Sobre la autora y la obra
-
Laforet
o
Spain, 1921-2004
o
Wrote during the post-Civil War period of
repression; writing reflected desire for change and liberty
-
This was her first novel and her most famous,
considered her best
-
Testimonial novel genre (I think)
-
Influence of existentialism
-
A novel of female adolescent development, Nada
is considered a classic in 20th century Spanish literature; in many respects,
this novel is Spain's The Catcher in the Rye with regard to such
universal themes as existentialism and the adolescent search for identity.
(Wikipedia)
-
Nada es una novela de carácter existencialista en la que Carmen Laforet refleja
el estancamiento y la pobreza en la que se encontraba la España de la
posguerra. La escritora supo transmitir con esta obra, escrita con un estilo
literario que supuso una renovación en la prosa de la época, la lenta
desaparición de la pequeña burguesía tras la Guerra Civil. (Wikipedia)
Comps ideas to consider
-
La novela de posguerra: de la novela existencial a la novela realista:
Camilo José Cela y Carmen Laforet
Secondary source – Cambridge
Companion to Spanish Novel Chap. 11: Gonzalo Sebajano
-
Very negative tone (177)
-
Some traits of romance (177)
-
Use of memory (178)
-
Technique of expressing the narrator’s own
feelings of empathy through the consciousness of a naïve, central character
(178)
-
Neorrealismo (178)
Characters
-
Andrea – protagonist, recent orphan, novel
focuses on her adolescence
-
Juan – Andrea’s uncle
-
Gloria – Andrea’s aunt (married to Juan?),
somewhat promiscuous/shady
-
Román – Andrea’s uncle, was a spy during civil
war, kind of a jerk
-
Angustias – Andrea’s aunt, eventually goes to live
in a convent, very controlling
-
Abuela – talkative, devout churchgoer,
relatively powerless
-
Ena – Andrea’s friend, who has a richer family;
rather strong/active character
-
Jaime – guy that Ena wants to get with, Andrea
and Ena hang out with him
-
Pons (& artist friends) – artist guy that
Andrea sort of has relationship with and hangs out with some
Summary
Andrea comes to Barcelona to stay with her extended family
because she has recently been made an orphan. Her family is quite strange:
they’ve been altered by the war. Her uncles Juan and Román are very volatile:
they fight with one another all the time. Román provokes Juan and his wife
Gloria. Aunt Angustias is just very angry with everyone. Grandma doesn’t really
do anything except talk. However, in spite of the disgusting state of their
house, Andrea finds herself being taken in by them. She finds out a bit about
what happened to them during the war. Román was a spy and Juan’s past is
uncertain: Gloria learned about what was going on with them by listening
through a keyhole. Román is unhappy that the two of them got married. Román’s
work is unknown, and seems shady but lucrative. Juan’s work is unknown, and
doesn’t bring in very much. Gloria brings in some money gambling at her
sister’s bar, although Juan thinks she’s really a prostitute.
Andrea becomes friends with a girl named
Ena, whose family has money and often feeds Andrea dinner. Angustias leaves for
a convent (Juan says that it’s because she’s too afraid to pursue the man that
she’s had a long-lived affair with) and Andrea becomes less connected to the
house. Román continues his hidden life (which is never fully explained), Juan
has no money so Gloria has to play cards and sell furniture from the house to
buy baby food. Andrea lives off a meager allowance and starts to get a little
loopy from hunger. Gloria and Juan fight all the time, and Grandma always
defends Juan. No one has enough to eat.
For awhile, Andrea and Ena hang out with a
dude named Jaime (who Ena is interested in), but the relationship eventually
runs its course. Ena begins to hang out with Román, which bugs the heck out of
Andrea, but she can’t stop her and the two of them drift apart. Andrea begins
to hang out with a guy named Pons and his artist friends. The artist friends
are super-pretentious (one of them thinks he’s a Romantic and at one point
mentions ‘following the path of Béquer’) and super-spoiled by their rich
parents. Pons shows some interest in Andrea, who sees him as an opportunity to
escape from la calle Aribau, but they don’t work out. Ena’s mother tells Andrea
how she was interested in Román once upon a time but that, in spite of his
charms, he was a rotten person deep down, and lazy. Anyway, it turns out that
Ena has just been seeing Román because she wants to learn who he is (after
hearing stories about him from her mother) and ultimately break his heart, which
she does. Román ends up killing himself (Gloria says that it’s because she
called the cops on his smuggler ass and he was about to be busted, although who
knows if she really did or not). Ena’s family leaves Barcelona
soon after this, and Andrea rolls out eventually to live in Madrid with them.
