FREE ESSAY ON THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA: A CONTRIBUTION OF NON-VERBAL ELEMANTS TO THE PLAY

THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA: A CONTRIBUTION OF NON-VERBAL ELEMANTS TO THE PLAY

The non-verbal elements of a play are crucial in setting the mood and tone of the
production. These features subtly provide the audience with important information about
the setting of the play and gives insight into the backgrounds and personalities of the
characters. The House of Bernarda Alba by Frederica Garcia Lorca is full of vivid
nonverbal elements that are essential in portraying exactly what life was like within
this household.
Colour is very important in The House of Bernarda Alba. The walls of the house are all
painted white. This is characteristic of homes in Spain, since white reflects the
scorching sun. There is, however, a deeper meaning than the simple practicality of white
in the play. White is symbolic of purity and cleanliness along with lifelessness, pallor
and emptiness. All of these features are descriptive of the life the daughters of
Bernarda are forced to lead. In fact, the family name Alba means white. This colour is
shown to be in sharp contrast to the black dress of the women in mourning as they enter
the stage. The white of the walls serves to exaggerate the black of their dresses. Black
is indeed the colour of death and may not only indicate the death that has occurred but
also allude to the death that is to come. By all wearing the same lifeless colour the
women also lose their individuality. This is very important in this work since Bernarda
does not want her girls to be noticed and refuses to let them show their true colours.
They appear as nuns, not as eligible young women. It is also interesting to note that
black is the colour representative of the fascist regime of the time. Not only was
fascism the political situation but it was also alive and well in Bernarda's home, with
her as the ultimate dictator. Her cane is also symbolic of her role as the ruler of the
home.
The colour in the play makes a dramatic twist when Adela removes her black clothes of
mourning and opts to wear her green birthday dress into the yard to feed the chickens.
Green is often regarded as being a symbol of Earth, youth and fertility. The green of the
dress really is a symbol for Adela herself. Adela wants nothing more than to be free from
her mother's rule and to live the rest of her young life as she wishes. She is full of
the vigor of youth and is of the perfect age to marry and begin her own family. These
features pour from the young woman as she wears this dress while exclaiming to the
chickens "look at me!" The vibrant green colour is a very sharp contrast to black
signifying how she cares not for the restrictions imposed on her by her mother.
The decorations of the room in which much of the action takes place are very important.
The arched doorways are described as having jute curtains tied back with tassels and
ruffles. The harsh jute fabric is symbolic of the male presence in the home residing
within the ruling hand of Bernarda. The tassels and ruffles however show the distinct
femininity that is also present and is begging to be noticed. On the walls there are
pictures of nymphs and legendary kings. These are 
seemingly out of place in such surroundings. They do, however, depict imaginary places, a
dreamland of sorts. The daughters of Bernarda can easily identify with these pictures
since all they have is their unfulfilled dreams. They also serve to concrete the image of
innocence within the play. The kings serve as an image of the golden age of control with
one high and mighty ruler. Bernarda is indeed the "King" of her castle and these pictures
are representative of this. Nymphs are often characterized as being scantily clad and
very sexual in nature. Therefore, the nymphs presented to us here are representational of
the sexual energy present in the women of the home. Their attire also displays a sharp
contrast to the black, conservative dress of the characters. 
The sexual tension in the play is very apparent and is manifested by the stallion locked
up in his stall. He pounds on the wall of the house as he tries to break out. In a way,
Bernarda's daughters are doing the same thing, pounding on the walls of their home, their
prison, trying to escape. They also keep all of their sexual desires pent up just like
the stallion in his stall. The stallion is released into the yard to "cool down" but the
mares are left tied up in the heat. This persistent heat is also very important because
the young women are literally smothering in the house and are never allowed to leave the
home to cool off.
The most important symbol in the play is that of the tolling of the bells. Before any
player appears on the stage the bells sounding after the funeral welcome the audience.
This sets the somber tone of the entire drama. They also foreshadow the death that is to
come. At the end of the play Bernarda's comment that the bells will ring twice for Adela
who died a virgin illustrates how important the bells really are in the town. 
The House of Bernarda Alba is full of nonverbal imagery that really does set the stage
for the play. Without the creative genius of Lorca, who entered these pivotal elements,
the play would not have been as effective. It really is important to read a little deeper
or watch a little more closely to gain true appreciation for a work such as this.
Bibliography
No outside sources used