The more that I read the House of the Spirits, the more I like it (much to my chagrin). I love how the story is so interesting but it almost seems morbid, being so enthralled in the sad and depressing lives of these people. No one in the story is truly happy (except, maybe, for the people who are already dead and can escape Esteban's wrath). But I just feel so bad for everyone! I mean, loveless marriages, abortions, viscous temperamental husbands, families that have drifted apart and lovers that can never be together...it's just depressing, plain and simple. It almost makes it seem like no one was happy at the time that Allende's grandmother was alive.
However, on the bright side, I also think that as the book progresses, I am realizing some of the connections that Allende may be trying to make in the story. One of the most interesting (and saddening) is how Blanca admits to the fact in chapter 8 that she ended up in an unhappy and loveless marriage, just like her mother. After I started thinking about it, I realized that it closely parallels the idea of the socialist revolution that was happening in Chile during the time of the novel. The ideas revolving the peasants comments, "this is the way that it has always been," about the hacienda system is quite similar to how Blanca accepted her unwanted marriage to Jean; she felt pressured by her father and, because neither she nor her mother stepped up to do anything, Blanca is unhappy in her marriage too. The same thing goes for the peasants; as long as they sit back, bullied by the patrons and too afraid to stand up for change, things will never be different.
I like how Allende uses this book to comment on social issues and draw parallels between the two major problems she focuses on in the book, poverty/Socialist reform in Chile and Women's rights. For both issues in her country, and others, it takes people to stand up and speak out about the issues before change can really occur. That's probably my favorite thing about the novel so far; not only is it captivating, it has a social conscience and addresses issues that are still quite relevant for us today, even in a 'democratic' society.
I also really like how Allende used the book to bring awareness to the social issues of the time. I don't think I would have liked it without the magical realism, though. The way she incorporated the supernatural into the everyday lives of the characters helped to keep the book interesting. Allende didn't just lecture about how bad the social and political situations were in the time of the book, she added elements of fiction to make the book even better and more readable. I also agree that the book is really depressing because none of the characters could truly live the life they wanted. But for me, those are the best kind of books. Books that are happy the whole way through and have a happy ending leave no lasting impression, while the books that aren't as happy stick with the reader and keep them thinking about it long after they read it.
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