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- Herausgeber: Lebooks Editora
- Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
- Sprache: Englisch
The House of Bernarda Alba and Sonnets of Dark Love by Federico García Lorca offer profound explorations of repression, desire, and the intricate tensions within human relationships. Through The House of Bernarda Alba, Lorca critiques the suffocating moral rigidity and patriarchal structures of Spanish society, portraying a household dominated by strict rules and suppressed passions. The matriarch Bernarda Alba exerts absolute control over her daughters, creating an atmosphere of tension and despair that ultimately leads to tragedy. The play serves as a poignant commentary on the consequences of authoritarianism and societal expectations, particularly on women's lives and choices. In contrast, Sonnets of Dark Love delves into themes of longing, loss, and the complexities of love. These poems reflect Lorca's deep emotional struggles and his capacity to blend the personal with the universal. The sonnets resonate with intense lyricism, exploring the intersections of love, pain, and identity in a way that transcends time and cultural boundaries. They stand as a testament to Lorca's ability to navigate the depths of human emotion while addressing broader existential themes. Since their publication, both works have been celebrated for their artistic and cultural significance. The House of Bernarda Alba has inspired numerous theatrical adaptations worldwide, becoming a symbol of resistance against oppressive social norms. Meanwhile, Sonnets of Dark Love continue to captivate readers and scholars, offering rich interpretations of Lorca's personal life and creative genius. These works remain relevant today due to their timeless exploration of human vulnerability and societal constraints. By addressing the universal struggles of freedom, love, and identity, Lorca's masterpieces invite enduring reflection on the complexities of human existence.
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Seitenzahl: 76
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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Federico García Lorca
THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA
AND SONNETS OF DARK LOVE
Original Title:
“La casa de Bernarda Alba y
Sonetos del Amor Obscuro”
Contents
INTRODUCTION
THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA
SONNETS OF DARK LOVE
INTRODUCTION
Federico García Lorca
1898 - 1936
Federico García Lorcawas a Spanish poet, playwright, and prose writer, considered one of the most prominent figures in 20th-century literature and a key member of the Generation of '27 movement. Born in Fuente Vaqueros, Granada, Lorca explored themes such as love, death, freedom, and the conflict between tradition and modernity in his work. His tragic death during the Spanish Civil War turned him into a symbol of the victims of repression and intolerance.
Early Years and Education
García Lorca was born into a wealthy family in Andalusia, which allowed him to receive a solid education. He studied Philosophy and Literature and Law at the University of Granada, although his true passion was literature and music. His time at the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid connected him with major cultural figures such as Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel, who influenced his artistic development.
Career and Contributions
Lorca’s work is distinguished by its fusion of popular and avant-garde elements, as well as the lyrical intensity of its language. Among his best-known works are Romancero gitano (1928) and Poeta en Nueva York (1940), where he addressed themes like cultural identity, inequality, and alienation. His foray into theater was equally groundbreaking, with plays like Bodas de sangre (1933), Yerma (1934), and La casa de Bernarda Alba (1936), which explored the tensions between personal desire and social norms.
In Romancero gitano, Lorca blends Spanish oral tradition with imagery full of symbolism to capture the spirit of the Andalusian gypsy community. On the other hand, Poeta en Nueva York, written during his stay in the United States, reflects his distress over the dehumanization of modern society, using a surreal and powerful language.
Impact and Legacy
Lorca left an indelible mark on literature and theater. His ability to give a voice to the marginalized and his skill in combining the universal with the particular make him a timeless author. Influenced by Andalusian folklore and the avant-garde movements of his time, Lorca created a unique style that continues to be a subject of study and admiration.
His theater redefined the Spanish stage, questioning power structures and gender roles in an era marked by deep social divisions. Later authors, playwrights, and filmmakers have found an inexhaustible source of inspiration in his work.
Federico García Lorca was assassinated in 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, due to his sexual orientation and political ideals. His death at the age of 38 cut short a career that promised further contributions to universal culture. However, his work and his figure have become an emblem of resistance and creativity in the face of oppression.
Lorca's legacy transcends his time: his work remains alive on stages, pages, and in the hearts of readers worldwide. His ability to express the deepest parts of the human soul, amidst the struggles and contradictions of his era, ensures his place as one of the great pillars of modern literature.
About the works
The House of Bernarda Alba and Sonnets of Dark Love by Federico García Lorca offer profound explorations of repression, desire, and the intricate tensions within human relationships. Through The House of Bernarda Alba, Lorca critiques the suffocating moral rigidity and patriarchal structures of Spanish society, portraying a household dominated by strict rules and suppressed passions. The matriarch Bernarda Alba exerts absolute control over her daughters, creating an atmosphere of tension and despair that ultimately leads to tragedy. The play serves as a poignant commentary on the consequences of authoritarianism and societal expectations, particularly on women’s lives and choices.
