English Honors Philip Rosenberg.
Reading Journal October 24th, 2002.
Chile and The House of the Spirits.
During the early 20th century Chile was separated into a higher class and a lower class without much in between. However during the late sixties there was a period that saw heightened pressure within Chile for economic and political change. In 1970, to much suprise, the socialist candidate was elected president, breaking the cycle of conservatives president. Enraged from defeat the conservatives immediately began to suck the economy dry, eventually leaving the government in shambles which quickly became a military dictatorship. These historical events are mirrored in the novel The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende through the Trueba Families triumphs, afflictions, and day to day life.
The major characters in The House of the Spirits come from two opposing classes, the aristocracy and the peasants. This aspect becomes a direct correlation of the socialists verses the conservatives. Most of the population of Latin America, as well as all of the characters in the novel, belong to one of these two classes. Almost all of the characters in the story belong to either the del Valle-Trueba family, or else to the Garcia family. The family name to which each character belongs determines her or his class position, while simply biological parenting does not. The blood lines of the Trueba and Garcia families cross repeatedly, however Esteban Trueba works hard to assure that their family names do not mix. The del Valle and Trueba families represent the landowning upper-class and a criollos. A criollo is a person who is born and lives in South America but is a direct descendant of Spaniards. Esteban Trueba himself can be looked at to represent the conservative view, and the idea that there is no reason for the peasants to share in the upper class's wealth or to change their situation.
Chile is located in the continent of South America. The capital of Chile is Santiago. ... The total area of Chile is 756,950 sq km. ... The Pacific Ocean borders Chile on the west. ... The name of the Chilean currency is Peso. ...
The present-day country of Chile has endured a very turbulent past. ... Chile's economy was doing well until the Great Depression struck the world in the 1930s. ... RÃos died in 1946, and Chile had to hold new elections. ... He ruled Chile with aniron fist?... Presently in Chile, there is still tension between the military and the government. ...
CHILE The most colorful festivals in Chile are religious. Christmas in Chile is in the summer, but it is also still on December 25. On Christmas Eve the Chileans attend a midnight mass and they also have a special holiday dinner. ... A religious tradition that is unique to Chile is upheld in villages throughout central Chile on the Sunday after Easter. ... Those were some of the famous traditions that the people in Chile celebrate. ...
Geographically, Chile is a narrow strip of land a little over 3000 miles long. ... Chile was constantly involved in warfare with the Spanish colonists and soldiers over territory. This warfare was not to be an isolated event in Chilean history. ... By the year 2010, it is predicted that Chile will no longer be in poverty. ... But the common history is not the sole source of kinship for the Chilean people. ...
The rural population in the centralized valley of Chile has an abundance of long, dry, warm summers. ... Santiago is Chile's only spectacular city that houses three million people or one third of the nation's population. ... Opposition by the aristocrats in regards to other social groups in Chile was encountered in every aspect of society. ... The first aim was to restructure the Chilean economy into three spheres of ownership. ... He knew that this was an essential element to overcome the economic problems that had haunted Chile for decades. ...
Chile Chile is a country in southern South America. ... Chile is between Argentina and Peru. ... Santiago is the capital of Chile. ... Chile also has much agriculture. ... About 89% of the people of Chile are Roman Catholic. 11% of the people of Chile are Protestant. ...
The native inhabitants of Chile are a people called the Araucanos. When Chile was first discovered in 1520 by Portuguese explorer Magellen most of Chile was dominated by these people. ... When Chile was discovered by Magellen it was called Tchili meaning "snow" . Pedro de Valdivia led a second expedition into southern Chile in 1540. ... The present governmental status of Chile is a Republican one. ...
Chilean invasion worsened the situation. Chile's military victory resulted in forcing Peruvian landowners to face the Chilean army on their own. ... These complex lines of alliances became even more complicated during the war with Chile. ... Situations changed with the departure of the Chilean army. ... Chilean occupation was stopped, Cáceres became president, and Peru remained independent. ...
Chile: Chile, unlike Argentina, was initially dependant on foreign investors. British companies claimed much of Chile's nitrate deposits, seeing as that they had no need to import much Chilean grain since their primary supplier was Argentina. Also unlike Argentina, most of Chile's labor force was native born. The lack of internal investment, dominance of foreign investment, minimal rail due to highly mountainous terrain, and native laborers meant that although Chile's natural resources were being sold, the natives often saw little of the money. Highly connected rail syste...
