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The House of the Spirits
Analysis: pages 51 – 54
The extract is spread over the pages 51 to 54 in the novel. These three pages
are solely focused on the character Esteban Trueba who throughout the chapter
travels to the Tres Marías, rebuilds and develops it. Trueba then ruined the so
called ‘ruined land’ into a ‘model estate’.
The main themes selected in this extract are most probably the themes of
transformation and loneliness. For example, the theme of transformation may be
depicted in two ways – Esteban’s transformation and the transformation of Tres
Marías. The transformation of Tres Marías is often illustrated through Esteban’s
bragging for example – “and who could see it now, when it’s a model estate,
would have to agree with me” The adverb of time ‘now’ in the subordinate
clause is proof that there has been a big change over a period of time. A big
change can also be portrayed through the certainty in Esteban’s tone, such as
that in the modal verb ‘would’ which displays an extent of certainty in which
shows Esteban is self assured and assured of his own work. Allende emphasizes
Esteban’s dedication to the estate through the many things he purchased for it. In
the line “I used all the money I had saved to marry Rosa…to pull Tres Marías out
of misery…” The quantitive verb ‘all’ implies how poor he is and that he had
saved so much money only to find that Rosa had died. This makes the reader
feel sympathy for Trueba because of his hard work and effort to win Rosa’s heart.
‘To pull Tres Marías’ out of misery can also be a metaphor for the beginning of
Esteban’s transformation – Esteban pulling himself out of misery. However, he
then realizes that ‘it wasn’t money’ he needed to bring him happiness because
although he had managed to earn money in the mines, he had lost the love of his
life. Through this, it is possible to say that Esteban has transformed in a more
mature sense. There is also reference to his behavior which has taken on a more
extreme role – “Everything made me angry”. The noun ‘everything’ shows his
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bad tolerance and temper. By admitting to it, it shows he is aware of the fact that
his temper is bad.
Otherwise, there is the theme of loneliness which arises commonly throughout
the extract because it is about Esteban alone planning to rebuild the estate with
the aid of the peasants but none of his close acquaintances such as his sister
and mother. In the last paragraph of Esteban’s narrative, Allende uses the
personal pronoun ‘I’ repeatedly to establish his loneliness that he seemingly
enjoyed – “I enjoyed my solitude”. There is a lexical set of isolation and
loneliness too in the same paragraph when he describes his hobby for hunting –
‘dawn’ ‘early’ ’shadows’ ‘cold’ ‘silence’ ‘dry’. All of the lexis either has direct
connotations to isolation or connotations to feelings and atmospheres of isolation.
For example, the abstract noun ‘dawn’ could represent how the peasants are
not awake at such an early hour and Esteban’s choice to go hunting at that hour
could suggest he may have chosen to be alone and isolated himself rather than
be isolated. After all, he had been the one to choose to leave the city and travel
to the Tres Marías.
His isolation is also revealed as Esteban seemingly differentiates himself from
the villagers as though they were different kinds. The use of the pronouns ‘they’
and ‘them’ in the line – “They weren’t carpenters or masons, and I had to teach
them everything…” indicate the distance between Trueba and the peasants.
Furthermore, the auxiliary verb ‘had’ seems as if the peasants had asked him to.
However, he had been the one to choose to educate them. Another example can
be found in the repetition of ‘they’ in “they were good…they were very poor and
very ignorant”. The contradictory point here is that although Esteban tries to
distance himself by using the adverb ‘very’ and the pronouns, he in fact is exactly
what he describes the peasants to be – poor and ignorant. Of course, he only
begins poor and gradually becomes rich, however, ignorance is an aspect of his
character that remains throughout the novel. Through this, he tries to establish a
higher status than the peasants.
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The theme of loneliness is finally contradicted following the distancing of the
peasants as Allende gradually begins to incorporate the pronoun ‘We’ for
example – “We fixed the roofs, whitewashed the house from top to bottom… until
it sparkled… We even did the plumbing” the effect of the pronoun ‘we’ is that
Esteban unites himself with the peasants and admits to equality. He is also in a
sense admitting that the people and the work he had done in Tres Marías has
also helped to restore his hope through the lexical set of mending – ‘fixed’
‘whitewashed’ and ‘plumbing’. Finally, the adjective ‘sparkled’ is a reflection of
Esteban’s work and character following the reestablishment of Tres Marías –
more confident and arrogant even.
