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Isabel Allende's The House Of The Spirits: A Homage To Feminism

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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 …show more content…

At the beginning of the novel, Clara informs the readers that she is marrying Esteban Trueba, not for true but because of a psychic vision. Throughout this toxic marriage, Esteban constantly breaks out in tantrums towards Clara. The moment “he lost control and struck her in the face, knocking her against the wall,” terminates their relationship (Allende 223). Rather than fighting back, Clara vows never to speak to him again, which drives him crazy. Despite his overwhelming physical strength, her silence causes him anguish. This now proves her feminine strength not letting an angry dominant figure assault or manipulate her. Alba’s rebellion takes a different angle when Esteban Garcia kidnaps her. Garcia and his men take her in, assaulting her because she refuses to release the location of her lover. She proves the strength of her feminism by not revealing the secret. The physical and mental torture affects her, but she ultimately chooses love. Alba refuses to let a male dictate to her and betray the ones she truly admires. She is not defined by men but by her feministic values, standing up for herself and the people she cares

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