Journal Entries
‘House of the Spirits’ by Isabel Allende
___________________________________________
Journal Entry #1 – Chapters 1 - 3
“Barrabas came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy. She was already in the habit of writing down
important matters, and afterward, when she was mute, she also recorded trivialities, never suspecting that fifty years later I would
use her notebooks to reclaim the past and overcome terrors of my own.”
This is the first sentence of the novel, and is later repeated as the last sentence of the novel. The “I” here is referring to
our narrator, Alba, who is Clara’s grand-daughter. There are 2 major questions posed in this sentence when the reader first opens
the book and reads it, first is why does Clara go mute and secondly, what terrors does the narrator need to overcome?
Within the first chapters we find out why Clara goes mute – the death of Rosa the beautiful, her sister. Clara goes mute
here until she announces that she will be marrying Rosa’s fiancé – Esteban Trueba 9 years later. Throughout this period of
muteness, the De Valle family tries to force Clara into talking, The housekeeper tries to scare Clara into talking, the doctor gives
her medication, but Clara was not suffereing from any illness, she simply does not want to talk. This act of defiance ties in with
the theme of the power of women in this book as Clara, by refusing to speak is in a way expressing herself of her emotions. Clara
goes partially mute again many years later after Esteban Trueba loses his temper with her and strikes her, this time Clara refused
to speak to him and is once again silently protesting against the violent act done to her, and showing her anger at Trueba.
Having read the book, we understand that it is the terrors of the country in which Alba lives in is experiencing because of
the political troubles and also the terrors that Esteban Garcia inflicts upon her, which is of course part of the cyclical nature of the
book. The idea that everything is in a cycle and that events will be repeated and are, moreover, fated to do so. Esteban Garcia
imprisons Alba and rapes her, just as Esteban Trueba, who is Alba’s grandfather raped Esteban Garcia’s Grandmother in Tres
Marias back in the day. This cycle of revenge and anger is carried through the generations in a cycle, until Alba puts an end to it
by forgiving Esteban Garcia, just as Clara in the end forgave Esteban Trueba, the fact that Alba would be like Clara is also
something very predictable since Alba is named after Clara (in a different language).
The significance of the repetition of the first sentence in the epilogue is in this motif of cycles. The cycle of revenge
between the Trueba-Garcia family, and the cycle of forgiveness between Alba and Garcia, and Clara and Trueba, and most
importantly, the cycle of writing to help others overcome terrors of their own. Clara wrote her notebooks so that Alba would use it
to overcome her terrors, and now Alba writes us this book – The House of the Spirits to help us overcome our own terrors,
whatever they may be.
Journal Entry #2 – Chapter 4
Page number
Pg 105
Pg 105
quote
“Many years later, they would be found in
the same position, and a whole lifetime
would not be long enough for their
atonement”
“Her ability to see what was invisible
immediately detected the workers’
resentment, fear, and distrust”
Pg 105 - 106
“…repeat the slogans she had heard her
mother shout when she chained herself to
the gates of congress.”
Pg 113
“She entered one of her long periods of
silence – I think it lasted several
months…I had come to understand that
silence was my wife’s last refuge”
Pg 115
“Her decision was inflexible”
Comments
Blanca and Pedro Tercero’s love began the day they met
each other. This is an example of fate, and how the two
of them are destined to be together.
This is a classic example of the class difference. The
workers are of a lower class, while Clara is the patron’s
wife. This is the first mention of the attitude given from
the peasants; the unequal distribution of wealth will later
lead to conflict.
Clara repeats what she has learned from her mother,
showing the personalities and ideals which are passed
down from generation to generation. These slogans also
happen to be feminist slogans, which shows once again
the theme of the power of women throughout this book.
Silence, is Clara’s way of hiding from the world. She
goes silent lots of times throughout the story, and
everytime it is because she has to escape from pain
(physically or mentally) or because she is mad at
someone. Trueba is right in saying that silence is his
wife’s last refuge.
In the decision of the names of the twins, Trueba wanted
Pg 117
“They need a man to feel secure but they
don’t realize that the one thing they
should be afraid of is men.”
Pg 124
“to continue working for the same blood”
Pg 124
“She had been born to cradle other
people’s children, wear their hand me
down clothing, eat their left overs, live on
borrowed happiness and grief…”
“He wanted her to be completely
dependent”
Pg 127
Pg 132
“you will always be alone! Your body and
soul will shrivel up and you’ll die like a
dog”
Pg 136
“But it doesn’t help the poor. They don’t
need charity, they need justice.”
