For this discussion, read Chs. 3 and 4 of The House of the Spirits Some ideas to

Question

For this discussion, read Chs. 3 and 4 of The House of the Spirits Some ideas to consider: 1. In the first part of the book, we learn of Clara's relationship to Barrabas. What does he mean to the girl? How do you interpret Esteban's subsequent handling of Barrabas? 2. How do Clara and Esteban view money and luxury? Discuss a few of each of their 3. Allende shows us some contrasts between the wealthy and the poor in these 4. What is Clara's and Ferula's relationship like? Why is Esteban so enraged when he 5. How do mysticism or spiritualism affect the story so far? actions that provide some ideas about this chapters. What are some of the discoveries you have made so far? explodes for the last time? 6. Why does Esteban dislike Pedro Tecero Garcia so much?

Explanation / Answer

Since there are 6 questions given, answering 4 of them here.

1) Barrabas - Clara's gigantic dog, whom she rescues as a puppy from among Uncle Marcos's belongings. He is infamous in the del Valle household, where he eats or knocks over everything in sight and endures Nana's constant attempts to poison him. He dies from being stabbed in the back with a butcher knife at Clara and Esteban's engagement party. Esteban Trueba has his corpse made into a rug in a misfired attempt to please Clara, and he ends up in the basement for future generations to find.

Estaban - married claire, but turns into a conservative and violent husband. His killing of Barrabas shows that he loves his wife and children and works to ensure that they are materially comfortable, but is cruel to them.

4) Ferula is sister to Esteban Trueba. She sacrifices her youth in order to care for her mother, Doña Ester, who is deteriorating from arthritis. Férula has a seemingly bottomless penchant for sacrifice and nurturing, which she later directs towards Clara. Esteban banishes her from his household after finding her curled up in bed with Clara, but sends her enough money so that she can live comfortably. Ever abstinent and pious, Férula spends none of the money and lives in a filthy tenement where she says prayers for her poor neighbors. When Férula dies, her ghost visits "the big house on the corner" one last time to bid farewell to Clara.

5) From early childhood, spirituality and mysticism play a vital role in the lives of the del Valle sisters, Clara and Rosa. From a very young age, Clara can tap into the spiritual world. She can read dreams and the future, and can even move objects with her mind. Although Rosa is not particularly spiritually inclined, she is born with the exquisite looks of a mermaid. The fact that she is born this way suggests that an otherworldly nature is ingrained in Rosa and therefore in the rest of her family. Even though the Trueba household is known as "the big house on the corner," we know from the title of the novel that it is really "The House of the Spirits." Spiritual creatures dominate the household despite Esteban Trueba's relentless materialism, and even seep into his own life after Clara's death, when visions of her comfort him. During her lifetime, Clara's disregard of the material world in favor of the spiritual world maddens Esteban. Even though Esteban thinks spirits to be a phony business, a part of him is jealous of Clara's connection to them: "He wanted far more than her body; he wanted control over that undefined and luminous material that lay within her and that escaped him even in those moments when she appeared to be dying of pleasure." Esteban realizes that Clara's spiritual connections are completely separate from him, meaning that he cannot control or be a part of them. He does, however, tolerate them. It is during Clara's heyday that "the big house on the corner" transforms into "The House of the Spirits," when guests of all kinds circulate through its doors. "Spirit" suggests otherworldliness, but also worldly pleasures (as in "good spirits"). Clara brings both spirituality and good cheer to the house, and both largely disappear in her absence. The spirits who appear in the most discrete form are the ghosts of Férula, and later Clara. Both ghosts come to reconcile with loved ones whom they did not have a chance or did not want to forgive in life. When Esteban banishes Férula from the house, Clara uses all her powers to find her, but to no avail: Férula does not want to be found. As a ghost, she feels free to march back into the house and kiss Clara goodbye. In the same vein, Clara's ghost returns to Esteban when his own grief finally overcomes his pride and he allows himself to see her. It is also Clara's spirit that gives Alba the will to live through the horror of the "doghouse." Later, when Alba records the family history, she finds her grandmother's notebooks to be a repository of her spirit, which she revives and preserves by writing herself.

6) Pedro Tecero Garcia is son of Pedro Segundo Garcí­a. He and Alba love each other from their first meeting as toddlers, and eventually become lovers. As a young boy, he already has a thirst for defying authority and fighting for justice. Esteban Trueba tries to kill him for taking Blanca's virginity, but succeeds only in cutting off several of his fingers.

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