All Quiet on the Western Front is a story of combat fatigue, mental stress, and the horrors of war as a frontline soldier. It tells the story of Paul Baumer, a soldier in the German Army during World War I. Paul endures the grisly slog of the war while his friends die one by one, eroding Paul's self-confidence and desire for life. The novel firmly establishes the insignificance of the individual in the theater of war.
A tragic play full of symbolism, Blood Wedding tells the story of a family destroyed by violence and a love destroyed by lies. Just after marrying the Groom, the Bride runs off with Felix, her former lover, who is now married with a child. A search party is sent after them. Taking the form of an old beggar woman, Death leads the Groom to Felix and the Bride, and both the Groom and Felix die. The Bride returns to the town, her dress covered in the blood of both men.
The House of Bernarda Alba is a play about an overbearing mother named Bernarda and her five daughters. After the death of her second husband, Bernarda imposes a seven-year mourning period on her family. Her eldest daughter Angustias defies her orders and prepares to marry Pepe. Adela is jealous of her sister and later it is revealed that she is having an affair with Pepe. After her mother reasserts her dominance and kills Pepe, Adela commits suicide. The play centers on a tension between repression and romance.