So far, I really like this book! I think that it has a nice flow and the turn of events is (unlike much literature we have read thus far) comprehensible and interesting enough to keep my attention. However, I think that the thing that I like most about House of the Spirits is it's emphasis on social problems and it's stark irony and hypocrisy, particularly surrounding Esteban Trueba.
One of the strongest themes that I see so far in this book is the idea of 'class warfare'. I like that Allende writes about this because it was not only a social issue in her country, it's still very relevant American culture today. I also really like how she uses Esteban to bring out these ideas of the higher class. Because, although his mother's last name puts him in the 'upper class', he's still really not that much better than anyone else, because, as we have seen throughout the past two chapters, he still has to work really hard in order to earn a living. However, he acts like he is the cream of the crop. For example, on pg. 64-65, Esteban is ranting about how he is so much better than the peasants on his hacienda. "You have to use a strong hand on these devils-that's the only language they understand...I've had to teach them everything, even how to eat...How are they supposed to know about politics when they don't even know where they live?...It would be lovely if we were all created equal, but the fact is we're not." I feel like Esteban's haughty attitudes about himself and how he thinks that he is immune to scrutiny, perfect in every way, really do have something to say to us as Americans today. The issue of class has not gone away attitudes like Esteban's are something that we have been dealing with for centuries and we will continue to deal with them for centuries to come.
I also like how Allende uses Esteban to show the irony of his position. He thinks that he is sooo much better than the peasants and that his political views are rock solid, but really he's just a dishonest upper-classer who thinks he knows better than everybody else. He ranks right up there with those 'Athiest Children Eating Communists' (pg. 70) that he hates so much!
He is so firm in his political views, but really they are just a joke. If you look just at one part of Esteban's life, it might seem like he is an honest man with honest convictions. "This is a different country. This country's a geniune republic...the Conservative Party wins cleanly and openly." (pg. 70) However, just a paragraphs before, he uses intimidation techniques and blatant dishonesty in order to win 'openly and cleanly. "...promised them (the peasants) that if the conservative candidate won the election they would all receive a bonus, but that if he lost they would lose their jobs. In additions, they rigged the ballot boxes and bribed the police." (pg. 70) Nothing clean, open or democratic about that.
Allende also brings in the issue of women's rights, once again through the point of view of Esteban. On page 67, Esteban is reflecting on the women's rights 'movement' in his country and how Rosa's mother was campaigning for equal rights for men and women, "to be allowed to vote and attend the university." To which Esteban replies "That woman is sick in the head!...Their duty is motherhood and the home." Once again, bringing out he irony in how Esteban depends on the women from his hacienda for all of his 'needs' and for the work and services that they provide for him, but how he views them like objects and doesn't recognize them for what they do. This can especially be seen in the way he treats his own mother and sister, the woman who birthed him and the woman who gave up her own life to raise him and he shows them absolutely no gratitude. Typical.
Overall, I feel like Allende did a really fantastic job inserting political and social issues into her book. Having a character like Esteban reveal the irony of these issues through his hypocritical actions just makes the book that much better and the issues of classiscm and women's rights seem more real, especially since these are issues that Americans are still battling today.
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