARTIRIO: It’s not the role of an honest woman.

ADELA: Wouldn’t you love to be there yourself!

they are different conversations in the play that moves around what a woman must
be like, or the role of a woman itself, criticising and reporting the gender roles.
 Oppression of woman sexuality
In the play, sexuality takes an important role. In one act, Bernarda and her daughter
except Adela go to the village to stone a woman, who has had an illegitimate son and kill
him.

She, the youngest of Bernarda Alba’s daughters died a virgin. Do you hear? Silence,
Silence I say! Silence!

After they found Adela hanged Bernarda gives more importance to reminding their
daughters to pretend that Adela died a virgin. Showing no sorrow for the death of her
daughter.
Also, all the sisters are in love with the same man, due that is the only man that they can
have contact with. A platonic love used by Lorca for revindicated the oppression of Love.
 Patriarchy system (led by a woman).

The definition and the power of the play reside in the hierarchy, which is
represented only by Bernarda, only the character using this when Bernarda is
on the stage. Being Bernarda, the symbolism of the woman’s oppression and
the representation of the Patriarchy due to the absence of a man.

Don’t defy me, Adela, don’t defy me! Because I can shout out loud, light all the
lamps, and set the bells ringing.
-Bernarda Alba
Revindication of the woman freedom

That’s enough of your gaoler’s voice! (She takes hold of her mother’s walking stick and
breaks it in half.) That’s how I treat the tyrant’s rod. Don’t take another step. No one but
Pepe can command me!

Even the other characters show some points of certain rebellious acts against the
Patriarchy system is Adela the only one who acts against authority and declared herself
free to choose.
 Feminist speech

It’s only just beginning. I’ve had the courage to take what I want. The spirit and power
you lack. I’ve felt death beneath this roof and I’m off to seek what is mine, what
belongs to me.

-Adela
Brynne Oster-Bainnson conceptual art
The End!

Any questions?