The 20th century was definitely a tumultuous period for Spain. During the 1930-40s, the country underwent a horrific political battle between the Republicans and the Nationalists. As a result of that, the Spanish dictatorship, led by General Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1975, was set in place. Despite its positive effects on the nation’s economy, it was a period characterized by authoritarianism, repression, censorship, and a lack of political freedoms. The interviewee of this edition is Marina Navajo, a Spanish local who lived through these appalling years. Marina is currently 86 years old, and still living in the heart of Madrid. She was born and raised during the Spanish Civil war, and her perspective of the world was drastically changed by her experiences.
Marina’s father was a soldier, having to leave his wife and newborn daughter to fend for themselves while he was off fighting in his nation’s civil war. Soldiers had to join a side based on their geographical location, meaning their own personal belief system played no part in what cause they ended up risking their lives for. Her father was a falangist (part of the Spanish fascist political organization), but nonetheless was forced to become part of the Nationalists – which ultimately was the winning side – and his lengthy participation in the war made it so he and Marina only met three years after her birth.
A significant side effect of the Spanish Civil War was widespread hunger throughout the country. As the age of hunger persisted, many of Marina’s friends passed away due to starvation; they were only given one piece of bread a day, which wasn’t nearly enough for any teenager. Not only that, but the constant fear of self-expression was also extremely detrimental. Similarly to McCarthyism in the United States, anyone could be accused of being a “Rojo” (Republican), leading to them most likely being tortured and killed. So, if an individual wasn’t killed by lack of nourishment, they had a big chance of being killed by an accusation of this sort.
As Marina grew up she began to realize that she would always receive less opportunities in comparison to her male counterparts, being prohibited from going to university, and even from finishing high school. She had the opportunity to become a secretary, but her father strongly disapproved of Marina working with men. Thus, she became a nun and learned to comply with traditional gender norms. More importantly, she learned how to become a good housewife, a skill she greatly needed to survive.
Despite all the negativity surrounding her, Marina met the love of her life. Joaquin was an 18 year old man, who had to fend for himself since the age of 13 after being kicked out of his home. Soon after they met, they had a daughter named Marisol, and later on another daughter named Esther. However, quickly after Marisol entered high school, she was forced to drop out and find a job, as the family got the news that Joaquin developed an aggressive form of lung cancer. Miraculously, he was able to overcome the disease, allowing Esther to finish high school, earning herself a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering. Marisol later became a voice actress and a successful painter, which is something she had been passionate about her entire life.
The story of this remarkable woman who endured the hardships of the Spanish Civil War and dictatorship serves as a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Despite the odds, she was able to rise above her circumstances and make a better life for herself, inspiring us all to never give up hope in the face of adversity.
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