-
Essay / Liberal Feminism in the House of Spirits
Liberal feminism, the typical feminist perspective that both sexes have equal opportunities, has more to offer than that. There are several other aspects and beliefs of liberal feminism that are not known to the general public. Allende offers her vision of feminism through her novel The House of Spirits. Although Allende has a general liberal feminist viewpoint, such as the concept of silence and the separation of the sexes, it is not consistent throughout the novel, such as her conservative beliefs regarding women's suffrage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Allende portrays Clara and Alba as women with the feminist behavior of silence. For example, when Clara was pregnant with Blanca, she says "[she] will levitate... rise to a level that would allow her to leave behind the discomfort and heaviness of pregnancy and... [Enter] one of her long periods of silence” (Allende 113). Allende uses silence as a metaphor for an alternative space. Although, literally, “silence is the best way to attract real attention,” “great ideas also come from a world of deep silence” (Walker 1, 2). For Clara, this silence is a “last refuge” (Allende 113). It creates a mental space of silence that Esteban cannot enter, as illustrated by Alice Walker, author of feminist fiction. In addition to Walker's assertion that silence is the best way to attract attention and generate big ideas, Meredith Hall, a feminist professor at the University of New Hampshire, asserts that "inciting the silent treatment... inflicts helpless shame” (Hall 1). Esteban eventually gives in to Clara's silence, demonstrating that Allende supports Walker and Hall's claims. Additionally, Alba serves as another example of the silent treatment. During Alba's imprisonment, “her ideas had become so confused…she decided to forget everything she knew” (Allende 408). The disorganization of Alba's ideas caused her to forget everything and keep quiet, which generates great ideas. Continuing Hall's assertion, Allende shows that through silence, Alba temporarily defeats Esteban Garcia through his silent treatment. This demonstrates that Walker and Hall's views on feminism support Allende's view on the silence aspect of feminism. Next, Allende emphasizes his belief in the separation of the sexes through the division of relationships. While Esteban originally wanted to possess Clara and "lock her up", when he runs for Senate, the distance between him and Clara widens due to his workload. While Clara needed space for her spiritual celebrations with her eccentric friends, Esteban needed space for the operation of his political party. The house became a divided house because “an invisible boundary was formed between the parts of the house occupied by Esteban Trueba and those occupied by his wife” (Allende 225). Additionally, feminist authors Ann Ferguson and Rosemary Hennessy believe that “a separation between families is necessary to…end the oppression brought by capitalism” (Ferguson 2). Both Allende and Ferguson believe that husband and wife must be separated so that the woman can gain independence. Allende further demonstrates this by focusing on the changes that occurred in the family after separation. For example, even though “the facade of the house has not undergone any modification,” the house belonged to Clara (Allende 225). Even the back garden which was once an emulation of a "French garden" became "a tangled jungle in which all types of plants and flowers had proliferated and where the »..