House of the Spirits Marxism

In Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits, Allende uses the characters experiences to symbolize the struggles between the lower and upper classes. Characters like Esteban and the tenants captured the roles of the Elite and working class through out the novel at Tres Marias. Wile there are those like Blanca and Pedro who challenge the expectations thrown at them by society. Each one emphasizing the advantages as well as the hardships of their social rank. Being apart of the upper class has benefits compared to those of the lower class, such as avoiding punishment, which Esteban portrays at tres Marias. Esteban had his way with the daughters of the his workers and managed to impregnate about half of the them with out taking responsibility. "The peasants hid their daughters and clenched their fists helplessly because they could not confront him. Esteban Trueba was stronger, and he had impunity." (2.74) The workers have no say in his actions being he is the Patron and can run them off the land; those of the working class can not confront the upper class since they employ them. Blanca Trueba and Pedro Tercero face the social rules imposed by society that disallow the marriage of two people from different social classes. Both were from different classes and were forced to hide their affection for each other as they grew older; Blanca told Pedro they were going to get married when old enough, which he knew could not happen. "Pedro stared at her with his sad old man's look and shook his head. He was still much more of a child than she, but he already knew his place in the world." (5.16) Blanca and Pedro depict the separation of classes which is thought to be shameful. Even with both social classes striving for the same right there is still a resistance. Clara's mother, Nivea de Valle, went around visiting factories and conducting speeches to the women about the women rights. Nivea concerns herself with political ideas; since she, like other upper class members, does not have to concern herself with labor. "Clara grasped the absurdity of the situation and wrote in her notebook about the contrast of her mother and her friends, in their fur coasts and suede boots, speaking of oppression, equality, and rights to a sad, resigned group of hard-working women in denim aprons, their hands red with chilblains." (4.17) Her feminism views do not get through to the working women of the factories since they have other, more important concerns such as gaining money for shelter, medicine, food. The novel is about clashes between the social classes written through the lives of these characters. Esteban even though coming from poverty, represents the high class and their views towards the working class. Nivea although striving for the right of all women can not move the working women due to her rank. Isabell Allende does not only show three generations of women struggles but the struggles between social classes.