Symbolism and Social Conflict in The House of Bernarda Alba

Poetic Dimension in The House of Bernarda Alba

Lorca defines theater as poetry that rises from the book and becomes human. This introduces the multi-layered nature of The House of Bernarda Alba. The work transcends realism; while the action is plausible, characters, space, and situations are viewed poetically. Metaphors enrich dialogues, and the interplay between realism and symbolism poeticizes reality. Lorca's poetic language is integral to the characters' interactions.

Colloquial expressions with poetic undertones and realistic details, prominent in the first act, gradually diminish. By Act Three, poetic elements like the starry night or the old woman with a lamb emerge. This contrasts with the realism of the first act, such as the maid eating a sausage sandwich. Literary figures like comparisons, metaphors, and hyperboles are frequent.

Symbolism

Several elements exemplify the symbolization process:

• Flowers: Adela's red and green flowers and the reaper's songs about roses.
• Colors: White symbolizes life and liberty; black symbolizes sadness, hatred, and repression. Green represents rebelliousness and death. The house's walls, initially blankisimas (very white), transition to a bluish hue, symbolizing the loss of purity.
• Animals: The horse symbolizes sexual passion; the sheep, fertility; the grandmother and child, innocence; and the dog, submission.

Character names are also symbolic. Martirio (Martyrdom) and Angustias (Anguish) evoke pain and sadness. Magdalena suggests weeping and suffering. Adela signifies noble character, Amelia means energetic, and María Josefa references the mother of Jesus.

Social Commentary in The House of Bernarda Alba

The play depicts a conflict between authority (Bernarda) and freedom (the daughters). Bernarda imposes order and isolation to maintain social control, suppressing individual expression. This power instinct clashes with the instinct of sex, leading to inevitable destruction. Hatred and envy dominate human relations, extending from Bernarda to her neighbors.

Lorca denounces social injustice, inequality, and the cruelty governing social relations. The upper class exhibits cruelty towards the lower class, who have no choice but to resign themselves. Female behavior, based on honor and decency, involves submission to discriminatory social norms that place men above women. In the absence of a male figure, daughters submit to the mother.

Bernarda's imposed mourning, isolation, and rigidity reflect the Spanish morals of the time. When Bernarda discovers her daughter's suicide, she lies about her virginity to avoid gossip, prioritizing social appearances over her daughter's death. Lorca portrays Bernarda's intransigence, possibly reflecting a Spain isolated and clinging to a dying tradition.