House Of The Spirits Analysis

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,

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