English monologue - House of Bernarda

1

must I have to do every single damn thing in this house?! Doors locked, mouths shut, walls kept high— so that no shame seeps in the village’s ears and ruins our pristine reputation!

i’ve carved a path for my daughters with my own bare hands and my stick. Raising them to be proper, obedient women of this village. And yet the moment a man appears, they all scatter like flies!

2

Ever since that Pepe el Romano came, he’s had them all on a chokehold! Barely after Antonio’s death!

Angustias most of all. That poisonous piece of sugar. Powder on her face instead of tears for her father’s death. The gall to look at another man when she didn’t spare one glance at her father’s coffin.

That powdered face had to be wiped away before the neighbors could catch a glimpse of her already unfortunate face through the windows

3

And my mother, my very own mother! Maria Josefa, a senile old woman, raving about marrying a man from the shores of the sea. Hah!

What would a man make use of her? She doesn’t keep quiet; she doesn’t even obey my orders! What makes her think that a man would WANT to marry HER?

4

The only thing she’ll be married to is the room she’s confined in. Her madness muted, her voices silenced. The only thing that’ll ever listen to her are the walls. Thats the only affection she’ll ever receive in this house.

And the walls never crack. Not while I’m here. This house is mine. My voice is law!

And not a perp will go through the walls until they carry me out, feet first!