La Madeja

Romantic entanglements expose problematic gender roles

Newlyweds Álvaro and Blanca vacation with two other couples on the northern coast of France, where misunderstandings, trickery, and flirtations ensue. Álvaro wants a cosmopolitan life full of travel and excitement, but the more traditional Blanca yearns for stability. Meanwhile, Blanca's former suitor the Marqués de Alqueriz pursues an affair with the liberated (and married) American Lady Shewening. The contrasts between these characters highlight important social issues in early-twentieth-century Spain, including women's changing roles, infidelity and violence within marriage, and the thorny relationship between Spain and the United States in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War.

Best known as a poet, novelist, and journalist, Sofía Casanova presented this work as a play at the encouragement of one of Spain's leading authors, Benito Pérez Galdós. Following its performance at Madrid's prestigious Teatro Español in 1913, it was published as a novel in dialogue.