Esteban’s own certainty not only helps support the theme of transformation of the
Tres Marías, his praising himself also displays irony. Firstly, by claiming the Tres
Marías has become a ‘model estate’ suggests he feels that his creation or he,
himself, is a role model. This is ironic however because of his imperfect character
and that he is in fact not a role model. His sons for example do not view him as a
role model. Instead, they rebel against them later in the novel when he runs for
senate. His excessive pride also contradicts his own idea when he attempts to
claim responsibility over the peasants – “I was like a father to them”. The familial
noun ‘father’ although may lead the reader to believe Esteban Trueba is a father
figure to the village people – which is probably Esteban’s key intention. However,
there is another possible perception. Use of the noun ‘father’ can also be ironic
because Esteban rapes many women in the Tres Marías causing many of them
to fall pregnant and give birth to his offspring.
Esteban also appears to be self absorbed as he is constantly referring to himself
and his own achievements in Tres Marías – “But after I arrived, all that changed”.
The contrastive conjunction ‘but’ indicates a change in the subject where
Esteban switches once again from talking about the people of Tres Marías to
himself again. The quantifier ‘all’ suggests he is trying to emphasize how much
an impact he has had on the place and that without him the people will return to
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“starving to death – providing of course, that they weren’t struck by some
catastrophe such as drought, frost, plague…” The list of difficulties in the lexical
set of diseases – ‘drought’ ‘frost’ and ‘plague, highlights how helpless and
pathetic the villagers are and by directly referring to his great impact over Tres
Marías after, Esteban reveals that he believes he has cured the place. The
prepositions ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the lines – “Before I got there” and “…after I
arrived” help support the idea that he is a life saver.
It is evident that he thinks highly of himself not simply through his constant
reference to his achievements but rather his narrative style alone and choice of
words. By referring to Tres Marías as a “Godforsaken place” for example, implies
that the village is deserted or abandoned by God. In this case, by Esteban
adopting it, it would link him to God – thus implying that perhaps he is trying to
compare himself with God.
In terms of transformation, we come to realize that Esteban has somewhat
transformed and adopted more aspects of a villager’s character despite his
stereotypical views on the peasants – “my vocabulary grew smaller”. The
comparative ‘smaller’ indicates his likeness to a peasant and gradual adaptation
to country life which is further supported by the line “I gradually became a
savage”. Esteban’s addressing to himself with the abstract noun ‘savage’ gives
his character connotations of cruelty and ferociousness which also shows he is
admitting to his bad temperament.
His cruelty is then proven through the constant reference to animal cruelty near
the end of the extract. Firstly, he explains that “The only amusement then was
castrating pigs and bulls…” where the adverb ‘only’ implies that regardless of the
other possible forms of entertainment attainable in the country side, Esteban
feels the only form of entertainment to him is cruelty towards animals. Secondly,
he uses a lexical set of cruelty – ‘fell’ ‘kicking’ ‘hunting’ ‘wretched’ ‘holes’ and ‘half
dead’ to describe the animals he hunts. Esteban claims “all this would calm me”
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indicating that through killing, he finds happiness and entertainment or relief from
the stress he inputs to the work in Tres Marías and he uses the adjectives
‘happy’ and ‘relived’ to show this. In a way, it is possible to say that Esteban feels
content when he has power over life. This is further proven in the story as he
oppresses the village people and the people around him.
The extract is written in first person narrative which helps balance the
perceptions and opinions of Esteban Trueba in the chapter because in third
person narrative, Trueba’s character is illustrated in a harsher attitude whereas in
his own narrative, Esteban evidently praises himself often to help the reader
understand him and agree with him. Esteban’s hard headedness however cannot
be hidden even in first person narrative – “No one’s going to convince me that I
wasn’t a good patron” – because his stubbornness is simply part of his character.
The noun ‘no one’ suggests Trueba’s arrogance and certainty that the Tres
Marías had been a success because of him. The fact that the narrative is able to
switch from third to first person indicates an omniscient source of the story.
Through this, it is possible to say that Esteban’s first person narrative is his own
reflection on his actions in the past and despite his self-assurance, he could be
reflecting on his mistakes and highlighting the areas where he had gone wrong.
Also, because he is omniscient, Trueba directly implies the death of Pedro
Garcia in the line “old Pedro Garcia, may he rest in peace” where the verb
phrase indicates Pedro Garcia’s upcoming death and suggests that Esteban
may be showing gratitude towards him. The reader is then aware that Pedro
Garcia will be playing an important role in association with Esteban later in the
novel and in fact, old Pedro Garcia saves Esteban’s life after the big earthquake.