Pg 140
“The strange Esteban Garcia who was
destined to play a terrible role in the
history of the family”
Pg 141
“and the fox escaped with his tail between
his legs, with all the hens chasing after
him”
them to be named after him, however Clara ended up
deciding upon the names of her children without his
consent, showing that she is the one in power in the
household, and that Trueba cant do anything about it
either.
Transito Soto is a special woman. She is a prostitute and
yet I, as the reader have respect for her. She has ambition
and treats the whore house as a business. She really does
not need a man to feel secure, and is truly working only
for herself. Because of this, she is free of the chains that
her fellow whores have, she has freedom because she has
no “pimp” telling her what to do.
This shows the value of “blood”, and how things are
passed on through the family lines, even the servants
want to continue to serve the same family.
Here is again the idea of fate and destiny. Nana is fated
to be a servant. And she accepts it with open arms. She
embraces her destiny and lives it to the end.
Trueba wants that of Clara, but even in the end, he is
unable to get that. This is a classic example of a man
trying to completely dominate a woman, but failing
miserably, because women are not objects and they have
their own thoughts and will never be completely
dominated
Everything that someone does will eventually come back
to haunt that person. Therefore when Trueba kicks Ferula
out of the house, her curse on him acts as a
foreshadowing of the events that will follow. Esteban
Trueba’s body will shrink and he will always be alone
(he never gets close to Clara again, until the very very
end when Clara is about to die she forgives him)
The idea of the poor needing justice is told to Blanca as a
child, and this idea is also one that Pedro Tercero dreams
of. Justice for the poor. Maybe this is a link between
them?...
Despite Trueba’s efforts of keeping his illegitimate
family separate from this legitimate family, Esteban
Garcia – a product of his past creeps up and is
DESTINED (again the theme of fate and destiny) to play
a terrible role, just as Trueba played a terrible role in his
grandmother’s.
This shows the idea behind the revolution, where people
want change, the poor want to be like the hens, and the
patrons are the foxes.
Journal Entry #3 – Chapter 5
The love between Pedro Tercero Garcia and Blanca:
As Blanca grew older, she is dressed more appropriately to her class; she is no longer a child and therefore can’t just play with the
peasants as she wished. Her dressing style having changed alerted Pedro Tercero of their class difference, and for once he sees that
this is a forbidden love. Which is why when Blanca says, “When I grow up, I’m going to marry you and we’re going to live here
in Tres Marias”, he simply shook his head. Though Pedro Terecero is young, and may not have grown as much as Blanca has in
the previous year, he knew his place. It is because of this class difference that made the two of them hide their love more and
more.
This forbidden love highlights the class struggle within the story, it allows the reader to empathize with the poor and want them to
be able to have just as much freedom as the rich. This is why I, as the reader really like Pedro Terecero who has the dream of
revolutionizing the system, and changing the status quo.
The death of Ferula:
To me, the death of Ferula was heart breaking. Ferula who spent all her life taking care of her sick mother, then when she finally
found her love in Clara was kicked out of the house by her own brother because of it has lived a very harsh life. The magical
realistic aspect of the way we find out about her death is also very interesting, as we see that even in the end, Ferula still loved
Clara, and Clara still loved her despite the many years of separation.
Ferula dressing herself up to die is a sad scene. I can picture in my head the room where old clothes and wigs hung, where poverty
is so apparent. She was so uptight before, that when she was kicked out of the big house she was set free, she could choose
whether or not to open the envelopes of money, she could choose if she wanted to wear amazing clothes, wear her hair in a bun or
what not, however, this freedom she has now is nothing compared to her love for Clara, in fact, as Clara said, she had nothing
other than the money and being able to dress up. Only in death, could she have she received care from Clara just as she has given
to her when she was still alive.
Trueba hates her sister, but inside he loves her. He only is angry at her because she has the ability to make him feel guilty at all
times, however it is because he loves her that he cares enough about what she thinks that he feels guilty about himself. She is
everything he is not, and that is why he hates her. (“He despised her spirit of sacrifice, her severity, her vocation for poverty, and
her unshakable chastity, which he felt as a reproach toward his own egotistical, sensual, power-hungry nature.”)
The earthquake:
The earthquake marks the change in attitude towards Esteban Trueba on Clara’s part. Because of his confinement, Trueba’s
temper worsened, and what he usually would never say or do, he did. Not only did he shout at Clara for nothing, he also hit her,
causing Clara to actively dislike him. The earthquake grounded Clara, it made her more aware of the material things around her,
whereas she used to only care about the spirits. She realizes that her three legged table can’t save her when things go wrong, and
therefore becomes much more practical. During the rebuilding process after the earthquake, Blanca learns to make clay figures,
which is what Rosa did when she was still alive, again emphasizing this passing on of skills and the cycle of things.
