Isabel Allende’s debut novel, La casa de los espíritus, explores the use of magic as a source of support and empowerment for women during challenging times (Bennett, C. 2003:174). This stands in stark contrast to the men in the story who reject anything that deviates from their rigid view of a gloomy reality.
In her works, Isabel Allende asserts that magic is inherently feminine (Shaw, D. 1997:116) and that spirituality is primarily associated with women (Hart, S. 2005:275). This raises the argument that women and magic hold little significance in a society governed by masculinity, the military, and a patriarchal culture. However, this essay seeks to examine whether women find empowerment through magic in Allende’s La casa de los espíritus, while also considering other methods employed by women to cope with and combat the challenges of living in a society that consistently belittles their worth and exploits them.
At first, it may seem that the women, particularly Clara, do not benefit much from their clairvoyant abilities despite their connection to the spirit world and magic. Stephen Hart suggests that women cannot prevent the destruction caused by men and politics, implying that women’s intuition, spiritualism, and magic are not highly valuable (Hart, S. 2005:276). Conversely, Caroline Bennett emphasizes that these abilities are also not detrimental (Bennett, C. 2003:173).
The text suggests that Clara the Clairvoyant’s abilities were usually observed in trivial matters, as stated in “La casa de los espíritus” (17). Additionally, it is revealed that even if she predicted something significant, the male characters would typically disregard her, as seen in the case of her prediction about Luis’s horse causing him to have a hip misalignment (18). Furthermore, the text frequently contrasts magical and spiritual events with ordinary occurrences.
One instance is when Clara invites the Mora sisters to her house “para invocar a los espíritus e intercambiar cábalas y recetas de cocina” (La casa de los espíritus, 137). This has an almost comical effect, highlighting the women’s triviality in society’s eyes. Consequently, the author may be remarking on the disparity between men and women and criticizing the patriarchal society where men largely embody a destructive force. Conversely, the women frequently fall victim to this power dynamic despite possessing magical abilities.
In conclusion, the aforementioned points indicate that magic does not greatly benefit women and fails to empower them. However, it is worth noting that there might be additional subtle ways in which magic can be advantageous for women. These ways may not have an immediate impact on individuals’ lives but can serve as a means for 20th-century Chilean women to break free from the confines of a patriarchal society. Subsequently, I will delve into various examples illustrating how magic empowers women in Isabel Allende’s novel La Casa de los Espíritus.
According to Deborah A. Shaw, the spirituality and connection to the mystical of women in Allende’s novel allows them to escape the control of men. Shaw views spirituality as a means of resisting patriarchy and keeping its negative influences away. This resistance is particularly evident in Clara, who possessed the ability to interpret dreams, see the future, and manipulate objects without touching them.
Through her clairvoyance and her long periods of silence, Clara is able to confound her husband’s attempts to make her completely dependent on him. Some argue that Clara is a passive character and that her silences are not magical. However, Marjorie Agosín suggests that Clara chooses silence as a way to create her own space filled with hidden signs and signals. This space allows her to commune with spirits and offers a refuge from her husband’s destructive and aggressive nature. While Agosín’s perspective rejects Clara’s passivity, it can be argued that Clara lacked the necessary power and tools to secure her liberation, leaving her with no choice but to rely on what could be seen as passive resistance.
As a consequence, Esteban cannot bond with Clara and soon realizes that “Clara did not belong to him and that if she continued to inhabit a world of ghosts […] it was most likely that she would never truly belong to him” (La Casa de los Espíritus, 108). Interestingly, Clara’s immersion in her inner reality and disengagement from political affairs contrast with the attitudes of her granddaughter. Alba possesses a more proactive and liberated nature “directed […] towards work, politics, and the concerns of contemporary society” (Allende, 1984: 40).
The novel by Isabel Allende depicts the evolution of the women in the del Valle family throughout the 20th century. In comparison to Alba’s mother and grandmother Clara, Alba displays a proactive attitude rather than passive behavior. This portrayal reflects the societal changes depicted in the novel and demonstrates how the women in the family become more assertive and actively participate in matters that were traditionally dominated by men.
In addition, despite the progress made by women over time, they still have access to magic or the memory of it in times of need. An example of this is seen when Alba is being tortured by Colonel García in La casa de los espíritus. Clara appears to her and brings the idea of writing with her thoughts as a salvation. Thanks to her grandmother’s magic, Alba is able to mentally escape her harsh environment and no longer allows herself to be terrorized by García – she is now beyond his power.
This suggests that despite being more focused on external factors than her grandmother, Alba still finds strength in her memories of Clara, who was the most important person and strongest presence in her life. Clara was the driving force behind the magical universe that Alba inhabits (The House of the Spirits, 297). In the novel, women are able to resist and fight against male dominance across generations thanks to their spirituality and magic, even in a society that initially expects women to remain silent (Jenkins, R. Y. 1994:63). An important aspect of female empowerment through magic is illustrated by Ardener’s diagram (1972 – recreated by me in 2013), which depicts the relationship between dominant and silenced groups, in this case, males and females respectively.
