Brief summary of the work "The House of Bernarda Alba" by Federico García Lorca

Typically, what is most attributed and known to Federico Garcia Lorca it is his poetry, however, he also wrote theater. Good account gives of this his great work "Bernarda Alba's house", a written play that has been put into practice countless times under different directors and throughout much of our Spanish geography.

If you want to know what this play is about and know the fundamental points of it, keep reading a little further down. Today we offer you a brief summary of the work "Bernarda Alba's house" Federico García Lorca.

García Lorca, playwright

García Lorca was a brilliant playwright in addition to the excellent poet, who is already known. But not only did he discern himself in writing theater, but he was completely immersed in it: he himself drew the costumes for the actors' dresses, decided on the sets for their plays and also directed the representation.

In the year 1920 his first play was coming out: "The Hex of the Butterfly". Work that tried to reach different Spanish towns together with the group La Barraca. His intention was to make the theater reach all social classes.

The themes of his theater are essentially the same as those in his poetry: the struggle for freedom, love and death, etc. In his works, female characters stand out, often repressed, which the author creates with great skill.

In his works tradition blends with renewal, like almost everything that was done in the Generation of the 27. In addition, Lorca is an author who is very aware of each and every one of the avant-garde innovations. Even with all this, it does not stop taking into account elements and references to the tradition of folklore and myths. His theater uses metaphor and the use of symbols quite frequently and, although at first it resorts to verse, later it is inclined towards the use of prose. This relationship between poetry-prose-theater, Lorca himself expressed it as follows:

«The theater is the poetry that rises from the book and becomes human. And when it is done, he speaks and screams, cries and despairs. The theater needs the characters that appear on the scene to wear a poetry suit and at the same time show their bones, blood ... ».

Related article:

Federico García Lorca. 119 years of his birth. Phrases and verses

"The House of Bernarda Alba" (1936)

This work focuses on the moral tyranny and sexual repression that Bernarda exercised over her daughters. Bernarda imposes 8 years of isolation on them, making social conventions about mourning irrational. The appearance of Pepe el Romano, ready to marry the eldest daughter, Angustias, triggers the conflict. All the daughters, with the exception of the youngest, Adela, accept the provisions of their mother. Adela will be the rebellious character, typical of Lorca, in which the opposition between authority and desire is presented.

It is set in a contemporary moment of the author and inspired by real events, it is a great critical reflection on the customs of that time. The tyranny of supposed honor and social norms are represented with great realism in the character of Bernarda, who stifles the desire for freedom and life of the character of Adela.

Development of the acts of the work

If you want to read this work soon, we recommend that you stop reading here, as we may reveal a large part of what happens in the work "La casa de Bernarda Alba".

• Act one: When her husband died, Bernarda Alba forced her five daughters (Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio and Adela) to mourn for 8 years in a row. In the midst of this oppressive environment, Adela (the youngest of all the daughters) learns that Angustias, the older sister, is going to marry Pepe el Romano, with whom Adela has secret relations.
• Act two: La Poncia discovers the relationship between Adela and Pepe el Romano.
• Act three: Adela rebels and claims her right to be Pepe el Romano's wife. Bernarda shoots at him and says that he has killed him despite missing his shot. Desperate, Adela runs off and locks herself ready to kill herself.

Have you read or seen this play? Do you prefer the theater read or seen?