Themes/ideas
-
Novela posguerra / Testimonial novel
o
Realistic image of what life was like after war
o
Depiction of hunger/near-starvation and poverty
of normal society
o
Idea of the war’s lasting effect on Spain
-
Spanish identity (post-civil war)
o
Spain is a shadow of what it once was, has lost
its former glory
-
Female adolescence, bildungsroman?
o
Idea of generational changes (between Abuela,
Angustias, Gloria, and Andrea) – ej: when Angustias complains about what she
could do when younger vs. what Gloria can do now
-
Family vs. friends
-
Importance of keeping up appearances
-
Symbolism of the house
o
House is messy, so the people that live in it
have messy lives
o
House grumbles like an animal
-
Night vs. day
o
Danger of the night; monsters/hidden things
emerge at night
-
Extremes
o
Andrea’s feast or famine mentality (whenever she
has money, she splurges)
o
Angustias’s treatment of Andrea – kind or
cruel/abusive
-
Existentialism
-
Social change
o
Old money (families like Andrea’s) is out, new
money (families like Ena’s) is in
-
Microcosm of Aribau neighborhood
General Plot Notes
Part I:
1). Begins: "Por dificultades..." Many unknowns up on arrive. Blood flows with excitement. She's finally in the big city. Rides a horse carriage, setting is posguerra. Heads up to Aribau ($$ wealthy area of Barna) to live with relatives. Sees electric light! Big city charm. "I'm here. It's me, your granddaughter." I couldn't come this morning like I'd written. Uncle greets her her, but the scene is bleak. The women are fantasmales. She wants to take a shower (which becomes a baño de brujas). Tía Angustias is rough. Angustias dice "nunca duermo". Her bed=coffin.
2). First tranvías in the city. Wakes up and sees old portrait of her gparents. They came to the neighborhood when it was new, for descanso. Now, city had grown up around it (generational shift). When abuelo died, gave up half the flat and what was left was desorden. Her tía thinks she needs to mold her somehow. La ciudad es un infierno. The city is dangerous. Aunt is awful to her...and then says, "Me lo pagan con ingratitudes." (she sounds like the absurd nun in Rosario Ferre's stories).
3). When Andrea is happy, Tía is humble. When she is sad, Tía is authoritarian. Made to wear awful blue hat when in city (keeping up appearances). Gloría, una graciosa who likes herself in a pleasant way, cuenta mentiras intercaladas a sucesos realies. Symbolism of house (house as messy, therefore people in in have messy lives.) Juan painting a nude. Then, one day, crying, "Román did something terrible to me." Roman says he read the card Gloria wrote to Angustias. City people as hiding emotion. Andrea as sentimentalista. Mentions to her how her mom got out, left the city for the country. Only Angustías, Roman and Juan were stuck (so maybe the Big City ain't the promised land). Andrea sees Gloría fleeing at night.
4). Cúantos días sin importancia! Autumn isn't beautyfull as expected, sino triste. Abuela (in a theatrical dialogue) explains how Juan and Ramón were close siblings, Abuelo was upset when Juan wanted to become artist. Abuela is upset when Juan wanted to become artist. Abuela is upsest becuase Román has kissed (affair?) with his brother's wife, Gloria [who says no one loved her, when Juan took care of her {?}} Revealed that Aungustias sheltered her boss Jerónimo during the war. Román is associated with the Rojos. He was a spy and spies are cowards. Gloria tells of her flight to Tarragona, how Juan fell in love. Nostalgia, perfection. Román trying to convince Juan to join nacionalistas. Abuela forgives him for that. Juan asks Román to bring Gloria to Barna. Asked to draw her nude. Abuela is more conservative. Román was furious when he found ou tGloria listend to their convos sneakily. Jerónimo and Angustias had a secret stash of food. Abuela was witty with republicanos who could've criticised her for her saints. Andrea is listening, but sick with fever.