Chapter One Rosa the Beautiful
“Barrabás came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy. She was already in the habit of writing down
important matters, and afterward, when she was mute, she also recorded trivialities, never suspecting that fifty years later
I would use her notebooks to reclaim the past and overcome terrors of my own.”
I felt that this passage was important because it’s the first paragraph in the novel and really digs the reader
deep into the sticky contents. Clara sounds like an important character who goes mute. I assumed at first
that meant she became either ill as a child or very old and loses the ability to talk, never would I have
imagined that she chose to become mute, in what I believe are the most important years of ones life,
adolescence. This paragraph also lets me know that the author is writing based on Clara’s journals which I
thought would make it a biased story, but I later learn that other characters also give their accounts of the
story which will, I believe make this an interesting book to read.
“I wasn’t the type always falling in love – I have been. I’m the faithful type, though it’s true that all it takes is the shadow of
an arm, the curve of a waist, or the crease of a female knee to put ideas into my head even now when I’m so old that I
don’t recognise myself when I look in the mirror. I look like a twisted tree. I’m not trying to justify the sins of my youth by
saying that I couldn’t control my instincts: nothing of the sort. By that point I was used to having dead end relationships
with easy women, since there was no possibility of any other kind. In my generation we used to distinguish between
decent women and all the rest, we also divided up the decent women into our own and others’. I had never thought of love
until I met Rosa, and the romance struck me as dangerous and as pointless; if a young girl caught my eye, I didn’t dare
approach her, since I was afraid or being rejected and ridiculed. I’ve always been very proud, and because of my pride
I’ve suffered more than most.”
This was part of the first encounter where the dialogue was changed from a third person responsive stance,
to a more personal encounter of events. Having learned about Rosa, I got the impression her lover would
also be a nice person. When talked about, Esteban sounds like a young innocent man, however as soon as
he starts to tell his story, his character begins to unravel and I discovered that he was quite a proud
arrogant man. This passage shows in particular, his attitude towards women. The fact that he had decided
to distinguish women in two vague categories, “decent and all the rest”, the ones to marry and the rest for
pleasure, already shows his naivete and ignorance of the issue. It makes me angry that a man can seem to
wonderful and devote his life to one woman and sleep around and pleasure himself with others, it’s very
two faced. However, on the other hand he says he was always embarrassed to approach a young pretty girl
which makes me question how arrogant he really was. He sounds like a confusing character who is now
older and wiser and looking back at these times with some regret. Which makes me a little more
sympathetic.
“Clara announced that there would soon be another death in the del Valle family.” ”But it will be by mistake,” she added.”
This I feel is very important because later, Rosa does die, and this leads to Clara becoming mute. I believe
things like this is what Nana meant by once she tries out her powers, she will learn to stop using them
because bad things may happen. Unfortunately, Clara goes mute because she believes that because she
said it, she caused it to happen, it makes me sad to think of little Clara taking on such a burden. I believe
incidents like this might cause Clara to become angry and no longer use her powers for good, but possibly
for evil like in many novels.
“When she came to Rosa’s door, she stopped, gripped by some premonition. She entered without knocking, as she
always did, and immediately noticed the scent of roses, even though they were not in season. This was how nana
understood that an inescapable disaster had occurred. She set the tray down carefully beside the bed and walked slowly
to the window. She opened the heavy drapes and let the pale morning sun into the room. Grief-stricken, she turned
around and was not at all surprised to see Rosa lying dead upon the bed, more beautiful than ever, her hair strikingly
green, her skin the tone of new ivory, and her honey coloured eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. Little Clara was
at the foot of the bed, observing her sister. Nana fell to her knees beside the bed, took Rosa’s hand in hers, and began to
pray.”
This I felt was a key passage because it not only because it’s where Rosa has died, but because of the
description of her. Note how it says she lay upon the bed and not just on it, that generated me to think of
her like something angelic. This fits with previously statements such as her mother noticing a ray of sunlight
“outlining her face in a halo of light” or Esteban, who said she moved “as if she were flying” that she
”floated”. This, her green hair, bluish translucent skin and honey coloured eyes and the fact that their uncle
died twice, brings me to a conclusion that she has not really died and might possibly return later in the
book. Clara just sitting there, observing her sister shows the love and respect she had for her and that this
incident will burden her heavily, turning her mute.
