A major theme Allende’s novel The House of the Spirits is the cyclical nature of love and hate in families. The Trueba and Garcia families are enemies throughout the story, however even when they believe they are polar opposites, their characteristics actually point to further connection. Esteban Trueba and Esteban Garcia have a similar pattern of hate and vengeful retribution, but differ in the motivations for achieving their goals. These characters are shaped by society to pursue their goals of changing themselves to gain power. Esteban Garcia and Esteban Trueba are similar in more ways than just their shared name. Each one embodies the conglomeration of the hate of their family, and are driven to strike out at the other for what they have.
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Both these characters commit unforgivable acts against innocents but through the narration of Esteban Trueba the reader is able to recognize the remorse that Trueba has for his actions. His goal is not actually violence, it is to stay on top by any means necessary. He believes that he is protecting his family and keeping their best interest in mind. One key example is when he attacks Pedro Tercero in the mill. In this case he is guided by rage and his desire to protect Blanca from this perceived evil. ¨I was in another world, confused and terrified by my own violence, grateful that Pedro Tercero had escaped because I knew if he had fallen to the floor I would have continued striking him with the axe till I killed him… I've never killed anyone, and the closest I came to doing so was the day I picked up an axe and threw myself at Pedro Tercero Garcia” (Allende 207). His immediate regret is a result of him realizing that his violence is mindless and misguided, something Esteban Garcia never grasps. Garcia’s goal is strictly violence against those he sees oppressing him. While Esteban Trueba is terrified by his attack on Pedro Tercero, Garcia is fascinated by the attack of his own family member. ¨He had picked up the sliced-off fingers and was holding them like a bouquet of bloody asparagus. I couldn't keep from retching then. My …show more content…
Esteban Trueba is made embarrassed of his class especially when he attempts to assimilate with the higher class after saving his money for what symbolizes to him the higher class: a goblet of Viennese coffee. “He had stepped timidly across the threshold and entered the luxurious dining room, with its teardrop chandeliers and stylish furniture, convinced that everyone was staring at him, that their thousand eyes found his suit too big and his shoes old. He sat down on the edge of the chair, his ears burning and gave his order to the waiter with a mere thread of a voice” (Allende 43). Trueba’s embarrassment there leads to a resentment of his class, causing him to go about his quest of self improvement. Esteban Garcia’s feeling of entitlement leads him to believe he is above the class that he must live his life in. He believes that his grandfather’s wealth warrants his being in a higher class, and for that reason resents the class he is in, and similarly to Esteban Trueba it inspires his quest to gain
Both these characters commit unforgivable acts against innocents but through the narration of Esteban Trueba the reader is able to recognize the remorse that Trueba has for his actions. His goal is not actually violence, it is to stay on top by any means necessary. He believes that he is protecting his family and keeping their best interest in mind. One key example is when he attacks Pedro Tercero in the mill. In this case he is guided by rage and his desire to protect Blanca from this perceived evil. ¨I was in another world, confused and terrified by my own violence, grateful that Pedro Tercero had escaped because I knew if he had fallen to the floor I would have continued striking him with the axe till I killed him… I've never killed anyone, and the closest I came to doing so was the day I picked up an axe and threw myself at Pedro Tercero Garcia” (Allende 207). His immediate regret is a result of him realizing that his violence is mindless and misguided, something Esteban Garcia never grasps. Garcia’s goal is strictly violence against those he sees oppressing him. While Esteban Trueba is terrified by his attack on Pedro Tercero, Garcia is fascinated by the attack of his own family member. ¨He had picked up the sliced-off fingers and was holding them like a bouquet of bloody asparagus. I couldn't keep from retching then. My …show more content…
Esteban Trueba is made embarrassed of his class especially when he attempts to assimilate with the higher class after saving his money for what symbolizes to him the higher class: a goblet of Viennese coffee. “He had stepped timidly across the threshold and entered the luxurious dining room, with its teardrop chandeliers and stylish furniture, convinced that everyone was staring at him, that their thousand eyes found his suit too big and his shoes old. He sat down on the edge of the chair, his ears burning and gave his order to the waiter with a mere thread of a voice” (Allende 43). Trueba’s embarrassment there leads to a resentment of his class, causing him to go about his quest of self improvement. Esteban Garcia’s feeling of entitlement leads him to believe he is above the class that he must live his life in. He believes that his grandfather’s wealth warrants his being in a higher class, and for that reason resents the class he is in, and similarly to Esteban Trueba it inspires his quest to gain