El summary of the sleeping voice It contains the testimony of a group of women who were victims of the Spanish Civil War and the post-war period. Here you will find each of their stories.
Summary of The Sleeping Voice
Dulce Chacón was a Spanish poet and writer, born in the city of Zafra in 1954; she which she published her first novel in 1996 and in 2002 she completed one of her main works. At summary of the sleeping voice You will discover what this important book is about, where the author's commitment to show the world the situation of women in the face of Franco's repression is revealed.
Before starting the summary of the sleeping voice it is important that we situate ourselves in the historical moment that inspired Dulce Chacón.
The spanish civil war
Spain did not need to participate in either of the two world wars; she experienced her own civil conflict between 1936 and 1939. The Spanish Civil War, in the town of Zafra alone, brought with it the death of at least 250 people in the first months after it began.
Basically, it was a struggle of political forces between the Republicans and the Nationalists, that is, between the revolutionaries and the conservatives of the region. In this regard, it is noteworthy that before the entry of the rebels and the outbreak of the war, none of the nationalists had been assassinated; the reasons and the bloody story have not been openly told to the public.
That is why the author of La voz dormida decides to raise her voice to the world and tell, through the stories and testimonies of women who were victims of Franco's repression, the version from the other side of history.
The sleeping voice
In tribute to the women who were victims of the Spanish Civil War, to those mothers who saw their homes destroyed, to the girls who grew up without their parents and, above all, to the brave women who were prisoners in the Ventas prison . So that their voice can never again be silenced and the whole world knows the tragedy they experienced; For all this, Dulce Chacón compiled for more than four years, testimonies and anecdotes from her protagonists.
El summary of the sleeping voice It then begins by noting that the beginning of the Spanish Civil War marked the beginning of a new history. The rights that women had worked so hard to acquire were lost during Franco's repression; instead fear and silence, as the only response to violence, was established in their hearts.
Characters
As we have mentioned, La voz dormida is a testimonial and documentary book; Through its pages, it reveals the history of 12 women from Las Juventudes Socialistas. Next, we will show the profiles of some of them.
Elvira
Elvira is the smallest of the protagonists. When she was imprisoned, she was a child and, although she tried to cling to her childhood, she never knew the meaning of the word childhood; instead, she knew very well what terror and catastrophe are.
All the experiences inside the prison forged her as a strong woman; that strength of hers, along with the courage of her actions, accompanied her when she left her confinement when she was 16 years old. Her brother Paulino de ella, a socialist leader, who later began to be called Jaime Alcántara, was her release card from the Ventas prison.
Reme
She is the oldest of the group of prisoners; she was innocent of the charges brought against her and yet she accepted her fate with courage and bravery. Before being transferred to the Ventas prison, she spent two years in the prison of her town, where she was vilely humiliated; still, she didn't let her spirit quench.
She accompanies her traveling companions in each and every one of their moments; her consolation was always the memory of her daughters. She looks happy when Sole and Elvira are on their way to her freedom; later she too takes the same course on parole.
Tomasa
Tomasa's main characteristic is her rebellion. That courage was what led her so many times during the years in prison to be confined in the isolation cell, but what else could she lose?
His entire family was violently murdered during the civil conflict; Outside no one waits for her anymore, in jail no one visits her and she doesn't receive letters from her either. She is left even more lonely when all of her Sales friends move away from the prison.
The hope that one day when she gets out of prison, Reme will wait for her at the door to receive her, fills her with hope. And so it was, thanks to her pardon, she was released and her friend, fulfilling her promise, waits for her outside to take her to see the sea.
Hydrangea
Hortensia is the owner of the blue notebook of memories, where the past stories of some of the protagonists are written down. It's mostly about traumatic experiences, but there's also room for jokes; those that serve as consolation for so many sorrows.
The blue diary is the inheritance that Hortensia plans to leave to her daughter, so that she at least knows her through those lines, because she knows that as soon as she is born she will die. That is why she strives to tell the story of all the women who are not allowed to speak, but who hope to be remembered forever.
Tensi's courage, as her husband Felipe calls her, prevents her from regretting having enrolled in the militia, and after having joined the guerrilla, even though she is five months pregnant. In fact, she was taken prisoner for buying a hen that would serve as their provision.
He had a day of consolation between so much waiting. She was able to see her loving husband on Christmas Eve; then she only has to wait for her girl to be born, then she can take her in her arms. She is content knowing that her sister will take care of her little girl when she is shot.
Pepita
She is the main protagonist of The Sleeping Voice. Josefa Rodríguez García, or Pepa as they used to call her before, is Hortensia's sister.
She sees everything from outside the Ventas prison, she is filled with fear every time she has to look for the message from her sister's husband, and she is filled with sadness every time she tries to get it to Hortensia. Pepita is not brave, she is not capable of withstanding the torture that her sister bravely endures.
He wants to abandon the role that has been imposed on him, he wants to return to his late father's house, but he always ends up returning to the same places. Later, out of love for her, they make her a prisoner, however, for having shown loyalty and kindness in her heart, someone helps her get back out of it.
She becomes the mother figure to her niece; she reads to him daily her stories written by her mother in the blue notebook; trust and hope that her love will come back to her. She had to wait 19 years to see her dream come true; she was happy, she stayed by her beloved's side until the day he died.
Mercedes
Mercedes has to appear strong, that she has the guts to be a caretaker in the Ventas prison. She's the only way to keep her job. but it is not easy.
She tries, sometimes she succeeds, especially when Tomasa challenges her. However, she soon finds an alternative to continue doing her job, but this time in a different way: she becomes a volunteer nurse together with Sola and everything turns out much better.
Sun
Soledad Pimentel is one of the last to join the Ventas prison group. It's not like Reme, she's in prison for just cause; she is Amalia's mother, who is her accomplice.
She joins as a volunteer in the Medicine area of the Ventas prison, witnessing the birth of Hortensia's daughter, she cries out for her sister to be notified to remove little Tensi. She is a born leader, her plan to escape from prison like this gives her away.
Amalia
Amalia is Sole's daughter; Although she is not a prisoner, she spends her days going to and from the Ventas jail. She is a social fighter just like her mother, therefore, like other women, she knows people whose names she cannot mention, however, running errands is her way of helping her.
voltage
She is the daughter of Hortensia and Felipe, both members of the guerrilla, in such a way that her mother is shot shortly after bringing her into the world. At the age of 18, she enlists in the leftist party, and a short time later she says goodbye to her aunt, who leaves happily next to her husband.
You may be interested in another period book: summary of pride and prejudice. Cheer up, it's a great story too!