Characters of The House of the Spirits
Character Descriptions
Regarding the main characters, as the story goes, there is really only one central figure: the fiery and formidable Esteban Trueba. From here, there is an almost uncountable number of characters who have a small role that is essential to develop the events as they should.
Esteban Trueba
The main character, with his influence encompassing every page of the book, is Esteban Trueba, who at the time the story is told, is old, sickly, with few friends, but with his trusty silver-handled walking stick. He describes himself as not very affectionate, unsociable, but loyal and very stubborn. As a young man, he walked upright with his head cocked, with a mixture of arrogance, distrust, and myopia. His eyes are sweet and clear, and he was 1.80m tall, but his health declined significantly, perhaps influenced by his sister’s curse. Excessively violent and prone to anger, he would later realize his wrongdoings and repent, but his life’s path remained largely unchanged.
Rosa Del Valle
As a second, one could consider many characters, but Rosa Del Valle deserves special mention, because if she had not died in the assassination attempt against her father, almost nothing of what followed would have occurred. This beautiful woman with green hair did not have her sister’s gifts; she was simply extraordinarily beautiful. People said she seemed made of a material different from the human race; she was even feared for her extreme beauty.
Clara
Clara, Rosa’s younger sister, who eventually marries Esteban, has the strange gifts for divining the future and communicating with spirits, though not considered as beautiful as Rosa. She is the youngest of nine children, of whom only Rosa, Clara, and Luis (who is lame) are named. When she was little and lived with Severo and Nívea del Valle, her parents, she was the favorite of Nana, who cared for the house and everyone in it, young and old. She eventually predicts her own death.
Alba
Alba is the last person Esteban loves, but only with a grandfather’s love. She inherits gifts from her grandfather, and he tries to give her his best. Her destiny seems to favor her, whatever she does, but throughout the novel, she is shown to survive hardship. Were it not for the appearance of her mother while she was imprisoned, she might not have survived. She is the only survivor and final resident in the large house on the corner.
Pedro Tercero Garcia
Another character of relevant importance is perhaps Pedro Tercero Garcia, who loves Esteban’s daughter Blanca, and whose daughter is Alba. Trueba eventually slices off three of his fingers with a machete because of this, but he continued singing and playing guitar, stirring up the masses with his songs about chickens and foxes, and would become a minister in the liberal government. This character has some similarities to Victor Jara, a songwriter also involved in politics, and a friend of the President (coincidentally the author’s uncle, Salvador Allende), who would later be ousted by the dictator Pinochet.
Other Characters
Other notable characters include:
- Jaime and Nicolás, twin sons of Esteban.
- Esteban Garcia, Esteban Trueba’s illegitimate son, who became a captain of the police.
- Amanda, Nicolás’s girlfriend, also desired by Jaime.
- Miguel, Amanda’s brother, Alba’s partner, and a revolutionary guerrilla.
- Nívea and Severo del Valle, Clara’s parents.
- Férula Trueba, Esteban’s sister.
- the Mora sisters, friends of Clara.
- Pedro Garcia, who saved Las Tres Marías from an ant infestation and was present at Esteban’s death.
- Pedro Segundo Garcia, son of Pedro Garcia and father of Pedro Tercero Garcia, who would manage Esteban’s lands for a while, until he left because the employer (Esteban) wanted his son dead.