What a book. Beyond the interesting form of writing used (which took a while to follow at first), the characters in Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spiritsmade me think of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. Esteban Trueba especially made me think of Scarlett O’Hara as they both were chasing after specific dreams and expected those around them to agree with their decisions and support them (and to both of their dismay, most did not support or understand their dreams and they both became frustrated and distraught as a result). I think it’s really interesting to look at Esteban’s desire for control-even in light of current events and our own loss of “control”. He wanted control over his destiny, his marriage, his home, and his children. At this point in the novel, it looks like he’s lost most, if not all, control in each of these areas and Esteban seems to be losing hope of leaving a reputable legacy (except possibly in politics). Esteban would have been far better off had he lived with more humility and recognized his own weaknesses and the consequences which followed his decisions. So far, from reading about Esteban’s life, I’ve been reminded of a lesson I learned from Scarlett O’Hara in high school: selfishness and pride do not benefit others nor ourselves, ultimately, and to live with the goal of loving our God and our neighbor is far better way to live our lives.
As the novel unfolds, I expect to see more change in Esteban's household but I'm not sure if he is willing to change his ways even if the world around him is rapidly changing...
As the novel unfolds, I expect to see more change in Esteban's household but I'm not sure if he is willing to change his ways even if the world around him is rapidly changing...
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