I examine the oppressed role of women in two short stories by Spanish author Carmen Martín Gaite. The stories are set against the backdrop of a post-civil war Spain and therefore echo the desolation and angst felt by many during this time. The female protagonist in each story dreams of and strives for a better life away from her own. They battle with internal conflicts as well as the external pressures of a patriarchal society. Escapism is their means of coping. I examine the incongruity between their dreams and reality and explore what impedes these female characters from realizing their full potential.