Montserrat Roig and the Penelope Syndrome

By tracing the similarities and differences between Roig's major female characters and their mythological archetype Penelope, we find the thread that Roig sees as uniting all women of all historical periods: their dependent, passive stance in regard to love. A few of her youngest women discard this traditional role, but Roig's ultimate conclusion is that despite contemporary feminism, despite the sexual liberation Spain has experienced of late, and despite its recent political changes, women still share Penelope's destiny of patient waiting.