Character Dynamics and Setting Analysis in Postwar Literature

Character Classification

Main Characters

Azarías, Paco "el Bajo", Régula, Master Iván, Régula's children, Pedro, the expert, and his wife Pura.

Supporting Characters

Friends of Master Iván and Dr. Manolo.

Social Status and Hierarchy

Favorable Social Status

Master Iván, his friends, and Dr. Manolo enjoy a clearly favorable social situation.

Slightly Favorable Social Status

Pedro, the expert, and his wife, Pura.

Social Disadvantage

Paco "el Bajo", Régula, her children, and Azarías face significant social disadvantage.

Temporal Setting and Narrative Structure

The story is set in the postwar era, evidenced by the persistence of lords and their estates, where servants function almost as slaves subject to their masters' demands. The narrative structure is not linear, featuring frequent flashbacks and temporal shifts (comings and goings over time).

Spatial Setting: Extremadura Farmhouse

The primary setting is a farmhouse in Extremadura, though there are allusions to Madrid. This rural location emphasizes the sadness and misery characterizing the servants' lives. Being isolated from the city, the characters are confined to the monotony of servitude.

Narrative Perspective and Voice

The narrator is clearly third-person and omniscient, remaining outside the action at all times. This perspective allows the reader to know the characters' intentions, feelings, and thoughts throughout the work.

Linguistic Registers and Style

The text is predominantly narrative and descriptive, with dialogue being relatively sparse. The detailed descriptions of spaces, feelings, and thoughts contribute to a rather slow pace, sometimes halting the plot progression. However, in other sections, the work advances quickly through dialogue.

The language register varies significantly depending on the speaker's social standing:

• Master Iván and his circle: Use colloquial language, often incorporating proper vocabulary, but also employing pejorative terms.
• Azarías and his family: Use a distinctly different, poorer, and more vulgar language register.