"She had already made up her mind to marry without love." (90, Ch 3) Allende demonstrates the irony of Esteban's struggle for Clara's love throughout the novel while Clara possess a clear indifference in attitude toward her lover from the beginning. She does not marry Trueba for love, but rather out of a premonition she receives about her destiny. This marriage, unlike many, was not because she felt a need due to her ingrained societal upbringing. She on the other hand simply wanted to bear children into a position that has the ability to provide an influence in the society around them. She wanted to marry someone with power and received a vision from the future telling her that one day he would be able to p

"Since when has a man not beaten his wife? . . . when everybody knows he is the one in charge?" (106, Ch 4) This grotesque comment made by the servants at the Tres Marias hacienda serves to blatantly present the ideas of feminine insignificance within this arena of political view. It is expressed even from the viewpoints of the servants, which represent a lower sanding in their society. The significance in this quote can be found in the event when Esteban finally gives in to his violent inner turmoil and slaps Clara to the ground, effectively ending their already semi-legit relationship promptly. Her resistance shows that her pride and dignity still stand and that her strength as a feminine character outweighs the dominance of a physically stronger male figure.

Alba is another example of the younger generation. Alba became a very outspoken activist by trying to attend the student protests and follow Miguel on his demonstrations, a sharp contrast to the indifference or shallowness found in her great grandmother. "It was the custom then for women and children not to attend funerals, which were considered a male province." (34, Ch 1) Allende utilizes this quote to demonstrate a beginning of plot development by showing elements of a patriarchal society and present th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Spirits Women, Esteban Trueba, Tres Marias, , generation women, patriarchal society, lower class, enlightened generation, feminist theory,
Approximate Word count = 858
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)