The Trap

In The Trap, Ana Maria Matute explores ties that bind family, society and culture. Through her compelling use of a powerful feminine first-person narrative, Matute highlights the experience of women during the tumultuous years of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Matute delicately weaves a feminist subtext into the larger context of Spain's difficulties in dealing with gender, class and cultural distinctions. She draws from her own experiences to paint a literary picture of the conflict between two groups: the people she calls the merchants - who deny the vitality of life - and the soldiers - who believe in tolerance. In this third novel of the famous trilogy, The Merchants, Matute examines the lasting effects of social upheaval, discrimination and lives trapped in conflict.