Chapther 9 commentary on the house of the spirits

This passage is an extract from the chapter called “Little Alba”. The word ‘Alba’ means dawn, it is the idea of new beginnings as the sunrises on the house of the spirits. Alba and her lifestyle are shown as a state of change, “a mixture of vegetarian diets”, from the previous generations. The novel reveals that the subtext portrays the turning point of Chilean history and this ‘last change’ is represented as Alba.

An important theme portrayed through this passage is of continuity through generations this is shown by the physical features of Alba’s lifestyle. Ideas that Uncle Marcos’s magic books have been passed onto Alba from previous generations, “the magic books in the enchanted trunks of her legendary Great-Uncle Marcos”, Socialism, Marxism have lived through three generations of women reminding us that the matriarchs of the novel are in contrast to the conservative party being the patriarchs. Inheritance of Rosa’s hair, “inherited something from Rosa the Beautiful”, another figure of communism have been passed onto Alba. Also painting and creating figures, “inventing animals much like Rosa had embroidered”, reveals the connection over g

The contrast of Esteban Trueba to three women suggests a political friction in the balance of their relationship. Esteban Trueba is portrayed as being violent, ‘thundering’, ‘slashing’, ‘powerful’, ‘frighten’, ‘withered’ where as Alba is being portrayed as ‘fresh flowers’, this contrast in nature suggest Esteban Trueba to be a patriarch which rules by fear, ‘slashing’, this then constitute to the conservative party and their role. Where Alba with her ‘freshness’ brings a new light onto this, where she represents the natural order of things, “let in streams of air and light”, “reappear in full leafiness” which is the concept socialism.

Blanca being a ‘chief steward’ of a ‘kingdom’ makes reference to Esteban Trueba. Esteban is compared as a lion earlier in the text, which is an animal at the top of the hierarchy of the animal kingdom and now Blanca has taken on that title.

Blanca also plays the role of supporting the socialist party. Blanca is in love with a socialist leader, Pedro Tercero; due to recent events he has gone underground to protect his life. Pedro Tercero and Esteban Trueba are long enemies and also opposition in their political stands. Blanca hides Pedro from her father Esteban, “whoever was closest ran to hide the rubber tree on the terrace, because as soon as the old man entered the room, the plant lowered its leaves and began to exude a whitish fluid, like tears of milk, from its stem” this then symbolizes the secret rise of a fragile socialist party. This type of father-daughter relationship creates a friction in the family that result to a strong opposition between the matriarchs and patriarch, which in turn represents the battle of the political parties.

Some topics in this essay:
Esteban Trueba, Esteban Alba, Blanca Alba, Rosa Beautiful”, Alba Alba, Little Alba, Uncle Marcos’s, Trueba Esteban, References Blanca, Socialism Marxism, socialist party, esteban trueba, conservative party, rise socialist, rise socialist party, running house, play dolls, onto alba, “creatures human, previous generations, “creatures human traits”, alba refusing, passed onto alba, conservative party patriarchs, portrays chilean history,