5) Angustias, true to her name, keeps anguishing others. Andrea does well at university. One friend wants to meet their uncle because he was a musician.
6) Even little things were tragedies for people of Aribau. Makes friends with Ena, wealthy girl who invites her out a lot. Andrea begins to feel unequal. So she'd give her a handkerchief (one of her only possessions). Provides feeling of wealth and happiness. Juan/Gloria/Angustias: fight! Angustias accuses her of stealing hankie. Juan hits Ang. Juan calls Ang. out on her affair with her boss. Then, it's x'mas. Brief moment of peace. Andrea talks to Angustias very kindly (even though she doesn't deserve it). This family is broken.
7) Ang. packs up to leave. Jerónimo comes by for her new address. Then looking at family photos, Andrea sees one of her mom, Amalia, but abuela denies it's her. Román is now chasing her with afectuosidad. Andrea begins to sleep in. Angustia's room as the gran oreja de la casa, hears Gloria sneak out at night. Román tries to convince Andrea "You don't need friends, just family." Román, she is realizing, is just as bipolar as Angusty. R. says he controls others emotions- "Manejo a todos." He's kinda freaky. Ena calls.
8) Ang: Angry that abuela lets Gloria go out even though she never let Angu. One day, Andrea wakes up with a strong feeling of rebellion towards Ang. Ang. says "He cometido un pecado de soberbia y me voy para siempre." She's going to cloister, still thinks that there are only two honorable paths for women and since she's not married.... "Tú has sido mi última desilusión y último desengaño," (wanted to be like a mom to Andrea, yet reveals she'd prayed for her death [or salvation]). Lastly, Juan has abused Gloria.
9) Amigas de Angustias say her house has changed so much. Gloria doesn't know why Ang thinks she should be angry and not just leave with Don Jerónimo. Gloria pasa de los roolos de la familia y dice que va a visitar a su herman de noche. Gloria says she never married because her father didn't like the guy...You're no saint!
Part II
10) Andrea walks at night to see cathedral, soledad. Scary figure comes out from shadows (night vs. day). It's the guy from Ena's house. Andrea says she now just wants to pay for her room, will eat outside house. Abuela doesn't want her to have to pay. Andrea keeps wanting to buy/compensate for Ena's friendship.
11) She begins to try new foods, dry fruit. She would spend all her money at restaurant at the beginning of the month. Lived on bread at the end. Juan/Gloria, mother fight. So, Gloria sleeps with Andrea. Could I escape? One day he'll kill me! Andrea is hungry and possessed by a feeling of bestialidad (the house is getting to her). Wants to eat Gloria. Juan comes in to get Gloria.
12) Ena talks to going to country; she's interested in Jaime. Ena says there's onlty one person she loves as much as Jaime and Andrea. One day, Andrea gets mad, harta de su sonrisa de autoridad. Then, Gerardo (Creepy guy) comes around and he kisses her. Then ena comes over to her house, but when Andrea arrives she leave.
13) Ena says she can't come around anymore. Gloria is worried she's pregnant again. She meets up with Pons in library. A friend of his wants to paint her. She calls for Juan. Action dies down. Andrea wants to go with Pons.
14) Andrea losing memory (?) will ena and Román marry (?) Friendship with Ena is losing encanto. Ena confesses: she waited at ther house for 4 hours. Roman entertained her. Ena says taht she doesn't like that Andrea se avergüenza de su familia. Ena says she wanted to befriend Andrea b/c she seemed a little trastornada and that interested her and le conmovía. She's just fascinated.
15) Baby is dying. Juan fighting in street.
