Women During Civil War – and Today

Although the Second Republic's constitution had granted women a lot of rights, including voting and access to abortion, the Civil War– and Francoism– reversed a majority of these legislatures, rather professing a strong viewpoint to hypermasculinity and implementing traditional roles for women in society.

Roles in Nationalist Spain:

In the first days of the Francoist regime, Franco (with the title Generalissimo, meaning leader of both government and military) established a variety of limitations and laws for women's role in society.

All Spanish women were required by state to attend "Sección Femenina (Women's Section)" for six months, which offered training for motherhood and courses for political indoctrination. There, the main lesson was that "a woman was to be loving to her parents and brothers, faithful to her husband, and to reside with her family."

In a governmental and economic sense, all affairs of a woman had to be managed by their husbands or fathers. Women were not allowed to testify in a trial, to hold a bank account, nor to ask for a divorce or an abortion. At the same time, since women were considered "dependents" of men, they were often unwillingly subject to studies on "eugenics."

Laws/Policies Passed In Francoist Spain for Women's Role – and how they're seen in The House of Bernarda Alba

Francoist Laws

The Francoist Regime was known for its authoritarian control over the nation, imposing its beliefs and vision for a "just nation" either by policies the Representatives would pass, or by military control and abuse of power in the different regions.

The Dictator was a devout Catholic, so all laws were administered taking into consideration the Church and the Bible's values, which led to their traditional family and roles mindset.

The Franco government wanted to promote Spanish as their official language, as opposed to Catalan and other tongues, so they banned all publications and books in any language that wasn't Spanish. They also arrested citizens if they were caught with books that went against this law.

At the same time, they cut access to education for women after a certain age, only providing them opportunities to learn for house wives duties.

As Franco imposed traditional values, many families were seen split in work/life balance, often not seeing each other due to the grueling 16 hour days in the fields.

The Spanish Civil War period, as well as majority of the Francoist Regime, saw the surge of officials becoming spies for either side. Whether it was to find out military plans or whereabouts of "criminals," these spies were useful and a key part of the government.

The Rural Spain was affected by this mostly in its agriculture, their main export, which saw land and inheritance disputes.

The Dictator was a devout Catholic, so all laws were administered taking into consideration the Church and the Bible's values, which led to their traditional family and roles mindset.

As Franco imposed traditional values and gained power, he began to target artists and supporters/members of the Republic. In this, he looked to shut down the movement of surrealism and expressive art.

Another important aspect is that Franco, though he didn't propose any of the legislature, was a follower of Primo de Rivera, the previous Dictator before the Second Republic, which whom María Josefa was more present during. Primo de Rivera looked to put an end to "public disorder" through his military coup, leading to stricter restrictions on the citizens and their daily lives.

The House of Bernarda Alba

Bernarda Alba secured her role as the matriarch of the own, working to assure her daughters and workers would follow every request and demand she made. If not, Bernarda would punish them, as seen multiple times with Poncia and Angustias.

At the same time, as a devout religious woman, she is strong in values, often quoting Latin lines and even saying what jobs each gender is supposed to have

Prudencia, similar to Bernarda Alba, works to assure the best for her family and her reputation. Although we don't see her interacting with her own family, it is clear how she chooses honor over all else – which Bernarda respects.

Moreover, this exterior perspective serves as a counterpoint to Bernarda's oppression of the family, as she brings outside knowledge and news that the daughters would maybe not be aware of. Her role in the show begs the questions: "What is the dynamic between the village and Bernarda truly?" "What does Prudencia gain from this relationship?"

Trapped for most of the house with the desire to leave for the ocean, María Josefa serves as a romantic figure in this play, who is always open about she wants, opposing her own daughter and matriarch, Bernarda. She is similar to those artists Franco wanted to shut down.

As she goes through this play trying to find her husband and escape the house, she is a symbol that asks: "What can the previous generation teach us?" "What does María Josefa wish to give?" And "What happens if she were able to leave? And what does that represent?"

Duties in Day–2-Day

Agriculture

Harvesting olives and tobacco alongside their husbands/fathers, for the family's sustenance. Lower class.

Household Duties

Cleaning after the house as domestic servants. They were responsible for childcare, elders, and appearance. Middle class.

Housewives

For higher class ladies, it was expected for them to remain in the home, working with the clothing of the family and the children's education.

Lorca Women Today

The Secret Lives of Mormon Girls – and "MomTok"

Before "The Secret Lives of Mormon Girls" was a Hulu Reality TV Show, it gained popularity on Tik Tok in May 2022, with a group of 3 women friends. On their accounts, not only did they show their day-to-day lives with their families and duties as wives, but also revealed that they were "soft swinging," which is a form of consensual non-monogamy sexual activities in Mormon culture.

From this, the TV show was made that fully explained the history of this community, as well as how it's affected by their Mormon faith. Mormonism holds many beliefs, amongst them maintaining sexual purity, marriage and childbearing as a privilege (divorces and abortions are frowned upon and often shunned), and a consistent practice of the importance of family and God public to their community.

Similar to Lorca's world in The House of Bernarda Alba, modern society and cultures have imparted a way of "living" to many people. With The Secret Lives of Mormon Girls, not only do we see that, we also witness: "How much pain and restriction can a woman sustain before reaching her breaking point?" "What does it look like to stray away from your beliefs, even when people continue to impose them?" And, "Who determines what happens after?"