What if you told someone one of your deepest, darkest secrets—the secret you’ve been hiding for so long because you’re scared that if you reveal it, people might judge you? They might start looking at you differently or call you a liar, completely dismissing your feelings and emotions. You end up questioning why you bothered to come forward with it. Why did you make the mistake of trusting others? That’s exactly what happened to Berta in the Netflix Spanish series Raising Voices. Coming out with the truth takes courage, and when it all goes to waste, it’s the most horrifying thing ever. Berta faced those consequences when she finally trusted Alma with her secret. The reason she left her school was that the history teacher had been molesting her, and she could not take a stand against it. What happened to Berta in the end? We’ll find out all about it in this character analysis!
Spoilers Ahead
Who is Berta?
As we got introduced to Berta in the series, we saw her with her blue-dyed curly hair and stunning blue eyes—she was as beautiful as they came! The way she was so enthusiastic about everything made it feel like she was always a happy person. But how she appeared on the outside wasn’t how she felt on the inside. As we got to know her a bit more, we found out that she and Alma used to be best friends in school. After she left school, Alma didn’t talk to her anymore, and it bothered her deeply. After her parents’ divorce, the only person she could truly trust and connect with was Alma. When she left school, she joined an art school because she thought that for a “crazy” person like her, art was the only way to express her emotions since she had nobody to talk to. Berta was quite alone. Her mother was busy with work and dealing with the divorce settlement. She didn’t see her father, and all those new students at the art school were delusional and too much to deal with—they didn’t match her emotional wavelength. She missed Alma so much.
We saw that when she met her in the mall and hugged her so happily, it was like she had found her soul sister after so long. She cared so much for Alma that she pushed her to wear a necklace she made for herself. She gave it to Alma just because she said it was beautiful. This showed how much Alma’s opinions meant to her. She kept on pushing her to wear it all the time, kind of like a dog chain—as if she owned Alma. Not in a negative way, though. It was like she wanted to make Alma feel important and to show her that she was her person and that she would always look after her and protect her as much as she could. We also saw this when, after the night of the party, when Alma was physically used by Hernan in her vulnerable state, Berta made sure to be by Alma’s side and never left her. She didn’t want Alma to feel alone because she knew what it felt like to be left alone. She didn’t want that for Alma. After all, a friend in need is a friend indeed—Berta believed in that!
Why did Berta leave school?
As I told you earlier, Berta and Alma used to study at the same school. So, why the sudden decision to leave? Actually, after Berta’s parents’ divorce, she was completely shattered. Being a very emotional person, she couldn’t handle all of it. At that time, apart from Alma, there was another person who was there for Berta, or at least pretended to be—the infamous history teacher at their school. He was so nice to her, helped her with her studies, and gave her extra hours after school to guide her. But that wasn’t all. He actually manipulated her and then started to abuse her on a daily basis. At first, it happened just once, and Berta thought maybe it would stop there and she wouldn’t need to tell anybody. But then it started happening every day. It was too much for Berta to deal with. Because, on one hand, she had no parents to talk to about these issues since they were busy with other things.
On the other hand, Alma suddenly stopped talking to her, and she had no idea why. The history teacher tried to use these circumstances to his benefit. All this led to panic attacks and anxiety in Berta. She started vomiting and being senseless all the time and had no one to talk to, not just because she was alone but also because she feared that people might not believe her. I mean, why would they? The history teacher was polite and kind towards the students, so no one would think he had done this to her. Moreover, Berta had borderline personality disorder, which made her think that if she confided in anyone, they might think it was a figment of her imagination. She was afraid she might not be able to bear it all. That’s why she kept it a secret and decided to leave school. This incident shows how deeply emotional and psychological trauma can affect a young person’s life and how hard it can be for them to ask for help.
What happened to Berta in the end?
After all these years, when Berta and Alma reunited, Berta decided to trust Alma with her secret because she believed Alma, being her best friend, would understand what it’s like to hide such heavy burdens. Berta was tired of carrying it alone, feeling like she wanted to disappear all the time. After all, it’s really tough to talk about these things. So Berta told Alma why she left school. It shows you how hard it is for survivors to open up about their experiences because it’s not an easy conversation to have.
Anyway, when Alma heard Berta’s story, she hugged her and wished she could have been there for her. She even apologized for not doing anything, though she might have known about it. Berta understands how difficult it is for women to speak out against oppressive men because society often blames women for what happens to them. Maybe they say she provoked the man or dressed inappropriately. Berta knew all this, so she told Alma that it wasn’t her fault for not being there for her. Together, they decided to start a social media page under the name Coleman Miller, a combination of two victims’ names. They shared their personal stories so that other survivors who went through similar situations could come forward. At first, the page gained followers, and many people came forward to share their experiences too. But then Alma started to doubt Berta. Why? Well, Alma thought that the history teacher genuinely cared for her, didn’t take advantage of her, and even helped her with her studies. Maybe Berta was imagining everything because of her disorder. So, Alma decided to gave up on posting on the social media page altogether.
It was all too much for Berta to handle. After taking every ounce of courage to reveal her secrets, confide in a friend, and stand against these men, she felt crushed when Alma didn’t believe her. It made Berta feel like everything she’d done was for nothing—a lost cause. She felt there was no purpose in living anymore. With a heavy heart, she stepped down from the bus where she was in with Alma and crossed the road, and tragically, she was struck by a car and lost her life before Alma’s eyes. Berta’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of the importance of listening to survivors, offering them empathy and support, believing their stories, and helping them to heal in the process.
