While this novel is a work of fiction, there is a purposeful drawing of a parallel between fictitious representations and real facts. The novel captures two important, but different, social and historical aspects of twentieth century Chile. The House of the Spirits sets the stage and identifies the players who will move the country to the brink of self-destruction. Esteban Trueba's social and economic ascendancy (both being complementary manifestations of power) mirrors that of, what will be referred to later in the twentieth century as, "el viejo orden" or the old guard— the protectors of a status quo which, since it served them so well, kept the majority of the population subjugated and without hope of moving out of their "caste." On a personal, …show more content…
The trials and tribulations of the Trueba family and those around them are a microcosm of Chilean society— what happens to them happens to the rest of the country, and for the same reasons. On a larger scale, it could be said that the forces which would inevitably collide— first, with the election of a socialist president, then the military coup— were analogous to forces which were destined to end in conflict in many parts of the world in the second half of this century. Social movements and the desire for equality and freedom (and elements opposed to upsetting the status quo) are not unique to any one country, culture or society. Because of its scope, both in terms of time covered (three quarters of this century) and the variety of characters and their interactions, The House of the Spirits provides the background for understanding, on a more human, personal level, how and why the events evolved as they did. From Esteban Trueba's political views, his treatment of women and his overall conservative bent to those characters who would challenge Trueba and his cronies and pay the price in the end, The House of the Spirits poses important questions about the consequences of one's political beliefs. Isabel Allende provides ample material to meditate in the character of Esteban Trueba and how those of his ilk since, throughout the
Trujillo built a wall around the Dominican Republic, the so-called “Plátano Curtain”, which separated the country from its neighbor, Haiti, “that exists beyond maps, that is carved directly into the histories and imaginaries of the people” (Díaz 224-225). Try as he might, the truth of living in the Dominican Republic of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, the Dictatingest Dictator who ever Dictated, is that the regime is responsible for terror, deceit, lies, murder, and misery. This novel serves as Yunior’s own personal zafa, the countercurse to the fukú
The author describes the social division, or segregation of racially- mixed Lima before the earthquake in chapter 3, and how the disaster upended the social order. The earthquake did not discriminate, throwing all caste levels into homelessness, chaos, and subject to the same post-disaster fears of disease or death. Chapter 4 discusses the erosion of social order and the Viceroy’s vision to rebuild the city that makes better use of space and architecture. Walker notes that the upper-classes need to live above and look down at others in Lima, with poorly constructed housing, contributed to the collapse of many buildings. The Viceroy’s suggestion of rebuilding single-story homes in chapter 5, for the practicable purposes of withstanding another large earthquake was met with extreme opposition.
Reading through the intrepid journeys of this novel, we come to learn about each of the four Mirabal sisters, along with her attitude and actions towards her merciless leader. In Julia Alvarez’s In The Time of the Butterflies, readers are introduced to four sisters living under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, the head of the Dominican Republic. All sisters harbor an intense hatred for the state, but among them, two sisters in particular bear stronger differences than the others—Minerva and Dedé. Minerva is an adamant character who delves deeper into the secrets of Trujillo and the coming revolution, whereas Dedé’s character shies away and lingers in the back.
Imagine living during the reign of Trujillo’s oppressing regime in the Dominican Republic. The events the occurred during this time were horrific, whether it was torture, or the assassination of innocent people Trujillo and his men were always installing fear into the people of the Dominican Republic. In Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies she delivers a firsthand account of the horrors of Trujillo’s regime, and how four sisters contributed to the ultimate downfall of Trujillo’s power. There were four sisters, but one particular one had the most effect on leading the revolt, and that is Minerva Mirabal.
Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies bears testament to the monopolizing effects of dictatorships on society through the story of the four Mirabal sisters, Las Mariposas. Each sister shows a different side of Dominican culture, and in turn, the government’s parasitic effect on it. Even the church is not spared from these horrors: whether the church was aided or suppressed was irrelevant to Trujillo; the government must impact every facet of Dominican life. Despite condemning Trujillo, and by extension authoritarian governments, to the farthest extent, Alvarez is careful to avoid deifying the Mirabal sisters, a practice which she sees as one the of main forces that keep dictators in power.