16) Román becoming señorito. Spending money on suits (where is this money coming from?) Gloria is worried that he likes other girls, even Andrea. Andrea thinks that is ridiculous (it's her uncle, after all)-she is clearly off her rocker. Mentions Angustias' beggar. Then Andrea warns Jaime, "I think Ena is desgraciada."
17) It's June heat. Chinches en casa. Tries to fight them, takes disinfectant baths. Román jokes that andrea will be a good housewife. Juan feels need to control the house. Pons invites Andrea to spend summer with family @ Costa Brava. Then, one night, again spying (which seems to be a family pastime), Román recalls good ol' days with Gloria. Gloria calls him out for being a traitor, because something happened with Gloria...she confesses she even denounced him to be fusilado!
18) Feels ternura for Juan. Feels like a princess, like Cinderella. Abuela sells some of her furniture. Pons' house, which is a happy and beautiful place (not messy and angry like hers). Pons compliments her and she doesn't know how to take it. Actually, she blows it! Like a Greek tragedy. Finally has an opportunity and loses it! Chapter ends with her seeing Ena.
Part 3
19) Ena's mom says andrea is E.'s only friend (which is surprising after she had despreciado a ella). Andrea has pride in her hair. Cuts in..."Orgullos humildísimo me corroía enteramente." (Cuts in for Román?) e tells her she's worthless to him. Father doesn't like him. Andrea ends up marrying Luis. Ena's mom mentions she never wanted a child from her husband, yet she falls in love with the child and it opens her world.
20) Juan and Gloria are fighting because she's selling things for foor and he doesn't want her to. Very violent. Gloria says Andrea must know life is more beautiful than this. She's seen it. Gloria says Roamn does dirty work. G. mentions how her sister tired to set her up as "a lady of the night". Gloria has Jesus feet (sacrificial imagery).
Mentions Ena is coming to Roman's room. Andrea is mad because she thinks men and women can do more together tan be lovers. Andrea goes on walk, but goes home because she thinks Ena's there. Ena tells Román shes in her hands. The nightmare is over. then Andrea enters, feels like she sees Roman's gun and tells Ena to run....But nothing happens.
21) Hangs out out with Ena in Rain. Ena admits she was obsessed with Roman, but admits she loves Jaime too. Admits she was afraid of Roman. Ena's mom also had a moment with Roman. (Resulta que en a moment when Ena had made fun of Andrea, she had just had had a bad moment with Jaime)
22) Jaime, Ena and A. start hanging out again. Juan is dying-killed himself (not really??? I think it's just the other brother that dies).
23) Roman dies- suicide because he'd been denounced to police. The house is silent. Abuela's daughters blame abuela's unequal treatment to sons and daughters for this ending.
24) Andrea, two months later, feels death in the house. Juan goes away-Gloria wants him to go in manicomio, yet abuela still wants to protect him. Ena writes to Andrea from Madrid.
25) Gloria sells more things (decadencia). Andrea can go work/study in Madrid. And Ena will marry Jaime. Happy-ish ending.
1). Begins: "Por dificultades..." Many unknowns up on arrive. Blood flows with excitement. She's finally in the big city. Rides a horse carriage, setting is posguerra. Heads up to Aribau ($$ wealthy area of Barna) to live with relatives. Sees electric light! Big city charm. "I'm here. It's me, your granddaughter." I couldn't come this morning like I'd written. Uncle greets her her, but the scene is bleak. The women are fantasmales. She wants to take a shower (which becomes a baño de brujas). Tía Angustias is rough. Angustias dice "nunca duermo". Her bed=coffin.
2). First tranvías in the city. Wakes up and sees old portrait of her gparents. They came to the neighborhood when it was new, for descanso. Now, city had grown up around it (generational shift). When abuelo died, gave up half the flat and what was left was desorden. Her tía thinks she needs to mold her somehow. La ciudad es un infierno. The city is dangerous. Aunt is awful to her...and then says, "Me lo pagan con ingratitudes." (she sounds like the absurd nun in Rosario Ferre's stories).