Chapter Two The Three Marías
Text
[Esteban] with a sidelong glance that held a mixture of
pride distrust, and myopia.
His most salient trait was his moodiness and a tendency to
grow violent and lose his head, a characteristic he had
since childhood, when he used to throw himself on the
floor foaming at the mouth, so furious that he could
scarcely breathe, and kicking like one possessed by the
devil. Later he learned to manage these fits, but was left a
short temper, which needed very little provocation to
blossom into terrible attacks
She was a tormented soul. She took pleasure in
humiliation and in menial tasks, and since she believed
she would get to heaven by suffering terrible injustice, she
was content to clean her mother’s ulcerated legs, washing
her and sinking deeply into her stench and wretchedness,
even peering into her bedpan.
She moved thickly and awkwardly and had the same sour
character as her brother, but life and the fact that she was
a woman had forced her to overcome it and to clamp down
on the bit.
She seemed to perfect that word had spread she was a
saint. She was cited as an example because of the
devotion that she lavished on Dona Ester and because of
the way she had raised her only brother
She had woven him into her invisible net of guilt and
unrepayable debts of gratitude.
Suddenly the tip of the spoon knocked against the glass,
My Understanding
I didn’t understand myopia, but learned it means narrow
mindedness and intolerance, which is really starting to
show him in a negative light, which makes me curious,
he may possibly do something really bad.
This makes me worried and makes me wonder as to
whether his anger might have been a symptom of
epilepsy and that these fits might be seizures. But that
fact that he overcame it and later made it anger is
evidence of magic realism, that things just happen, that
he’s able to contain it and turn it into temper tantrums.
This is almost disturbing that she believes that by
suffering she will be awarded. I'’ assuming this is a
catholic belief because many saints have been
mentioned in chapter one, but this is not the kind of
belief we have in my religion, Protestantism.
This is another example of the inequality between men
and women in this book, which makes me very upset.
But because she continues to suffer, believing it to do
her good in the future, makes me believe it’s because
of her own attitude against modernization and equality
that she has had to accept her role in society.
I’m starting to get little scared of Ferula; she sounds like
an extremist Catholic that probably inputted all her life
values into Esteban. Maybe that’s why he likes being
alone and doesn’t drink. It makes me wonder what else
she has stopped him from doing.
Ferula really sounds evil
This passage made me so sad. Earlier on when
opening a rack through which the coffee leapt, pouring
onto his clothes. Horrified, Esteban watched the entire
contents of the goblet spill onto his only suit before the
amused glances of the occupants of the adjoining tables.
Pale with frustration he stood up and walked out of the
Hotel… When Ferula found out what had happened, she
told him acidly, “That’s what you get for spending Mama’s
medicine money on your private little whims. God
punished you.”
At that moment Esteban saw clearly the ways his sister
used to keep him down and how she managed to make
him feel guilty. He understood he would have to escape.
His had been a childhood of privations, discomfort,
harshness, interminable nighttime rosaries, fear and guilt.
All that remained of those days was his fury and outsized
pride.
Esteban said he was proud and that’s what hurt him, I
could really see the pain he received and makes me
sympathetic towards him. I also felt very angry with
Ferula for then blaming him.
This description is quite good as I can almost see it
happening, but some of the words chose seem to me to
show it happened almost deliberately, not by Esteban
obviously but maybe “God”. That it almost wanted to
happen to him, top humiliate him. Maybe that’s how
Esteban saw it and helps show his frustration and
embarrassment afterwards.
I thought this was important because it seems like an
epiphany moment
This sounds almost like an explanation to Esteban’s
previous statements about his pride. Though I felt this
all sounds like the audience can have some sympathy
for him in the future which makes me wonder what he’s
going to do
Important because it characterizes his values in life
He decided that from that day on, no matter how tight his
circumstances, he would always pay for the small comforts
that made him feel rich.
No one’s going to convince me that I wasn’t a good patron. This is so defensive! It might come from the fact his
sister was always telling him he was wrong and making
him feel guilty.
Pancha Garcia made no attempt to defend herself. She
I felt so disgusted by Esteban here. This truly is an
did not complain, nor did she shut her eyes. She lay on
animal act with no mercy consideration or thought to
her back, staring at the sky with terror, until she felt the
the woman he was hurting. I think she later becomes a
man drop to the ground beside her, with a moan… Before main character because the author has gone into detail
her, her mother and before her, her grandmother had
of the event and she has a name.
suffered the same animal fate.
