La Casa de Bernarda Alba - Quotes

"Eso tiene ser mujer" - Bernarda Act 1

"It's what it means to be a woman" - shows the acceptance in society of the oppression of women

"Malditas sean las mujeres" - Magdalena Act 1

"Women are cursed" - shows the fact that being a woman in itself is considered to be a negative in life

"Nacer mujer es el mayor castigo" - Amelia Act 2

"To be born a woman is the greatest punishment" - highlights how women recognise their own repression and low worth in society

"Mandona! Dominante!" - La Poncia Act 1

"Bossy! Dominating!" - Immediately gives the audience an idea of Bernarda's tyranny before she has even entered the stage

"Menos gritos y más obras ... los pobres son como los animales" - Bernarda Act 1

"Less talk and more work ... the poor are like animals" - shows Bernarda's obsession with being higher in the social hierarchy by treating her servants badly

"No pienso, yo ordero" - Bernarda Act 2

"I don't think, I order" - shows Bernarda's brutality and how she goes about ruling her household

"Una hija que desobedece daja de ser hija para convertirse en enemiga" - Bernarda Act 3

"A daughter who disobeys quickly will become an enemy" - Bernarda shows her emotional maternal detachment here from her daughters

"Quiero buena fachada y armonía familiar" - Bernarda Act 3

"I want a good facade and family harmony" -

Highlights Bernarda's obsession with what her neighbours think about her family

"Yo no quiero estar encarcerrada" - Adela Act 1

"I don't want to be imprisoned" - immediately makes Adela stand out from her sister's resignation to their life

"Voy a beber agua" - Adela Act 3

"I am going to drink water" - Adela here brings up the symbol of water just before seeing Pepe showing her need to be free and flowing from her mother's tyranny

"Una mullila sin desbravar" - Martirio Act 2

"An untamed mule" - Showing that Adela's want for freedom is uncontrollable

"Pero nos pudrimos por el qué diran" - Magadelena Act 1

"But we rot from what they say" - shows that village gossip can destroy a family's reputation

"No quiero perder mi blancura en estas habitaciones" - Adela Act 1

"I don't want to lose my whiteness in these rooms" - implies that village gossip seeps through the walls and rots purity

"Estarán las vecinas con el oído pegado a los tabíques" - Bernarda Act 2

"All the neighbours have their ears glued to the walls" - highlights Bernarda's preoccupation with how other people view her family

"Ella, la hija menor de Bernarda Alba, ha muerto virgen" - Bernarda Act 3

"Her, the youngest daughter of Bernarda Alba, has died a virgin" - Even after the suicide of her daughter, Bernarda's first thought is her worry of what people will think

"Me sirves y te pago. Nada más!" - Bernarda Act 1

"You serve me and I pay you. Nothing more!" - Bernarda's mental detachment for a woman who has worked for her for 30 years, cruel

"En el pueblo hay gentes que leen también de lejos los pensamientos escondidos" - La Poncia Act 2

"There are people in the town who also read other people's minds" - social awareness and worry

"Este verano interminable" - Martirio Act 2

"this never ending summer" - the theme of the heat that suppresses and suffocates the sexual desires of the daughters

"Hace años yo no he conocido calor igual" - Amelia Act

"It has been years since I have known such heat" - could foreshadow that this particular summer will be one of misfortune eg Adela's suicide

"ligeramente azuladas" - acotación

"Lightly tinged with blue" - showing the loss of the purity and innocence as the story unravels, perhaps tinged with sadness with Adela's suicide

"En ocho años que dure el luto, no ha de entrar en esta casa el viento de la calle" - Bernarda Act 1

"In the 8 years that this mourning lasts, not even the wind from the street will enter this house" - Bernarda physically imprisoning her daughters in the house as part of her tyranny

"abánico redondo de flores" - acotación

"fan covered in flowers" - Adela and her rebellion, only allowed to have black clothing and accessories

"mirando sus ojos me parece que bebo su sangre lentamente" - Adela

"looking into his eyes makes me feel like i drink his blood slowly" - shows the passion and fire of Adela, totally consumed by her love for him

"son mujeres sin hombre, nada más" - La Poncia Act 3

"they are women without men, nothing more" - implies that women's only role was to find a man with whom to marry and have children

"ovejita, ovejita, niño mio" - Maria Josefa Act 2

"little lamb, little lamb, my child" - shows MJ's delusion and lust to have a baby of her own, but has been locked away by her daughter

"mal dolor de clavo" - La Poncia

a typical andalucian phrase used at the time- example of an andalucismo

"Gori gori" - Bernarda Act 1

an example of bad grammar used by Bernarda - she wants to be of a higher class but will always be middle class

"yo no volverás a levantarme las enguas detrás de la puerta de tu corral" - La criada Act 1

"i will not come back for you to lift my underskirt behind the door of your corral" - indicates that the maid had been abused by the dead husband of Bernarda, showing typical behaviour of men at the time

"Hay una tormenta en cada cuarto"- La Poncia

"there's a storm in every corner" - Poncia trying to warn Bernarda about Adela's actions, which see cannot see due to her blindness