In the extract, there are numerous areas where simple sentences had been
used to create emphasis on Esteban’s achievements. Allende’s intentions are
probably to mirror the irony in Esteban’s generosity. “I bought animals.” For
example, probably emphasizes the significance of animals to Esteban as well as
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the main clause “they were never killed.” This is then opposed later in the novel
as Esteban invests in a chinchilla skinning business. His business however, fails
probably because he had once claimed he would never kill the animals he had
bought. Another example would be in the lines “I think my presence made the
feel secure again” and “They saw the land gradually restored to prosperity” which
are both simple sentences that create an indirect reference once again to his
achievements therefore suggesting that Esteban is deliberately boasting about
himself. The noun phrase “
Additionally, Allende’s intentions may be to foreshadow the fate of Esteban or
his family. Esteban describes his new furniture that Ferula had sent him with the
ability to ‘withstand country life’ and that “The proof is that it took an earthquake
to destroy them.” The simple sentence here once again indicates a significant
point in the story that would later cause the plot to take a turn. Here, it
foreshadows the earthquake that transforms both Esteban and Clara and once
again creates a link to the theme of transformation through which Esteban’s
character once again takes on a slight change.
Throughout Esteban’s narrative, Allende incorporates a wide range of
metaphorical imagery which contributes to the foreshadowing of Esteban’s
actions. Additionally, numerous interpretations of the metaphorical imagery lead
to views contradictory to Esteban’s intentions. For example, the imagery of the
orchard can be found as Esteban explains house his tenant’s wives “also tended
my orchard”. This is a metaphor for the string of children Esteban sires through
his raping of many peasant women including those wives of tenants who serve in
his house as servants. It is ironic that Allende uses such beautiful imagery of an
orchard because although Esteban feels he gains power from raping the women,
he definitely greatly affects the lives of the women he has raped and the children
born to them – Esteban Garcia. His bad deeds are then metaphorically shown to
be cyclical through the concrete noun ‘orchard’ which gives connotations of fruit
and flower trees which then links to the cyclical life of fruits and flowers. The
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fricative alliteration in the noun phrase ‘first flowers’ imitates a hint of slyness
as well as a representation of his offspring which Esteban further explains as
being “the same one that’s there today”. In this case, the ‘first flowers’ could
represent his first offspring, Esteban Garcia, who reappears in the novel.
Esteban’s oppressive character is also pursued through the symbolism of the
furniture in his house. In the noun phrase “no other furniture”, it is possible to see
links between his lack of furniture and the living conditions of the peasants thus
suggesting equality. When Esteban had first arrived, he too, was poor and
homeless. However, the juxtaposition between the old and new furniture – “until
Ferula sent me the new furniture” – indicates the change in his character and
foreshadows his oppressive nature which is shown to gradually take place.
Finally, animalistic imagery is incorporated to convey Esteban’s possible
impression on villagers. For example, in some parts of the extract such as “with a
veterinarian who would check…anybody who was sick” where he treats the
tenants of Tres Marías like animals. However, although the peasants are not
educated, they still definitely have morals which they follow by refusing to trust
the vet and in an Indian curandera instead. This is shown through the quantifier
‘more than’ in the phrase “More than in the vet.” The list of village residents –
‘mothers’ ‘neighbors’ and ‘midwife’ indicate that the peasants are independent
and perhaps would rather follow their traditional methods rather than entrusting
Esteban’s new ideas.
Overall, Allende’s main intentions in the passage are to convey the ideas and
choices of Esteban Trueba. I personally feel this is a key passage as it
establishes the various characteristics of Esteban Trueba and the narrator is able
to pinpoint the slight changes he has made through his narrative style and choice
of words. The story itself is also very much foreshadowed in the text such as the
earthquake and the rebellion of the villagers who hold him hostage years later.
Additionally, the social and historical context of the novel is also briefly
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highlighted in the beginning of the extract as Esteban reasons that because he is
a ‘good patron’ of a ‘model estate’, he “can’t go along with my granddaughter’s
story about class struggle”. The noun phrase ‘class struggle’ creates reference to
the socialist view of the Mexican revolutionists at the time and at the same time,
foreshadows Alba’s rebellious political standpoints. At the end of the extract,
Esteban’s omniscient narrative shows his reflection on his mistakes from an old
age – “Yes, I’ve been a good patron; there’s no doubt about it” the declarative
sentence suggests Esteban may be trying to assure himself that he had been a
good patron and refusing to admit to any bad choices. He claims “there is nothing
I regret” which indicates that even at an old age, his arrogance still remains,
however there are evidently many incidents that he would regret for example
abusing Clara and beating Blanca.