In The House of the Spirits, the characters are separated into a lower, working class, and a higher, more privileged, landowning class. The author uses the privilege of high-class citizens not having to suffer consequences to portray the theme of low class people in Latin American suffering injustices. Allende uses the Truebas to show the inequity between the two classes. They are part of the land owning, privileged class that usually doesn’t suffer consequences for its actions. For example Esteban Trueba, a wealthy landowner, found out that Pedro Tercero Garcia, a member of the lower class, was seeing his daughter Blanca.
It provides a role in character development shown predominantly in Patrias character. It shows the extent of Trujillo’s actions against the Dominican people by showing Patrias desperateness for her son. These examples depicted in the book show how the theme of religion has an impact on In the Time of the
From an alternative perspective, Esteban Trueba’s violence is unneeded to highlight how it plays a central role in the development of the themes. Some believe this because they think it is masculinity that develops the themes, rather than his violence. Although, there are many masculine characters throughout the novel, none are as important to developing the plot as Esteban’s violent machismo factor. In the theme of family, the line “the only [children] that counted were the ones who bore [his] last name, the others might just as well not have been born” (Allende 66), develops the perspective of a machismo man towards genealogy. This is significant for the reader to recognize because genealogy and family are imperative themes throughout the entire novel.
The Mirabal sisters were revolutionaries who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. During the revolution, they were given the code name “Las Mariposas”, or “the butterflies”. The term “mariposa” suits each sister in a different way. Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and Mate Mirabal each have their one reason to be compared to a butterfly. The nickname “mariposa” shows who the Mirabal sisters are; they transformed from domestic, innocent mothers and wives into brave, defiant martyrs for national freedom.
In Allende’s novel The House of the Spirits, Esteban Trueba is the only character to survive the entirety of the novel. In the commencement, the reader witnesses how his rigorous childhood plays a key role in foreshadowing how his violence develops the themes throughout the novel. Furthermore, the reader additionally grows with Esteban as an adult, and witness how his volatile relationships with characters conform the theme of society and class. Lastly, throughout the novel he plays a central role as the antagonist in numerous conflicts, which develop the recurring theme of violence. From a zealous young man, to the main antagonist in various conflicts; examining Esteban’s growth throughout the novel involves the reader in the core of Esteban,
Yet Esperanza doesn’t reflect the horrors of the thought police or deal with pro censorship. This is because George Orwell merely wrote the book based upon prediction rather than personal experience he dealt with. The book 1984, however, is based upon the fascism of Nazi Germany. George Orwell does a good job of warning readers of their fate if they don’t value freedom of expression and give it away to controlling authority. The House on Mango Street does a good job of reflecting society based upon personal situations and we must learn from
Part I: Resistiendo la cultura que me empuja hacia lo liminal Between here and there, we embody the conflicting reality that we live in, in which patriarchal paradigms reign. In given world women are suppressed via culture. But it is the woman of color who carries most of the burden, for she is typically separated from her homeland and marginalized in Western society. Nevertheless, she is known for her resistance, not her captivity.
Chapters seven and eight rough draft In Isabel Allende’s “The House of the Spirits” the character Esteban Trueba, in chapters seven and eight, exhibits an irrational sense of anger and apparent madness. Esteban’s eccentric anger and behavior are used in part to show the greater meaning of the work of how people reap what they sought. Esteban Trueba, throughout the novel, shows eccentrically angry behavior and is under the delusion that he is shrinking. In chapters seven and eight he continues these trends in multiple ways.
Isabel Allende’s, My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile, is her memoir about her native country, yet also sheds light to other important societal roles in Chile. As she passionately writes about her experiences, Allende makes it evidently clear that she loves her homeland, regardless of what troubles the country encounters. Nonetheless, it should be noted that her memoir is solely based upon her memories, and incorporates a sense of fiction to better help tell her story through vivid descriptions of the natural landscape and/or the people she interacted with. Her book was compelling to me as her passion for her country was expressed through her usage of language and descriptive experiences that portrayed her emotions during
A Homage to Feminism Feminism revolves around the notion that men and women are equal, an idea that is seldom accepted or embraced at the end of the twentieth century in Latin America. In the autobiographical novel, The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende weaves a story about the lives of women through four generations during the revolution of 1970. The idea of male dominance is prominent throughout both the political and social arenas of Latino communities. However, Allende uses members of the Del Valle family to portray the theme of feminism evolving during this time. Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits, highlights the intertwined lives of two Latin American women, Clara and Alba, to parallel the feminist attitudes that associate with