SHC - Yerma Flashcards
Lorcas Homosexuality
- Contextually it is known that Lorca struggled with coming to terms with his homosexuality as this would have been severely frowned upon in Spain during the 1930’s.
supressing may be projected through the text in Yerma’s struggles and suppression as a woman
Audience at the time would have been able to accept this fact more than openly presenting them with a story about homosexuality.
the government supression
The Government wanted suppression as Yerma story had wider meanings about freedom and sexuality, and
like Juan wanting control over Yerma’s life choices, the government wouldn’t of wanted the audience to view a play so inspiring for women and rebellion in general.
women’s purpose in rural spain
Lorca was writing at a time when a women’s purpose in life did not extend beyond marriage and bearing children.
feelings of failure and injustice
Yerma explores the feelings of failure and injustice that a woman feels as well as societal pressures to be a good wife even though Yerma cannot meet the expectation of having children not to her own fault but to the lack of fertility of Juan her husband
emphasising these double standards as looming pressure for a child still falls onto Yerma.
when was Yerma set
Yerma setting is in rural Spain during the 1930’s right on the brink of the Spanish civil war
real women
Lorca intended the story to show the real challenges that rural women faced, as he was majorly influenced by real life stories of neighbours around him.
shows how Yerma’s story has a very strong impact as it was incredibly realistic to the audience at the time as well as a modern society interoperating the play in the 21st century as this suppression and double standards are still prevalent today.
marriage and catholicism
the pressures for Yerma to stay in her marriage is very prominent as she is strongly influenced but the religious dictation of Catholicism telling her that divorce is a sin even though she would be happier if she where to do so.
Therefore, this will be a underlying thought of Yerma’s throughout the entirety of the scene adding a deeper conflict of her own religiose values and emotional yearning.
fontel set design outside
Fontanel’s set design was praised for its simplicity and stylisation: large scale set depicted what appeared to be a hill side village of tall, dazzling-white houses under a brilliant blue sky.
fontel set deisgn inside
Interior scenes were stark and sparse, reflecting Yerma’s increasing desperation and sense of entrapment: Rural location represents Yerma’s isolation.
symbolism
Lorca intended water to represent fertility…..
When Juan enters the scene the sound of running water stops so to represent….
modernismo
Lorca was highly influenced by the period of “modernismo” that was ensuing in Spain during his lifetime. Modernist writing reflects less on society and more on individuals, thus it gave Lorca the opportunity to delve deeper into the psychological “state” that is womanhood.
the washerwomen
The characters are not endowed with names, thus they lose a sense of their identity.
yermas name
Yerma quite literally means “barren” – ostensibly referring to her inability to produce a child with her husband Juan. However, this barrenness is also symptomatic of the psychological and emotional (as well as physical) emptiness of womanhood.
