Where the Violence of the System Meets the Violence of the Revolution: A Look at the Battle between Machismo and Feminism in Allende’s La casa de los espíritus

Abstract

This thesis analyzes Isabel Allende’s La casa de los espíritus as a work of intersectional feminist literature that emphasizes female characters’ confrontation with machismo. Through an in-depth exploration of four main characters, the thesis illustrates how machismo and feminism are brought to life in the novel and how they counter each other. Esteban Trueba serves as the embodiment of the authoritative and patriarchal values that characterize machismo. On the other hand, Clara del Valle Trueba, Blanca Trueba, and Alba Trueba serve as examples of feminism and each defy the patrón in their own individual ways. Based on social issues and historical events that still plague Latin America at present, Allende’s tale of female activism, voice, and spirit is still as relevant in the fight against misogyny today as it was forty years ago.