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The House of the Spirits
Analysis & Written Commentary: pages 4 - 6
The extract analyzed here is situated at the very beginning of the story, where
the entire del Valle family is attending a local church sermon. This section first
introduces some of the important characters of the novel – such as Nivea and
Servero as mother and father respectively, as well as the precocious and
prescient Clara alongside her mysteriously beautiful sister Rosa. More details are
provided for the latter daughter than the former; since she is the eldest, the
author has appositely written more because she has had additional years of life
experience over her younger sister Clara.
The magic realism is a technique that is frequently utilized within the section.
This is especially evident with Rosa, because even to her mother Nivea, Rosa
possesses a “strange beauty with a disturbing quality” – “one even she
[Nivea] could not help noticing”. The fact that the abstract noun “quality” is
modified by the adjective “disturbing” reinforces just how extraordinary her
daughter really was in aesthetic appearance. The adverb “even” accentuates
Nivea’s complete surprise again, as well as highlighting Rosa’s peculiar beauty.
But the description does not show the mother as totally distraught; indeed this
was an unusual occasion, yet Rosa was still accepted as a normal child and was
embraced rather than shunned. The tone of the author is informative in the
paragraph, describing her with the possibility of have been made of a “different
material from the rest of the human race” with an objective and otherwise
unperturbed voice. Though within the description it clearly shows that many
thought of her as otherworldly, it also extends out to lightly rebuke such thoughts
by explaining how she was placed “squarely on the tenuous line between a
human and a creature of the myth”. The way the author uses “tenuous” as a
pre-modifier for the noun “line” suggests that there is a division of attitudes
directed towards Rosa. One half completely falls docile under the spell of her
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unique beauty, while the other remains tentative and cautious about this
mysterious “creature”.
This technique foreshadows events later in the chapter – as well as the rest of
the novel – where the de Valle family is somewhat ostracized within the
community as harnessing uncontainable powers and abilities. Father Restrepo
even overtly establishes Clara to be “possessed by the devil” for her eccentric
behavior, reinforcing how the family will later marked for their idiosyncratic
qualities by associating someone so young and innocent with a heretic entity.
This therefore highlights magic realism as a central theme to the remainder of
The House of the Spirits, and indeed this is featured by more examples in this
section, as Rosa is revealed as a character with similar motivations as the rest of
normal people. In her mind her thoughts are exposed as wild creatures taking
shapes that “defied the laws of biology”; although this brings about oddity to
her character, she is described to be “absent as usual” – how these thoughts
are completely typical to her – and this is a common trait to the theme of magic
realism, where ideas or characteristics that seem completely otherworldly are
treated as normal ideals.
Rosa is described as “translucent” in the numerous places, such as “the
delicate parts of her chest and armpits”. Her pale complexion is elaborated
with “veins” could actually “be seen”; the way her skin is modified by the
adjective “translucent” creates a sense of intense vulnerability, and this is
especially clear because even her “veins” are in plain sight, and these networks
are her lifeline, suggesting that the chink in Rosa’s armor could easily be
depicted and targeted. This is another example of foreshadowing, for Rosa dies
later in the same chapter. Thus, these descriptions of her faint outer appearance
are very significant in this respect.
The same effects are evoked through
juxtaposition with a “porcelain doll”; in this manner the adjective “porcelain”
emphasizes her fragility, and the noun “doll” suggests that she can be physically
manipulated by a master or controller when she is helpless .Indeed this
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foreshadows the ending of the chapter, where Clara clandestinely watches the
mortician and Dr. Cuevas deal with Rosa’s naked body, and the former secretly
falls for her physical prowess and sexually handles her when she is most
powerless. In conclusion, it was almost as if this series of violations was destined,
because upon birth Rosa evokes the midwife to make “the sign of the cross”
and in some ways this can be interpreted as an attempt to protect her from
danger via spiritual blessing, although we see from the end of the chapter that
such an effort was utterly futile.
Rosa’s father feels strongly for her, in that he wishes that she would begin to
prepare for marriage as an asset for the future, and therefore “learn the
domestic skills” required to maximize opportunities in the future. The way the
adjective “domestic” pre-modifies “skills” serves again as a foreshadowing
technique for later parts in the story, because Servero’s attitude extends to other
father figures within the family, such as Esteban Trueba’s chagrin towards an
adult Clara’s constant delusion in her clairvoyance, when alternatively he wishes
her to uptake domestic abilities to properly run a family, hence fulfilling what he
feels are the requirements of a marriage. The way Nivea as a mother prevents
her obviously unique daughter from falling step into such perfunctory routines is
repeated amongst other mothers within the story; Clara as an adult homeschooled her daughter Blanca in efforts to personally guide her as a person
rather than allow public schooling to interfere. The way Servero and Nivea direct
their attitudes so early in the book sets the scene for further sections of the plot,
and in this manner it makes sense to see that their future children acclimate the
same methods of conduct from their parents, although it can be seen as quite
ironic, because Rosa’s ways are said to have taken shape “beneath her
father’s worried eyes”, and this phrase almost suggests that her father had
actually heavily influenced her, thus revealing how futile his concerns actually are.
