Sexual repression is a constant theme in Nada (1945), and in the absence of any sort of traditional plot, Carmen Laforet's characters seem to be searching to define themselves socially and sexually in an atmosphere characterized by disorder. While scholars have emphasized both Laforet's use of an ambiguously constructed discourse and the overall tone of sexual repression in the novel's characters, aside from the obvious heterosexual tensions of the novel, there exists in Nada a series of exceptionally suggestive homoerotic undercurrents that have remained largely unexamined. An important question has remained unanswered: What is the function of the undeniably homoerotic undercurrents of the novel, particularly insofar as Andrea's physical obsession with Gloria and her complex, deeply affectionate relationship with her friend Ena? Through an analysis of both the highly charged female relationships and episodes of homoerotic desire and the contrasting instances of Andrea's indifference, repulsion, and fear of heterosexual relationships with men, it is the purpose of the present study to attempt to show that homosocial desire is encoded in the social structures detailed in the novel, and that same-sex friendship serves as a socially acceptable device through which Andrea can derive emotional fulfillment independent of traditional heterosexual social constructs.

Lesbian Desire and Related Matters in Carmen Laforet's Nada

In her five long novels, Carmen Laforet consistently attempted to find new narrative means of framing a feminist message. There exist studies of her use of the Bildungsroman, the Gothic, and Expressionism in Nada. This essay focuses on elements of detective fiction, especially the noir subgenre, in Laforet’s novelistic production, concentrating on Al volver la esquina published posthumously in 2004. The masculine protagonistnarrator moves in a world that is akin to those of North American noir films and novels in order to reveal his dilemma as a man of traditional Spanish masculinist values in a Spain that is beginning to experience the influence of other countries where gender roles are changing.

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La novelística feminista de Carmen Laforet y el género negro

In this essay we analyse and propose the reading of Carmen Laforet’s most important novels –Nada, La isla y los demonios and La mujer nueva– as an Existentialism trilogy de facto. Although these novels were not be written as a trilogy, we study the strong relationship between them, based in the life of her author. Understanding them as a trilogy, we can solve some literary troubles and we must read them as a bildungsroman with a personalist ending. The recent publication of the letters between Carmen Laforet and Elena Fortun supports this interpretation and reveals Nicolai Berdiaev’s influence. His personalist thoughts are the key to Laforet’s aim to “purifying” Existentialism.

El existencialismo personalista de Carmen Laforet: La mujer nueva surgida de la trilogía iniciada en Nada

In the pages of the 2003 volume of Anales de la literatura espa?ola contempor?nea, whose thirtieth anniversary we are celebrating, I pointed out that feminist scholars of Spanish literature have tended to rely on French and Anglo-American theoretical models. There I proposed that feminist critics of Spanish literature begin to look more seriously at Spanish feminist thought for the guiding ideas of their analyses of Spanish cultural phenomena.1 I want to continue the dis cussion I initiated in that brief article, which was originally a 20-minute paper delivered at the 2001 MLA meetings, and outline some of the feminist issues and arguments put forth by Spanish feminist theorists. Fortunately, we do some have several studies of individual feminist writers and some of their major works. Catherine Davies's "Feminist writers in Spain since 1900: from political strategy to personal inquiry" is a useful survey from 1900-1999 that focuses on Carmen de Burgos, Margarita Nelken, Clara Campoamor, Federica Montseny, Carmen Laforet, Carmen Mart?n Gaite, Lidia Falcon, Monstserrat Roig, Esther Tusquets, and Rosa Montero. Spanish Women Winters and the Essay: Gender, Politics, and the Self, edited by Kathleen M. Glenn and Mercedes Mazquiar?n de Rodr?quez, provides a more in depth consideration of specific women writers who "theorized" or wrote essays, although not all of them feminist or studied from a feminist perspective. The volume

Issues and arguments in twentieth century spanish feminist theory

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Barry Jordan

Papers

Laforet's Nada as Female Bildung?