Deception through narrative structure and female adolescent development in Laforet's "Nada" and "La isla y los demonios"

Of the few scholars noting the parallelisms between Carmen Laforet s Nada and La isla y los demonios, Roberta Johnson observes the female protagonist s isolated state, her desire to escape a restrictive familial atmosphere, her subsequent quest for autonomy, and the background of the Spanish Civil War (68). In his article "La segunda novela de Carmen Laforet," Joaqu?n de Entrambasaguas remarks that both novels are autobiographically based, that the protagonists, Andrea {Nada) and Marta {La isla), demonstrate "unidad evolutiva," and that several characters from both works share personality traits and similar roles (237?38). However, what neither or any study discusses at length, although Entrambasaguas partially suggests, is the remarkably similar narrative structures that Laforet creates in these books. The following analysis will examine this important congruence by exposing the novels' matching plans to deceive the reader to accept the protagonists apparent fate of restriction to her family's circle. Moreover, with an approach that unfortunately published criticism has avoided, this article will refer to identity-development theory and supporting research on female adolescence while comparing the protagonist's growth in both works?an important interpretation given the autobiographical slant of each novel?and thereby reveal the novels' message that through identity achievement, young women can overcome the oppressive norms of Franco's Spain.1 The identity theory applied in this article is based upon the renowned work of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson who in the 1950s and 60s pioneered the foundation upon which current adolescent-behavior theory and research are still based.2 The now cliche term "identity crisis" is both original and central to Erikson's theory and refers to the process by