EXISTENTIALISM IN MARIA AURÈLIA CAPMANY

Abstract

This article analyzes the influence of existentialist thought in the literary and theatrical work of Maria Aurèlia Capmany, one of the key figures of twentieth-century Catalan literature. In a context marked by Francoist repression and the struggle for women’s rights, Capmany adopts and reinterprets existentialist ideas —particularly those of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir— to reflect on individual freedom, ethical responsibility, and political commitment. Through the study of her texts, it becomes clear how these notions are translated into a complex representation of characters, especially female ones, who embody dilemmas between authenticity and alienation, between action and passivity.

            The article aims to demonstrate that existentialism not only functions as an ideological background but also thematically structures her work and contributes to its critical intent. Furthermore, it argues that Capmany uses this philosophical current as a tool to develop a combative feminist and social ethics, openly confronting the values of the Francoist regime. The analysis of her works reveals how existentialism in Capmany becomes a driving force of subversion and a means of challenging both the reader and the society of her time.