3). When Andrea is happy, Tía is humble. When she is sad, Tía is authoritarian. Made to wear awful blue hat when in city (keeping up appearances). Gloría, una graciosa who likes herself in a pleasant way, cuenta mentiras intercaladas a sucesos realies. Symbolism of house (house as messy, therefore people in in have messy lives.) Juan painting a nude. Then, one day, crying, "Román did something terrible to me." Roman says he read the card Gloria wrote to Angustias. City people as hiding emotion. Andrea as sentimentalista. Mentions to her how her mom got out, left the city for the country. Only Angustías, Roman and Juan were stuck (so maybe the Big City ain't the promised land). Andrea sees Gloría fleeing at night.
4). Cúantos días sin importancia! Autumn isn't beautyfull as expected, sino triste. Abuela (in a theatrical dialogue) explains how Juan and Ramón were close siblings, Abuelo was upset when Juan wanted to become artist. Abuela is upset when Juan wanted to become artist. Abuela is upsest becuase Román has kissed (affair?) with his brother's wife, Gloria [who says no one loved her, when Juan took care of her {?}} Revealed that Aungustias sheltered her boss Jerónimo during the war. Román is associated with the Rojos. He was a spy and spies are cowards. Gloria tells of her flight to Tarragona, how Juan fell in love. Nostalgia, perfection. Román trying to convince Juan to join nacionalistas. Abuela forgives him for that. Juan asks Román to bring Gloria to Barna. Asked to draw her nude. Abuela is more conservative. Román was furious when he found ou tGloria listend to their convos sneakily. Jerónimo and Angustias had a secret stash of food. Abuela was witty with republicanos who could've criticised her for her saints. Andrea is listening, but sick with fever.
5) Angustias, true to her name, keeps anguishing others. Andrea does well at university. One friend wants to meet their uncle because he was a musician.
6) Even little things were tragedies for people of Aribau. Makes friends with Ena, wealthy girl who invites her out a lot. Andrea begins to feel unequal. So she'd give her a handkerchief (one of her only possessions). Provides feeling of wealth and happiness. Juan/Gloria/Angustias: fight! Angustias accuses her of stealing hankie. Juan hits Ang. Juan calls Ang. out on her affair with her boss. Then, it's x'mas. Brief moment of peace. Andrea talks to Angustias very kindly (even though she doesn't deserve it). This family is broken.
7) Ang. packs up to leave. Jerónimo comes by for her new address. Then looking at family photos, Andrea sees one of her mom, Amalia, but abuela denies it's her. Román is now chasing her with afectuosidad. Andrea begins to sleep in. Angustia's room as the gran oreja de la casa, hears Gloria sneak out at night. Román tries to convince Andrea "You don't need friends, just family." Román, she is realizing, is just as bipolar as Angusty. R. says he controls others emotions- "Manejo a todos." He's kinda freaky. Ena calls.
8) Ang: Angry that abuela lets Gloria go out even though she never let Angu. One day, Andrea wakes up with a strong feeling of rebellion towards Ang. Ang. says "He cometido un pecado de soberbia y me voy para siempre." She's going to cloister, still thinks that there are only two honorable paths for women and since she's not married.... "Tú has sido mi última desilusión y último desengaño," (wanted to be like a mom to Andrea, yet reveals she'd prayed for her death [or salvation]). Lastly, Juan has abused Gloria.
9) Amigas de Angustias say her house has changed so much. Gloria doesn't know why Ang thinks she should be angry and not just leave with Don Jerónimo. Gloria pasa de los roolos de la familia y dice que va a visitar a su herman de noche. Gloria says she never married because her father didn't like the guy...You're no saint!
Part II
10) Andrea walks at night to see cathedral, soledad. Scary figure comes out from shadows (night vs. day). It's the guy from Ena's house. Andrea says she now just wants to pay for her room, will eat outside house. Abuela doesn't want her to have to pay. Andrea keeps wanting to buy/compensate for Ena's friendship.
11) She begins to try new foods, dry fruit. She would spend all her money at restaurant at the beginning of the month. Lived on bread at the end. Juan/Gloria, mother fight. So, Gloria sleeps with Andrea. Could I escape? One day he'll kill me! Andrea is hungry and possessed by a feeling of bestialidad (the house is getting to her). Wants to eat Gloria. Juan comes in to get Gloria.
