This book examines constructions of corporeality in three novels by the Catalan author Mercè Rodoreda: El carrer de les Camèlies (1966), Mirall trencat (1974), La mort i la primavera (1986) and the short stories: 'Aquella paret, aquella mimosa', 'Una fulla de gerani blanc' and 'La meva Cristina'. The study is concerned with locating the author's formulations of the body in relation to the Catalan socio-historical context and argues that by rendering corporeal representation problematic, Rodoreda enters into dialogue with Catalonia's own historical past, often challenging culturally specific social, sexual political and aesthetic precepts. It combines the use of art and film theory, feminism, literary criticism, spatial studies and nationalist theory as a critical lens to read the representation of the politically, culturally and gender coded body as both signifying surface and limit or border. The book covers four main areas of analysis: the idea of the body as surface, image and texture and the practices of viewing that objectify the body; the relationship between the culturally and politically constructed body as limit; and the concept of the abject or open body.