Also, the manner in which Ferré describes characters shows the manner in which she feels women are treated in society. Specifically, the fact that not a single character or doll is given a personal name throughout the story exemplifies the idea that women are just viewed as objects and not people. Thus, because Ferré shows women to be viewed as objects and shows this with the dolls as well, the author believes women to be held down by society.
2. Isabel Allende uses magical realism throughout "The Little Heidelberg," to enrich the theme of love can exist without verbal communication. This is first shown when Allende writes, "They [The Captain and Eloisa] had not missed a step once in forty years; they moved with the precision of a couple used to making love and sleeping in a close embrace. This was what made it so difficult to believe that they had never exchanged a single word (Allende 271)." The concept that two people never even attempted or were successful in talking for forty years is simple unbelievable and highly fantastical, thus showing magical realism. However, the idea of not speaking for forty years when coupled with the ending, "El Capitan took the hand of the gentle lady he had wordlessly loved for so many years and walked with her to the center of the room (275)," show that love existed between the two for so many years while not a single word was said.
Also, when Allende states, "El Capitan danced on as nina Eloisa turned to lace, to froth, to mist, until she was but a shadow, then, finally, nothing but air, and he found himself whirling, whirling, with empty arms, his only companion a faint aroma of chocolate (275)." While not delved into, the idea that someone can disappear is magical realism but also shows the theme in that a lover can be gone and love can still exist, as long as the memory exists such as when Allende states, "he [the tenor] realized that with the last note the captain would wake from his reverie and the memory of nina Eloisa would disappear forever (276)."
Not being able to speak and nina Eloisa disappearing are magical realism examples that demonstrate the theme of love existing without verbal communication.