Romantic entanglements expose problematic gender roles Newlyweds Alvaro and Blanca vacation with two other couples on the northern coast of France, where misunderstandings, trickery, and flirtations ensue. Alvaro wants a cosmopolitan life full of travel and excitement, but the more traditional Blanca yearns for stability. Meanwhile, Blanca's former suitor the Marques de Alqueriz pursues an affair with the liberated (and married) American Lady Shewening. The contrasts between these characters highlight important social issues in early-twentieth-century Spain, including women's changing roles, infidelity and violence within marriage, and the thorny relationship between Spain and the United States in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. Best known as a poet, novelist, and journalist, Sofia Casanova presented this work as a play at the encouragement of one of Spain's leading authors, Benito Perez Galdos. Following its performance at Madrid's prestigious Teatro Espanol in 1913, it was published as a novel in dialogue.
