Symbolism and Social Critique in Federico García Lorca's Theater

Poetic, Symbolic, and Social Levels

García Lorca defined his theater as "poetry that rises from the book and becomes human."

The Poetic Level

In his plays, poetry and reality combine. The work goes beyond the limits of realism, as everything is seen from a poetic dimension, leading to a poetry of reality. Poetic language is integrated into the characters' speech, making it seem natural and spontaneous. The realistic details of the first act diminish in the second and even more so in the third. In the third act, classical poetic elements appear, such as the starry night. Lorca uses verse in the first act with the song of the reapers, which reminds Bernarda's daughters of freedom, joy, and love. The characters' speech mixes features of literary language, such as comparisons, metaphors, and parallels.

The Symbolic Level

The presence of symbols—physical elements that refer to internal, mental experiences—is notable.

• Colors: White symbolizes life, joy, love, and freedom; black symbolizes sorrow, hatred, repression, and death; and green symbolizes rebellion. The white color of the house's walls initially signifies purity but fades throughout the work.
• Animals and Nature: The horse symbolizes sexual passion, flowers represent love and sex, the moon signifies death and eroticism, the sun represents life and joy, and water or thirst symbolizes sexual desire.
• Objects: Bernarda's staff symbolizes her tyrannical power.
• Character Names: The names of the characters also represent their traits or flaws: Bernarda (force or push of a bear), Alba (white, chastity), Angustias and Martirio (anguish and martyrdom), Magdalena (weeping and suffering woman), and Adela (noble).

The Social Level

Lorca develops a conflict between the principle of authority and the principle of freedom. The former corresponds with a vision of social classes in an unequal society where rancor triumphs. The latter, the freedom desired by the women, is linked with sexuality and forms the other side of the conflict.

Human relations are dominated by feelings of hatred and envy; the maids and neighbors hate Bernarda. Lorca denounced social injustice and differences, pride, class consciousness, and the cruelty that governs social relations. The play presents a well-established social hierarchy: Bernarda, Poncia, the beggar, and the maid. Human relations are dominated by a hierarchical cruelty that oppresses the population.

Lorca also denounced the marginalization of women in the society of his time and the oppressive tradition of mourning. Spanish society imposes a rigid morality. He reveals his tragic vision of the Spanish land and sets out to attack social injustice. The play suggests a vision of Spain as isolated, closed to the outside world by thick walls—a Spain faithful to a dying tradition.