Power+Struggle-+actions+versus+silence

__Power Struggle: Silences vs. Actions __ __Silences to show the love or strong bond between characters __

1. When Esteban first got the opportunity to speak to Rosa he **‘couldn’t think of anything to say’** (pg23) and **‘stood there mute’**(pg23). Even when he first saw her at the pastry shop he was **‘dumbstruck and hypnotized’** (pg22), like many other men around him. This silence magnifies Rosa’s beauty and puts even more emphasis on her mystical and **‘fairy-tale manner’** (pg22). It shows how she was so unusual. Also Esteban’s admiration of Rosa shows his deep love for her and desire to be with her. 2. While Dr. Cuevas is performing the autopsy on Rosa’s body, Nana consoles Severo who was **‘drunk with grief’** (pg27) and **‘weeping like a child’** (pg27). The silent exchange between Severo and Nana and how Nana was **‘warm and generous’** (pg28) shows how her actions speak louder than words. This highlights Nana’s character as a loving and caring figure. With this we also see the importance of Nana in the de Valle family and how she acts as a motherly figure towards everyone. 3. Clara’s silence for nine years actually intensified and strengthened her bond with her mother, Nivea. Nivea ‘**nourished the hope that if she kept putting ideas into Clara’s head, sooner or later she would ask a question and regain her speech’** (pg79) In this same attempt, Nivea gave her ‘**total dedication’** (pg79) to Clara by speaking to her, narrating **‘stories and anecdotes about the family’** (pg79) and taking her to visit factories. The interaction the mother and daughter had was minimal as Clara did not speak but the relationship they shared flourished. 4. When Ferula and Clara went to Hotel Frances for tea, Ferula was a bit confused and reluctant to talk to Clara and did not know **‘how to broach the subject’** (pg95). But Clara warmly accepted Ferula and invited Ferula to stay with her and **‘be just like sisters’** (pg95). Clara’s loving and warmly character made Ferula feel amazed and slowly a great bond stronger than any other was formed between the two **‘that would last for many years’** (pg95). Ferula cried in Clara’s lap **‘unburdening herself of many past sorrows and her loneliness’** (pg95), as they sat silently. Clara’s actions of consoling Ferula, helping her **‘blow her nose’** (pg95), feeding her ‘**forkfuls of pastry and sips of tea’** (pg95) speak greater than any words and show the great friendship that they would share. __Silences to show exaggerated emotions of the characters __ 1. As Nana is about to serve breakfast to Rosa, who was unwell, even before entering Nana is **‘gripped by a premonition’** (pg26) and knows that Rosa has died. She enters the room to find Clara **‘at the foot of the bed observing her sister’** (pg26). Neither Clara nor Nana speak a word during this incident. Their silence shows the intensity of their sorrow and grief. The routine actions carried out by Nana like **‘opening the heavy drapes’** (pg26) and **‘setting the tray down carefully beside the bed’** (pg26) without saying a word and without showing a slightest emotion towards Rosa’s dead body shows how moved she was and did not know how to express her **‘grief-stricken’**(pg26) feeling. 2. After seeing and autopsy performed on her sister, Clara remained silent for nine years. This silence could possibly be because she was traumatized at the sight of a **‘deep gash forming a canal’** (pg38) on Rosa’s body and how her **‘head was twisted’** (pg38), thus the silence could possibly act as a mental refuge to draw her away from that which disturbed her. Alternatively, this silence could have resulted in the fact that, Clara believed that not only could she predicted the future but **‘she could also produce deaths, earthquakes, and other, even worse catastrophes’** (pg37). Clara blames herself for her sister’s death and even feels **‘lonely and guilty’** (pg37) and **‘was terrified that Rosa had died because she said she would’** (pg37). Because of the power Clara’s words have, she chooses to remain silent. Since Clara did not want to produce any more deaths and catastrophes she chooses to remain silent. Also, Allende could have created Clara’s silence to exaggerate the sorrow, grief and guilt she feels. This could have also be done to exaggerate the degree of power which was granted to Clara. 3. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">When Severo wants to get rid of Barrabas, Clara throws a **‘tantrum that degenerated into an asthma attack’** (pg19) and threatens the family she will **‘stop breathing’** (pg19) and die. Clara’s family believes that Clara might actually do what she has said, which shows the reader the unusual and mystical powers granted to Clara. Through these actions she demands power over her parents and eventually gets what she wants. This again could possibly be used to exaggerate the unnatural power Clara has. __<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Other Points __ <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">When Esteban **‘attacked her savagely’** (pg57) in Tres Marias, Pancha Garcia **‘made no attempt to defend herself’** (pg57) and **‘did not complain’** (pg57). This silence shows how dominating Esteban is and female peasants were expected to face this **‘animal fate’** (pg57). Her silence shows an acceptance of this act and the suppression of the basic human rights. Also the families of such victims and in the low class peasant society **‘no one asked any questions’** (pg62) This silence shows the fear the patron evoked in the peasants and also shows how this act of raping has been going on through generations. The silence also shows the oppressive conditions under which the peasants have to work without any consideration of their happiness. This also highlights the topic of class division. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Without Clara’s silence, Alba, her granddaughter would have never known of this story that Allende narrated. As a result of Clara’s silence, Clara **‘recorded trivialities’** (pg1) in her notebook which was used by Alba **‘to reclaim the past’** (pg1). Power STRUGGLE: Silence versus actions. The major characters in //The House of the Spirits// come from two opposing classes: the landed aristocracy and the peasants. Most of the population of Latin America, as well as all of the characters in the novel, belongs to one of these two classes. t he struggle for power is extremely prominent amongst these two classes between the fourth and sixth chapter, where the advent of a new school of thought is seen to develop against the traditional domineering patrons in the form of Pedro Tercero Garcia. Pedro Tercero Garcia is vastly influenced by modern education and socialism, which believes in fairer distribution of resources and equality of all individuals. In order to uplift all those peasants working at Tres Marias he goes against his family tradition of loyalty and against his patron Esteban Trueba and becomes a rebel fighting for his cause. This clearly demonstrates the power struggle of silence versus actions. His entire family for the past generations had served at the Tres Marias and even though his father despised Esteban Trueba’s barbaric behavior he continued to serve him with utmost loyalty and on being questioned on his unjust remuneration and financial position by his son he replied, (pg 163) ‘’that’s the way it has always been son. You can’t change the law of god.’’ Pedro Segundo can be seen as the perfect example of silence and this can be contrasted with his son Pedro Tercero Garcia who is a born rebel and believes in action and rebellion against injustice. He is vastly influenced by the development of the Socialist ideology and is actively engaged in distributing provocative pamphlets, instigating the uneducated and campaigning for the Presidential Elections. Textual evidence to show his seditious nature even as child is that after singing the song of the fox and the hens to Esteban Trueba he says,(pg 154) ‘’ I like this patron. In union there is strength, as Father Dulce Maria says. If the hens can overcome the fox, what about human beings’’ Pedro Tercero Garcia represents the revolutionary peasants who will work to make that change happen. This can be contrasted with the different attitudes, which are presented toward this inequality and power struggle in //The House of the Spirits//. Esteban Trueba represents the conservative view—that the status should be maintained and that there is no reason for the peasants to share in the upper class's wealth or to change their situation. This can be seen in his several attempts to exterminate Pedro Tercero and while conversing with Clara he expresses these views and she resents this notion by saying, ‘’ you cannot keep the world from changing Esteban. If it is not Pedro Tercero Garcia someone else will bring new ideas to Tres Marias.