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Student Name
Mr. Hodara
Literary Analysis
4-4-06
Isabel Allende
Many of the characters’ experiences in Isabel Allende's novels are parallel to the
experiences in her own life. Although her novels are primarily written with sensitivity
towards magic realism, "Allende's works are noted for their underlying feminism and her
sensitive depiction of both Latin and American culture" (McMahon 2). Her novels
address women's rights in a society and their role in the household in the culture of South
America.
Allende is truly inspired by her own life experiences to create her stories. At the
age of twenty-nine, she witnessed the military coup d'etat on September 11, 1973.
President Salvador Allende, her uncle, was assassinated in the coup against Chile's
socialist government. Allende began to "help others find food and shelter and sometimes
escape military persecution--Allende helped transport several people to safety in her own
automobile" (McMahon 2). In her novel The House of the Spirits, the protagonist Alba
Trueba is involved in a protest against the coup d'etat and, like Allende, helps others
during the political repression. She even goes so far as to let them take refuge in her own
house. Not long after the coup, Allende's grandfather, the most influential person in her
life, passed away. Allende says: "My grandfather thought people died only when you
forgot them. I wanted to prove to him that I had forgotten nothing and that his spirit was
going to live with us forever" (McMahon 2). She began to write a letter to her
grandfather, after his death, knowing he would never read it. However, this letter later
that became the novel The House of the Spirits is not the only one of its kind. Allende's
later novel Paula "began as a letter to the dying, in which Allende would recount, to her
comatose daughter...the story of Isabel's life and the family Paula was leaving" (Savio).
Allende's daughter Paula passed away due to porphyria and the novel Paula became a
memoir of Allende's own childhood in Chile that she told to her while she was in a coma.
On the other hand, City of the Beasts was written after other family members: "The
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character of Alexander Cold is based on my grandson, Alexander, and that of Nadia is
based on my two granddaughters" (Savio). Evidently, the characters and their stories
come very much from Allende's sufferings and, in the case of her grandchildren, joys.
Through her writing, she is able to express her story, find closure for the tragedy in her
own life, and share her experiences.
Isabel Allende writes her own story into the lives of her characters. She says: "I
would say that my protagonists and most of my characters are always marginal. Even if
they're not exiles in the sense that they have to leave the country,t hey are exiled from the
big umbrella of the establishment" (University of Minnesota). Allende writes to address
the social and political issues she endured in Chile and the ones that still exist today
around the world.
Annotated Bibliography
McMahon, Thomas. “Isabel Allende.” Authors and Artists for Young Adults. Detroit:
Gale, 2006.
This book covers Isabel Allende's life and background extensively. It includes many of
the most eventful and influential moments in her life along with reaction quotes directly
from Allende. Additionally, it talks about many of Allende's works, not just her most
famous ones. It was by far the most useful source.
"NoveList: The House of the Spirits." Booklist Review. 01 March 1985. And Kirkus
Reviews. 15 April 1985.
NoveList offered two book reviews that proved to be redundant. The two short reviews
not only talk about similar topics, but the topics that they discuss are simply the plot of
one story, The House of the Spirits. The reviews do little to include Isabel Allende into
the analysis.
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Rodriguez, Ginger. Isabel Allende, Isabel "Chapter Two: Writing Career." 2005.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=12&hid=112&sid=5b2168de-285a4c74-
This magazine article from EBSCO was a biography that was presented from a distance.
There is very little information that can reveal what Isabel Allende was truly like.
Additionally, it only talks about fragmented parts of her life and does not intend to make
the pieces come together. It was not very useful as a fragmented story of Allende.
McMahon, Thomas. Authors and Artists for Young Adults. Detroit: Gale,
2006.
Savio, Anita R. "A teller of tales: Isabel Allende." Ferraez Publications of America Corp.
and Gale Group. Internet, 2006. Available: http://www. findarticles.com
/p/articles/mi_m0PCH/is_5_3/ai_113053674/pri nt
This article was a brief biography of Isabel Allende. It pointed out other parts of Isabel
Allende's life that were not nearly as well known. This included the story of her daughter
Paula. This was also very interesting because it gave a little synopsis on some of her less
popular novels.
The University of Minnesota. "Isabel Allende b. 1942." Internet, 2006.Available: http://
voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/allend_isabel.html
Although this internet source was very thorough, it was very much a repeat of Authors
and Artists for Young Adults. However, it does also include direct quotes from Isabel
Allende unlike a few of the other sources. It was much easier to understand and
fascinating because at one point it addresses Allende's love for Chile and how her
patriotism developed.
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Wikipedia. "Isabel Allende." Internet, 27 March 2006. Available:http://en.
wikipedia.org/Isabel_Allende
This internet encyclopedia was not very useful because it too repeated much of what was
already known. Additionally, it was also somewhat incomplete in the telling of Isabel
Allende's life. It approaches Allende's life with detachment and does not give her very
much attention for her accomplishments as a writer.