In the first chapter of “The House of the Spirits,” Isabel Allende introduces the two main characters, Clara and Esteban Trueba. Notably, the reader learns about Clara’s superpower to move items as well as Esteban’s depression after the death of his beloved, Rosa, who was actually Clara’s sister. The second chapter describes the further life of the desperate man, which is marked with uncontrolled sex drive and the consequent unwanted pregnancy of one of his partners, Pancha. In addition, this part of the novel tells the story of the entire Trueba family: the father has passed away and left his nearest in poverty, and the mother is very ill.
In the third chapter, the mother, Dona Ester, dies as well. Another tragic event, which this section describes, is Clara’s muteness in response to losing a sister that lasts for 9 years. Eventually, Clara and Esteban get married and have a daughter, whose name is Blanca. However, senior Trueba is not a loyal husband, which becomes apparent in the fourth chapter, where he has an extramarital affair several years later. Meanwhile, Clara gets pregnant again and finally gives birth to twin boys, while her elder daughter is experiencing her first love story.
The next two chapters reveal all of the tensions that exist in the family. Thus, Clara has to care for Esteban who has been injured seriously in an earthquake, but that does not favor an emotional attachment. Instead, they both find that the woman fears and despises her husband. Neither does he have a good relationship with Blanca. After a physical recovery, Esteban Trueba seeks to regain the love of both his wife and his daughter.
Works Cited
Allende, Isabel. The House of the Spirits. Dial Press, 2005.