Nada

Nada’s author Carmen Laforet shares many biographical experiences with the novel’s narrator, Andrea. Identify at least three commonalities Laforet and Andrea share, and analyze their significance within the story, including ways this novel could be a witness’s account of post-Civil War Spain.

Many critics have suggested that the harsh Catholic value system of Aunt Angustias is a narrative stand-in for the restrictions of Francoist Spain. Select at least three scenes from the novel where Angustias asserts her oppressive authority over the household, and analyze what these scenes might suggest about Laforet’s experiences under Franco’s rule.

How do you interpret the title of Nada (“nothing” in Spanish)? How does this title resonate with reactions to change or stasis within the story? How does the title speak to the novel’s resistance to traditional narrative and plot development in a female bildungsroman, or coming of age story? 

Nada focuses a great deal on the embodied sensory experience of its narrator, Andrea, including her feelings of hunger, exhaustion, excitement, confusion, and occasional satisfaction. What role do these sensory details play in the novel, and how do they shape the reader’s perception of narrative developments? Is Nada an existentialist novel, in which Andrea’s existence takes precedent over her inner life? Why or why not?

In Chapter 7, Andrea’s grandmother remarks that “things are not always what they seem” (64), forcing the reader to question which stories, explanations, and events Andrea witnesses are “real,” and which are embellishments, distortions, or outright lies. Some of Nada’s ambiguities include Andrea’s parentage; the connections between Angustias, Don Jerónimo, and Román’s black market smuggling; and Gloria’s activities at her sister’s bar. Andrea’s grandmother is possibly the most unreliable character, since the novel vacillates between portraying her as a senile old woman, or the guardian of long-held family secrets. Select at least one storyline of Nada in which “things are not always what they seem.” Using textual evidence, offer an interpretation of what might “really” be happening beneath the surface of narrated events. 

From the disintegration of her grandmother’s wealth to the failure of Román and Juan’s artistic careers, every member of Andrea’s family navigates major disappointments of expectations. Choose three members of Andrea’s family and compare their different responses to financial, artistic, and social challenges.

Despite their close emotional bond, Ena and Andrea come from separate social classes and experience very different challenges in their lives. How does Laforet use their friendship to examine the spectrum of issues young women face? How does their close bond deepen the book’s portrayal of romantic relationships? 

Nada deals intimately with women’s struggles, from the day-to-day challenges of grooming (Andrea is often mortified by her limited wardrobe), to sexism (as described by the grandmother’s estranged daughters), to spousal abuse (as shown in Gloria’s troubled relationship with Juan). Is Nada is a feminist novel? Why or why not?