According to Elaine Showalter, the rifled crescent of the red circle represents the “wild zone” (Showalter, E. 1981:200) outside of male control and understanding, an area “defined and maintained by men” (Showalter, E. 1981:198). Caroline Bennett argues that the “wild zone” can represent magic in the novel (Bennett, C. 2003:184-175). It is easy to agree with this interpretation, as even Esteban García, the novel’s main male protagonist, believes that “magic, like religion and cooking, is a predominantly feminine matter” (La casa de los espíritus, 148). However, this interpretation fails to mention the other empowering aspects for women seen throughout the novel.
The various aspects (excluding magic) that give women power are plentiful. According to D. Shaw, Allende’s female protagonists succeed because they can deal with the practical aspects of life as needed (Shaw, D. A., 1997:116). Despite being the most spiritually focused character in Allende’s book, Clara also seeks solace and meaning in her charitable work, “una tarea que no tenía principio ni fin” (La casa de los espíritus, 147). She works tirelessly in this endeavor as it is the only way she feels capable of addressing societal inequality.
Additionally, the constant reconstruction of “la gran casa de la esquina” (La casa de los espíritus, 106) empowers her spatially. This transformation turns it into an enchanted labyrinth that defies numerous urban and municipal laws (La casa de los espíritus, 105). This allows her to not only create her own mental space, but also physically distance herself from her husband. They never spoke to each other again after he punched her in the face (La casa de los espíritus, 214).
The solidarity and interconnectedness among women strongly influences the empowerment of women. This is demonstrated when Alba, who is going through extreme weakness and torture, receives support from her companion Ana Díaz. Ana Díaz is portrayed as an unbreakable woman who helps Alba endure the challenges she faces (La casa de los espíritus, 432). These examples emphasize the importance of recognizing that while magic, described by Showaltar as the “wild zone,” can be effective and empowering, it is not the sole form of resistance that enables women to navigate a male-dominated society. Magic serves as a refuge rather than a source of power.
According to C. Bennett, magic is a symbol of women who, in their subjection, have both created a female utopia and imprisoned themselves (Bennett, C. 2003:179). Clara’s notebooks play a significant role in female empowerment through magic as they bear witness to life and later contribute to Alba’s participation. In an interview with Magdalena García Pinto, Isabel Allende explains that Esteban is the central character of the novel, representing the voice from the outside constantly striving to shape the world (Allende, I. 1991:80).
Esteban’s objective and factual accounts make the reader aware of the dominant female narrative, which is constructed through Clara’s and Alba’s notes. This narrative combines various elements such as the commonplace and scatological, sublime and mythic, past and future, realistic and hyperbolic. According to Davies (2000:65), it tells the deeper story rather than the visible one. Allende (1991:80) suggests that telepathy, spiritual empathy, and female comradeship merge together in this narrative, blurring the boundaries between the spiritual and physical realms (Hart, 2005:175).
By incorporating elements of magic in their historical accounts, women are able to strengthen their own voices and resist patriarchal control (Jenkins, R. Y. 1994:66, 70). This empowers women and allows readers to see things from a more realistic perspective (La casa de los espíritus, 453). Alba especially benefits from Clara’s notes, as they help her preserve her own memory and overcome her own fear (La casa de los espíritus, 11 & 434).
The text concludes that women in La casa de los espíritus are empowered through magic, but in a marginalized and passive way as a form of resistance to the patriarchal society (in the “wild zone”). Other empowering elements include female camaraderie, writing, and political involvement, which encourage a more active approach to life instead of passive immersion in the spiritual realm. Allende’s intention may have been to highlight the significance of women’s resistance within the male-dominated society that characterized Chile in the 20th century and to some extent, continues to do so today.
References/Bibliography:
- Allende, Isabel. La casa de los espíritus. 6th ed. Published by Random House Mondadori, Barcelona, 2012. Print.
- Agosín, Marjorie. “Pirate, Conjurer, Feminist- Interview 1984.” Conversations with Isabel Allende. Ed. John Rodden. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1999. 35-42. Print.
- Bennett, Caroline. “The Other and the Other-Worldly: The Function of Magic in Isabel Allende’s La casa de los espíritus.” Isabel Allende. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. 171-182. Print.
- Davies, Lloyd. Isabel Allende, La casa de los espíritus. Critical guides to Spanish texts: 66. London: Grant & Cutler, 2000. Print.
- Hart, Stephen M. “Isabel Allende.” The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel. Ed. E. Kristal. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2005. 270-282. Print.
- Jenkins, Ruth Y. “Authorizing female voice and experience: Ghosts and spirits in Kingston’s The Woman Warrior and Allende’s The House of the Spirits.” Melus 19.3 (1994): 61-73. Web. Accessed at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/467872
- Shaw, Deborah A. “Isabel Allende- Chilean Prose Writer.” Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature. Ed. Verity Smith. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. 115-117. Print.
- Showalter, Elaine. “Feminist criticism in the wilderness.” Critical Inquiry Vol. 8, No. 2, University of Chicago Press, 1981: 179-205. Web. Accessed at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1343159.