Rosa seems very well acquainted with nature and the outdoors. For one, her
“embroidery utilizes the shapes of dogs, cats, and butterflies” – a
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description that lightly illustrates the true complexity of her art – and then quickly
moves onto “a whole paradise that was filled with impossible creatures”.
This easily exemplifies the variegated myriad of Rosa’s inner being; how her
personality and soul are equally divine as her outer beauty. The vivacity of her
imagination is an interesting one; the abstract noun “paradise” is actually
brought about by creatures that are modified by the adjective “impossible”, and
this strange juxtaposition is a symbol of Rosa’s unique power, for she can
generate such exuberance by possessing such a violent “nightmarish zoology”.
Even here, the adjective “nightmarish” accentuates her esoteric abilities, and it
truly reinforces the way she as a person is so completely different from typical
human ideology.
Although Rosa is at a point prior to her marriage, she is described to have
“rarely thought about her fiancé”, although it is clearly stated that her love for
him diminished due to a “forgetful nature” rather than deliberate purpose. The
way her nature is actually pre-modified by “forgetful” is almost ironic. Despite
him spending “two years” in a mine, he “wrote to her regularly”, and the
adverb “regularly” exists shows that he is keeping up his side of the bargain very
well – clearly expressing his passion and love – while Rosa herself is not and
awaits for him “without boredom”, mainly due to preoccupying herself with her
embroidery. This is therefore interesting to see that her father was actually
correct; that she lacked the proper “domestic skills” and indeed it is having
quite a clear effect on the way she responded to her lover – because evidently
she is not adequately trained in the aspects of reciprocating his love.
In an additional respect, Rosa’s regard towards her fiancé Esteban Trueba
almost sets the scene for future debacles that take place. Indeed, she begins to
learn about the “hazards of a miner’s life”, and in a way this reflects the
precarious nature of dangerous events that slowly unfold later. The way these
“hazards” are attributed to the noun “miner” somewhat suggests that Rosa views
such perils characteristic to only miners and no one else, and yet this is ironic
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because upon choosing to marry Trueba she subjects herself to the same
experiences and circumstances that he is prone to. Since she must have realized
this beforehand, it reveals Rosa’s inability to grasp onto the same concepts of
safety and protection that her parents exercise, which will be discussed in the
next paragraph.
Nivea tries hard to divert Rosa from the “vulgar traffic” of this world, and this
rather abstract and ambiguous term is suggestive of other third-party influences
that are somewhat pernicious to a child’s development. In a similar sense this is
reinforced by the way this section begins: the “temperature” inside the church
“had risen”, and in respect to the future happenings of the book, the noun
“temperature” refers to the heat of certain events – especially of political
respects – that rises and eventually overtakes the de Valle family and throws it
into complete chaos, such as the military coup that takes place under Esteban
Garcia’s command. In other words, the forces outside the family were destined to
close in on its family members – society is always present to cause turmoil and
engage in coercion. The past participle “had” that applies to “risen” suggests
that society’s overwhelming oppression has and will continue to initiate in deadly
cycles; always forming and reforming in the same manner, and this puts up the
suggestion that indeed, previous generations of the de Valle family have also
come in contact with the “vulgar traffic” – in other words, society’s hindering
influences – of the world because of their eccentricities and idiosyncrasies, and
the presence of Rosa and Clara are not unique but elements of the same
occurring cycle. Nivea possesses a heavy “fatigue” that is brought about by the
“tightly packed crowd” around her; this again reinforces the way that the family
is constantly under attack from the common consent of the people around them,
no matter how big or small these attacks really are. She “wished” that the
church ceremony would “end at once” so that she would be freed to leave and
“return to her cool house”; this suggests that only within the comfort of her
own abode – where the only ones under the same roof are her own family – can
she truly feel much calmer and much more collected. This desire for serenity is
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accentuated by the way she possesses a penchant to “sit among the ferns”;
these flowers that are mentioned have the air of a protective shield that would
ultimately screen her from any outside damage, once again revealing the family’s
inner feelings towards security and wellbeing.
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