In contrast, Sonnets of Dark Love delves into themes of longing, loss, and the complexities of love. These poems reflect Lorca’s deep emotional struggles and his capacity to blend the personal with the universal. The sonnets resonate with intense lyricism, exploring the intersections of love, pain, and identity in a way that transcends time and cultural boundaries. They stand as a testament to Lorca’s ability to navigate the depths of human emotion while addressing broader existential themes.
Since their publication, both works have been celebrated for their artistic and cultural significance. The House of Bernarda Alba has inspired numerous theatrical adaptations worldwide, becoming a symbol of resistance against oppressive social norms. Meanwhile, Sonnets of Dark Love continue to captivate readers and scholars, offering rich interpretations of Lorca’s personal life and creative genius.
These works remain relevant today due to their timeless exploration of human vulnerability and societal constraints. By addressing the universal struggles of freedom, love, and identity, Lorca's masterpieces invite enduring reflection on the complexities of human existence.
THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA
Cast List
Bernarda, aged sixty, María Josefa, (Bernarda’s mother), aged eighty Angustias, (Bernarda’s daughter), aged thirty-nine Magdalena, (Bernarda’s daughter), aged thirty Amelia, (Bernarda’s daughter), aged twenty-seven Martirio, (Bernarda’s daughter), aged twenty-four Adela, (Bernarda’s daughter), aged twenty Servant, aged fifty
La Poncia (a servant), aged sixty Prudencia, aged fifty Beggar woman with little girl Women mourners
Woman 1
Woman 2
Woman 3
Woman 4
Young girl
The poet declares that these three acts are intended to serve as a photographic record.
Act I
(The bright white interior of Bernarda’s house. Thick walls. Arched doorways with canvas curtains edged with tassels and ruffles. Rush chairs. Paintings of non-realistic landscapes with nymphs and legendary kings. It is summer. A vast shadowy silence fills the scene. When the curtain rises the stage is empty. The tolling of bells is heard. The Servant enters.)
SERVANT: I can feel the tolling of those bells right between my temples.
LA PONCIA: (She enters eating bread and sausage) They’ve been making that row for more than two hours now. There are priests here from all the villages. The church looks lovely. During the first response Magdalena fainted.
SERVANT: She’s the one who’ll be most bereft.
LA PONCIA: She was the only one who loved her father. Ay! Thank God we’re alone for a while! I was hungry.
SERVANT: If Bernarda could see you…!
LA PONCIA: Now she’s not eating, she wants us all to die of hunger! So strict! So domineering! But hard luck! I’ve opened the sausage jar.
SERVANT: (Sadly, with longing) Poncia, won’t you give me some for my little girl?
LA PONCIA: Go on, and take a handful of chick-peas too. She won’t notice it, today!
VOICE: (From within) Bernarda!
LA PONCIA: The old woman. Is she locked in?
SERVANT: Two turns of the key.
LA PONCIA: You should use the bolt too. She’s got fingers like picklocks.
VOICE: Bernarda!
LA PONCIA: (Shouting) She’s coming! (To the Servant) Make sure the whole place is clean. If Bernarda doesn’t find everything gleaming she’ll pull out the little hair I have left.
SERVANT: What a woman!
LA PONCIA: Tyrant of all she surveys. She could squat on your chest for a year and watch you die slowly without wiping that cold smile from her cursed face! Clean those pots: go on!
SERVANT: My hands are red raw from endless cleaning.
LA PONCIA: She’s the cleanest; she’s the most decent; she’s the loftiest of beings. Her poor husband deserves a good rest.
(The bells cease ringing.)
SERVANT: Are all the relatives here?
LA PONCIA: On her side. His family detests her. They came to make sure he was dead, and make the sign of the cross.
SERVANT: Are there enough chairs?
LA PONCIA: Plenty. Let them sit on the floor. Since Bernarda’s father died no one has set foot inside these walls. She doesn’t want them to see her in her stronghold! Curse her!
SERVANT: She’s always been good to you.
LA PONCIA: For thirty years I’ve laundered her sheets; for thirty years I’ve eaten her leftovers; spent nights awake when she had a cough; whole days peering through the cracks to spy on the neighbours and bring her the news; there are no secrets between us, and yet I curse her! May needles prick out her eyes!
SERVANT: Woman!
LA PONCIA: But I’m a good bitch and bark when I’m told, and bite the heels of the beggars when she whips me on; my sons work her fields and they’re both married too, but one day I’ll have had enough.
SERVANT: And then…
LA PONCIA: Then I’ll lock myself in a room with her, and spit on for her a year. ‘Bernarda, here’s for this, and that, and the other,’ until she looks like a lizard the children squashed, because that’s what she is, and all her family. But I don’t envy her life, that’s for sure. She’s five women on her hands, five ugly daughters. Except for Angustias, the eldest, who’s the first husband’s daughter and has some money, the rest of them have lots of fine lace, and linen camisoles, but their only inheritance is bread and water.
SERVANT: I wouldn’t mind having what they have!
LA PONCIA: We have our hands, and we’ll have a hole in God’s earth.
SERVANT: That’s the only earth they’ll give us, who have nothing.
LA PONCIA: (By the cupboard) This glass has marks on it.
