Construction of Female Identity through the Conflict between Personal Desire and Social Norms in The House of Bernarda Alba

This essay investigates how Federico García Lorca constructs female identity through the tension between individual desire and oppressive social norms in The House of Bernarda Alba.

Employing a literary analysis of characterization and symbolic elements—specifically the use of space, color, and silence—the author examines diverse responses to patriarchal authority. The argument contrasts Adela's overt rebellion and Martirio's internalized repression with María Josefa's imaginative resistance.

The exemplar is valuable for its nuanced exploration of how identity is defined by prohibition and its sophisticated integration of dramatic resources to critique the systemic control of the female body and social morality.