12) Ena talks to going to country; she's interested in Jaime. Ena says there's onlty one person she loves as much as Jaime and Andrea. One day, Andrea gets mad, harta de su sonrisa de autoridad. Then, Gerardo (Creepy guy) comes around and he kisses her. Then ena comes over to her house, but when Andrea arrives she leave.
13) Ena says she can't come around anymore. Gloria is worried she's pregnant again. She meets up with Pons in library. A friend of his wants to paint her. She calls for Juan. Action dies down. Andrea wants to go with Pons.
14) Andrea losing memory (?) will ena and Román marry (?) Friendship with Ena is losing encanto. Ena confesses: she waited at ther house for 4 hours. Roman entertained her. Ena says taht she doesn't like that Andrea se avergüenza de su familia. Ena says she wanted to befriend Andrea b/c she seemed a little trastornada and that interested her and le conmovía. She's just fascinated.
15) Baby is dying. Juan fighting in street.
16) Román becoming señorito. Spending money on suits (where is this money coming from?) Gloria is worried that he likes other girls, even Andrea. Andrea thinks that is ridiculous (it's her uncle, after all)-she is clearly off her rocker. Mentions Angustias' beggar. Then Andrea warns Jaime, "I think Ena is desgraciada."
17) It's June heat. Chinches en casa. Tries to fight them, takes disinfectant baths. Román jokes that andrea will be a good housewife. Juan feels need to control the house. Pons invites Andrea to spend summer with family @ Costa Brava. Then, one night, again spying (which seems to be a family pastime), Román recalls good ol' days with Gloria. Gloria calls him out for being a traitor, because something happened with Gloria...she confesses she even denounced him to be fusilado!
18) Feels ternura for Juan. Feels like a princess, like Cinderella. Abuela sells some of her furniture. Pons' house, which is a happy and beautiful place (not messy and angry like hers). Pons compliments her and she doesn't know how to take it. Actually, she blows it! Like a Greek tragedy. Finally has an opportunity and loses it! Chapter ends with her seeing Ena.
Part 3
19) Ena's mom says andrea is E.'s only friend (which is surprising after she had despreciado a ella). Andrea has pride in her hair. Cuts in..."Orgullos humildísimo me corroía enteramente." (Cuts in for Román?) e tells her she's worthless to him. Father doesn't like him. Andrea ends up marrying Luis. Ena's mom mentions she never wanted a child from her husband, yet she falls in love with the child and it opens her world.
20) Juan and Gloria are fighting because she's selling things for foor and he doesn't want her to. Very violent. Gloria says Andrea must know life is more beautiful than this. She's seen it. Gloria says Roamn does dirty work. G. mentions how her sister tired to set her up as "a lady of the night". Gloria has Jesus feet (sacrificial imagery).
Mentions Ena is coming to Roman's room. Andrea is mad because she thinks men and women can do more together tan be lovers. Andrea goes on walk, but goes home because she thinks Ena's there. Ena tells Román shes in her hands. The nightmare is over. then Andrea enters, feels like she sees Roman's gun and tells Ena to run....But nothing happens.
21) Hangs out out with Ena in Rain. Ena admits she was obsessed with Roman, but admits she loves Jaime too. Admits she was afraid of Roman. Ena's mom also had a moment with Roman. (Resulta que en a moment when Ena had made fun of Andrea, she had just had had a bad moment with Jaime)
22) Jaime, Ena and A. start hanging out again. Juan is dying-killed himself (not really??? I think it's just the other brother that dies).
23) Roman dies- suicide because he'd been denounced to police. The house is silent. Abuela's daughters blame abuela's unequal treatment to sons and daughters for this ending.
24) Andrea, two months later, feels death in the house. Juan goes away-Gloria wants him to go in manicomio, yet abuela still wants to protect him. Ena writes to Andrea from Madrid.
25) Gloria sells more things (decadencia). Andrea can go work/study in Madrid. And Ena will marry Jaime. Happy-ish ending.
