(For more on Esteban Trueba's inner emotional turmoil, see his "Character Analysis.") After all, if everyone thought the same way as the narrator, there'd be no conflict to speak of. Yes, he's kind of a jerk, but getting inside his head helps us understand the insecurities that make him act the way he does. Thematically it also makes sense to tell part of the story from Esteban's point of view. Check out "What's Up with the Ending?" for an explanation of who's actually writing the whole story, and how it happens that Esteban Trueba is able to insert his own perspective into the narrative as it goes along.
#House of spirits shmoop full#
After a few paragraphs of this we go back to our nice, comfortable third-person narrator, but every chapter or so this dude butts in, and it's all "I, I, I." It doesn't take us long to figure out that the loud-mouthed narcissist is Esteban Trueba, but why give him his own soapbox to stand on? Well, structurally it all makes sense when you read the Epilogue, which, by the way, is also told in the first person, but not by Esteban. The House of Spirits is full of astounding illustrations of perseverance in the face of adversity, from Esteban Truebas fierce determination to rise above the poverty of his childhood to Albas su. All of a sudden the word "I" starts popping up a lot in the narration, and you realize some grumpy guy is telling us his story in the first person. But wait! You get a few pages into the first chapter and something weird happens. Allende's book has received a lot of criticism as well as a lot of praise, and both sides make some valid points. Okay, you can admit it we know that not all of you are as in love with The House of the Spirits as we are. You figure the point of view is "third person omniscient," and get ready to move on. Helpful Shmoop links: The House of the Spirits Themes The House of the Spirits Quotes Instructions for Your Students. She can also zip around in time and tell us things that are going to happen in the future.
The narrator's telling us the story of the del Valle family like she's a psychic fly on the wall – she's uninvolved, but she can get inside everyone's heads. So, you're reading along, and everything's pretty straightforward. Third Person (Omniscient) and First Person (Central Narrator)
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