The Harvesters Beyond the Window

The House of Bernarda Alba

The passing harvesters embody the open, physical world that the daughters desire and make the contrast between male freedom and female confinement unmistakable.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Men Return to the Fields Men Return to the Fields from "The House of Bernarda Alba". Men Return to the Fields A Sound Beyond the Room Distant bells announce the harvesters’ return to work.

Men Return to the Fields from "The House of Bernarda Alba". Men Return to the Fields A Sound Beyond the Room Distant bells announce the harvesters’ return to work.

Men Return to the Fields A Sound Beyond the Room Distant bells announce the harvesters’ return to work. The sound brings the outside laboring world close to the women’s sewing room. Unequal Movement The men can pass between house, village, and fields, while Bernarda’s daughters remain indoors. Their different freedoms become audible before the workers appear.

Poncia Describes the Men Poncia Describes the Men from "The House of Bernarda Alba". Poncia Describes the Men The Harvesters’ Vitality Poncia describes a large group of young men arriving for the harvest, full of energy and movement.

Poncia Describes the Men from "The House of Bernarda Alba". Poncia Describes the Men The Harvesters’ Vitality Poncia describes a large group of young men arriving for the harvest, full of energy and movement.

Poncia Describes the Men The Harvesters’ Vitality Poncia describes a large group of young men arriving for the harvest, full of energy and movement. Her account draws the daughters’ attention away from their needlework. Desire Made Vivid The women react to the men’s freedom and sexual possibilities. Poncia’s story opens an imaginative window into a life the household denies them.

The Song at the Window The Song at the Window from "The House of Bernarda Alba". The Song at the Window An Invitation Heard The harvesters sing of girls opening doors and windows and of roses taken for a crown.

The Song at the Window from "The House of Bernarda Alba". The Song at the Window An Invitation Heard The harvesters sing of girls opening doors and windows and of roses taken for a crown.

The Song at the Window An Invitation Heard The harvesters sing of girls opening doors and windows and of roses taken for a crown. The lyrics give public voice to flirtation and desire. Different Responses Martirio repeats the song nostalgically, while Adela sings it passionately. Their shared words expose very different degrees of hope and frustration.

The Women Watch The Women Watch from "The House of Bernarda Alba". The Women Watch A Brief Opening Adela and Poncia go to watch the harvesters from Adela’s window.

The Women Watch from "The House of Bernarda Alba". The Women Watch A Brief Opening Adela and Poncia go to watch the harvesters from Adela’s window.

The Women Watch A Brief Opening Adela and Poncia go to watch the harvesters from Adela’s window. Even this small act requires caution because the men may push the window open. Looking as Longing The daughters can see the workers but cannot join them. The window becomes a boundary where desire is permitted to look but not to act freely.

The Song Fades The Song Fades from "The House of Bernarda Alba". The Song Fades Silence Returns The singing recedes, and the women return to the pressures of the enclosed house.

The Song Fades from "The House of Bernarda Alba". The Song Fades Silence Returns The singing recedes, and the women return to the pressures of the enclosed house.

The Song Fades Silence Returns The singing recedes, and the women return to the pressures of the enclosed house. The vivid moment outside does not alter their circumstances. A Desire Still Active Adela says she wants to reap so she can move freely and forget what gnaws at them. Martirio challenges her, turning the song’s freedom into renewed private tension.

Act Two, shortly after three o’clock

Act Two, just before the song approaches

Act Two, as the harvesters pass the house

Act Two, as the song turns the corner

Act Two, after the harvesters pass