had in getting there. Perhaps this reference to the difficulty in the hill mimic the rising tension with the union, or foreshadow the impending struggle. POLITICAL CONTEXT AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT WHY REFERENCES ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE PLAY QUOTES 1928 (when the play is set) “the rich were rich and the poor were poor” When Locra was growing up he was lucky enough to be very rich. His parents owned a sugar plantation and as Spain had recently had its sugar source cut – they became very wealthy. Surrounding Lorca were the poor. Everywhere he went he saw their suffering and this impacted on his beliefs greatly. He saw it as unfair and spent much of There’s true love between Leonardo and the Bride, but because Leonardo comes from a poor family, whereas the bridegroom comes from the poorer family (Ox vs. Vinyard) they are not able to marry. Marriage is seen to be an economic union rather that one based on feelings. It was important to marry within you social class. The gifts the bride receives from the are symbolic of the superfluous
his life supporting the Republican movement and desire for change and equality within Spanish society. Lorca was practically disgusted by how big the difference was “Until the economy is fixed its impossible for us to think freely” Cuba had been taken by America and that meant that Spain lost their sugar. Mexico’s revolution was a trigger for Spain’s revolution. wealth held by some. The fact that the bride’s family also had a servant is also a reference to the disparity between the poor and the rich. The fact that the bride did not care for the presents represents the younger generation’s desire for change and the ability to marry for love. The gifts symbolise the female as a commodity that can be purchased. It’s not about economics, but it’s affected by economics. It is a standing point as to the play though, if the situation of their society wasn’t as it was (rich can’t marry poor) then the outcome wouldn’t have happened. The play’s conclusion is where Lorca’s criticism of society lies.
Guernica by Picasso; a commentary on the Spanish civil war – while the painting was completed after Lorca’s play it does have similar symbols embedded within it – these are symbols that were important to Spanish culture. The people in the painting are being violently being killed. There are masculine symbols of the bull and horse. These artists were exposed to only war and fighting at the time. Salvador and Picasso both lived with Lorca and read all his texts. To challenge the culture of Spain at the time. FLOWERS: Fertility, growth and life was a wax flower, not a real flower, Lorca was friends with Salvador Dali e.g. the surreal scene with the woodcutters and the moon. The symbolism in this scene supports his modernist approach and the era of art where writers were experimenting with style. Note that the challenging of style that was previously rigid in structure mimics the desire for change within society. Yellow: Page 3 1, a room painted yellow Colour of wealth and gold, Also represented crops, e.g. wheat, which is worth a lot back in that time. Represents that they were wealthier than Leonardo. Pg 83 2 hard men ended up “Man is wheat and wheat is man” When they both fell and the bride returned with blood staining her hair
therefore symbolising fake life, fake love. It was really hot which would have caused the wax to melt. There are quite a few references heat, heat and passion, summer is symbolic of maturity, richness and ripeness. That death is a great equaliser Leonardo is surrounded with masculine symbolism, the horse. Leonardo was the only one in the play to have a name when he wasn’t the most important character Giving the poor a voice Because he’s not part of a stereotype, he’s his own man. is the name of Leonardo’s family and they are the enemy of the Blood feud. The name with yellow lips They’ve come back to haunt the mother Yellow is the colour of death. Foreshadowing his death. Act 1 scene 2 page 12 a room painted pink etc… Leonardos house is pink, bride to be’s house is ROSY, LACE, PINK, WHITE. Both are associated with the colour pink. Pink is a variation of the red. Symbolises anger when the bride falls – blood in her hair – blood ties are an important part of Spanish culture Leonardo breaks the blood tie by running away with a different woman. Act 3 final scene A room in white…
Felix means matador – bull fighter – part of the culture’s sporting identity. Bull fighting is violent and in particular the battle between the matador and the bull is brutal. Women speak the most in the play – however are isolated from society. During this time women were predominantly restricted to the home and men were permitted to do as they pleased. The Mother of the bride-groom comments on the fact that her husband had a lot of sons with different women… the fact that the bride is also meant to not be ‘pure’ shows the changing nature of Spanish society and the lack of equity that exists in the old traditions. Why is Death a ‘beggar Represents the cycle of life and death, mother lost husband and eldest son, only life left is the bridegroom, he gets married which represents maturity, then he dies and has the funeral in a white church which finishes the cycle again. No shadows and no grey, or even a perspective in this act. It’s a kind of place in between, and the people bring their own baggage, but this room has no personality. It is a man made construction. Act scene 1 act 3 Woodcutters. They are killing the trees, killing life Forest represents freedom and outside the cultural norm. Beggar represents death, and she