Word of his cruelty spread throughout the region,
Jealousy?! Why? What he has done is inhuman and
provoking jealous admiration among the men of his class
disturbing. For these men to think it’s an achievement
shows how chauvinistic they are
You have to use a strong hand on the poor devils that’s
Like previously Esteban really has no respect for the
the only language they understand. The minutes you get
peasants. He really thinks lowly of them.
soft, they lose their respect.
This was why he never knew the exact number of his
Ha. Just like Esteban to have no respect for the
children, and the fact of the matter was that he wasn’t
peasants that having sex with them is also a hobby that
interested.
he doesn’t want to know the results of.
(Women)’s duty is motherhood and the home…they’re
AH! Esteban is such a chauvinistic pig! He really thinks
sowing confusion and disorder that could lead to disaster.
lowly of women! He’s so sexist!
Transito Soto, who was also the best at resisting the drunk It sounds like the transporting means she’s able to
men’s attacks. She was indefatigable and never
release herself spiritually from the acts but she’s also
complained. She has the Tibetan gift of placing her skinny tough, able to resist the drunk men. But she’s only a
adolescent frame n her clients’ hands and transporting her teenager
soul to some distant place.
Esteban liked her because she was not squeamish about
So it seems he likes “male” qualities. Decisiveness,
new ideas and the brutalities of love, sang with the voice
brave, challenging and with a desire to go far in life. But
of a hoarse bird, and had once told him she was going to
the idea of any women achieving more than her place
go far in life and he had found that amusing.
in life to him is ridiculous
“I’ll pay you back someday. With interest.”…We will see
It sounds almost like a prediction. I hope they meet
each other, patron. Life is long and full of unexpected
again. I wonder what will happen. But she now owes
turns.”
him something!
In the dream (Rosa) appeared… her skin was hard and
This is really gross. She has no eyes which ma mean
cold… she hurled her package to the ground, shattering its she is deformed after all the wasteful and dirty sex he’s
contents at his feet. He knelt down and picked it up: it was been having with random women he doesn’t love
a tiny girl without eyes, and she was calling him papa.
Chapter Six Revenge
Dear Abby,
I recently started reading the book you recommended, The House of Spirits. It’s really good, right
now I’m on chapter six and I have some comments and queries.
So far I’ve loved and at times hated some characters, Jean de Satigny is a new character who
comes about by wanting to start a business with Esteban. The businessman is originally from Europe, but
comes to South America and is totally fascinated. When he sees Blanca’s crafts he tells her she could
make a lot of money by seeing her native craft which or course is very insulting. But Jean de Satigny makes
me uncomfortable. He makes me nervous when he starts looking to marry Blanca and then I get so angry
when he tells Esteban about Pedro to marry her. When he watches her and seems to crave something,
some people told me it was closure and a relationship, but I get the feeling’s he’s like Esteban, but more
cowardly and not daring to pursuer his desires. At first Blanca is just nice and dresses up for dinner
because they assume that what they should do for guests. But Jean takes it that she likes him and
proposes they marry. Of course Esteban agrees but Blanca is very angry and stops talking to him, as I
would do. However, Jean exposing Blanca and Pedro causes so much pain to the family. The already
strained relationship between Clara and Esteban breaks when Esteban for the first time beats up Clara
after finding out about Blanca and Pedro; causing her to leave him.
Once the family has left, Esteban becomes tormented with anger but is determined to save face by
killing Pedro. But none of the villagers want to tell him, except Esteban Garcia. Garcia points the direction
and later takes Trueba directly to Pedro’s hiding spot. Planning to kill him slowly, Esteban tries to kill him
but fails and only cuts off three fingers. That day, Garcia thought he would grow closer to his birth father,
but Trueba saw nothing in the boy but being a traitor. Of course he’s going to be mad and you spread that
he cries angry tears. Those always make me nervous because I think he’s going to revenge himself
anyway he can.
I just felt really bad for Blanca, because just has she was finally starting to become friendly with Jean de
Satigny, he decided he would marry her and use his knowledge of her lover to lever them into marriage. He
was so selfish to only think of making his marriage easier but never stopping to consider consequences
Blanca would have to suffer.
Finally of course, Pedro Garcia and his loyalty to the Trueba family. After the monstrous act of beating up
Clara, Pedro accompanied Clara back to the city. I think it’s so sweet that they really understood each other
and probably loved each other. But I remember that Clara had told her family that she would marry, but not
for love. Which is such a sad idea because all the other women in the family also seemed to have that
problem thus not marrying.
That’s it for now, more later!