02 Nov 2017
Death is one of the major themes depicted in the Blood Wedding by Federico Lorca. He mostly uses violent imagery to portray this theme and thus captivate the reader and broaden their understanding of the play. Not only does the use of this literary device captivate the reader but it also gives the reader a wider outlook on the setting such as the atmosphere and mood. This is depicted because as the image is created in the reader’s mind so is the enhancement of the setting because through the images in the book the readers surrounding is affected in the sense that he becomes more acquainted with the play. Consequently this essay will be focusing on how the author uses violent imagery in the portrayal of death in Blood Wedding.
In the setting of the play it was made known to society that dying by the sword was a form of having an honorable death. Death being honorable because it would pronounce nobility due to one fighting for his own life. Death is the physical end to mortal life; Lorca uses expressive or evocative images to portray the theme of death through the character of Mother as she laments about the knife. Death is inevitable yet Mother is always lamenting about the death of her loved ones while she stoically endures the painful losses showing that she still has not come to terms with death being inevitable. Take for example, when Mother laments about the knife to Bridegroom "the knife, the knife! Damn the knife, damn all knives, damn the devil who created knives "(1). The author makes the quote effective in the beginning by repeating the word "knife". Repetition is often used to evoke emphasis and thus through the repetition of the word knife, Lorca not only portrays Mothers deep hatred for the knife but also with the continuous repetition of the word, he evokes its negative implications towards Mother. Furthermore the atmosphere is further exaggerated to create a sense of fear, due to the evil, eerie image of the devil that is used to refer to as the creator of knives. Thus showing that Lorca uses emphasis to evoke the violent meaning of the knives in the play. Moreover the exclamation mark Lorca uses just after the word knife states the heightened tone in Mother’s voice, this time showing the urgency of making the aspect of the knife known.
In addition to another source of Mothers anger as depicted in her tone could also be vindicated by the fact that her beloved husband and son died by the knife and not the sword. This in the Andalusia society was known as a symbol of nobility. Therefore Mothers anger towards the knife could be considered hypocritical in the perspective of the hierarchy of honor in their family. Whereby she could only be reproving the knife due to the disappointed status it brought upon her family. Thus Lorca ingeniously incorporates violent imagery for the reader to depict death as being portrayed by the knife.
Lorca personifies death as being a cold, cruel Beggar Woman who conspires in the killing of Leonardo and Bridegroom. Cold, showing the state at which you are in once you have died and cruel showing, that death waits for no man it is inevitable and emotionless. Thus by Lorca using the Beggar Woman to portray the aspect of death the reader evokes the Beggar Woman’s personality as being a sadist and through the imagery of her appearance it is known that anything acquainted with the Beggar Woman should be noted as evil. Therefore Lorca uses the Beggar Woman for the reader to depict the meaning of death and how cunning the Beggar Woman can be. This can be seen when Lorca’s violent imagery is depicted from the Beggar Woman’s poetic recitation when she and the Moon conspire in the killing of Leonardo and Bridegroom. Take for example when she recites "the coffins lie open. The white sheets are spread, for heavy bodies, with their throats cut" (53). Her tone suggests calmness as she recites the whole poem because she is comfortable in her atmosphere and shows no sign of hesitation or disturbance when relating to the aspect of death.
Furthermore she is comfortable with the aspect of death or rather she is assured of it to happen, because of the confidence she has in reciting about open coffins and cut throats. Through the authors style of writing the Beggar Woman patently and assertively foreshadows the happenings that are to come forth for Leonardo and Bridegroom because she then goes on to recite "bury them in soft mud" (53). This quote justifies that death is yet to happen. Additionally it portrays a hidden personality of the Beggar Woman which is, being a sadist due to seeing pleasure in others grievances and this is further justified through her tone which gives an assurance of her true cruel personality.
Lorca portrays death as not only being a physical action but also an emotional act whereby a human connection is cut between two people. Death is considered as an anathema to life whereby being deprived of a full life is like death in life. This theme of death in life is mostly associated with the two lovers Leonardo and Bride, since they were not able to love each other fully without any shame they preferred themselves dead. Take for example when the woodcutter says "so? Better be a bloodless carcase than alive with the blood rotting in your body" (49). This use of violent imagery by Lorca helps the reader understand the concept of death being an anathema to life. The first Woodcutter who spoke of this quote, was justifying the fact that it would be better to be dead than live in a life without meaning or rather where you presume to be already dead however still alive. The Woodcutter mentions a bloodless carcass; this symbolism of the bloodless dead body is to show the life drained out of it not only literally but also psychologically thus he compares it to being fit than being alive with the blood rooting in your body. The blood symbolizes life as it is a source to our existence. However this blood being rotten justifies the fact that you may be alive, however your existence is merely irrelevant due to human limitations such as those given to Leonardo and Bride, thus them not being able to pronounce their love for each other.
In the ending scene it is made evident that death could be the end to a mortal life especially when you have nothing to live for and prefer the aspect of being physically dead rather than emotionally. This aspect is evoked through the conflict taking place between Mother and Bride. Take for example when Bride pleads to Mother for her life to end after the death of Bridegroom. "Stop talking. Take your revenge. Here I am. Here’s my throat" (69). Brides interruption to what Mother was saying is not only considered as a form of disrespect but also it’s a way Bride triggers Mothers temper in order for her to slit Brides throat. This is because Mother had already refused to kill Bride and wanted her to live with the guilt of both Leonardo and Bridegrooms death.
Furthermore Bride shows no hesitation in being killed as she willingly gives her throat out to Mother to justify her death to be smooth and without any rejection. However the quote is then a paradox because as Lorca uses violent imagery to convey the willingness of Brides death the tone and mood beg to differ. This is because the imagery portrayed of the Bride willingly giving her throat is different from the action in which she portrays it. Thus Lorca captivates his readers by using different literary devices to convey his meaning.
Through this analysis it is evident that Lorca uses profound violent imagery to portray death in the Blood Wedding. However much the reader may conclude a different meaning from what Lorca is conveying due to different perspectives all in all Lorca’s use of imagery communicates the same meaning of death, either being portrayed or having a hidden meaning to it. Thus most readers use imagery to captivate their reader’s attention because any word written down and read aloud creates an image showing the immediate effect of the author’s words. Furthermore through our ability to interpret and understand, we are able to convey hidden meanings from the words. All in all this few distinct elements are what make literature not only a piece of writing but an art that speaks out more meaning than a few words written down on a piece of paper.
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