The House of the Spirits

One of the major themes of The House of the Spirits was change, and the entire book emphasized the contradiction of the old and the new.  The Trueba family seemed to represent the old way: a family that had traditional values and did what was expected of them.  Ferula was always very religious, prayed regularly for herself and the people around her, and upheld her very strict morals.  Esteban had the traditional idea that his peasants at Tres Marias needed a strong leader that would provide enough for them to survive and that if they started to get ideas of revolution in their head it would only make them lazier and would eventually lead to his own downfall.  He shared similar views of women, thinking that they needed a man to control them and any sort of abnormal behavior (like that of Clara’s mother, Nivea) needed to be suppressed with a beating.  This, clearly, was not a value also held by the del Valle family.  They represented a new way of thinking.  Their uncle Marcos was a traveler that had been all around the world and who was always planning some strange scheme.  Nivea, Clara’s mother, was an outspoken political supporter of women’s rights, which was still a new idea at the time and made her an easy target of gossip.  Clara, of course, was a clairvoyant that put more time into her psychic abilities than forming strong relationships with the people around her.  As the book goes on, we learn more about Esteban’s political involvement and see towards the end that his Conservative party is overthrown by the Socialists.  In a way, the Trueba family and Esteban’s traditional ideals reflect the Conservative party, while the del Valle family reflects the Socialist party.  The Socialist party gained recognition and brought new ideas to their country, while the del Valle family, especially Clara, brought their new ideas and values to Esteban.