Word Literature Paper: The House Of Spirits And Like Water For Chocolate

Isabel Allende and Laura Esquivel both utilize similar themes in the books The House of Spirits and Like Water for Chocolate, respectively. Loss of innocence and the corruption of man are a couple of the most significant themes found in both books. These themes are shown in the characters of the book after violence or sex and such things like that. Because there are recurring acts of violence and sex found within both The House of Spirits and Like Water for Chocolate, there are the themes of a loss of innocence and the corruption of man, since the characters in both stories lose their innocence and/or become corrupt after experiencing or witnessing violent and/or sexual actions. Throughout these books, these themes are constantly arising and are expressed through specific characters in both of the books.

In The House of Spirits, Clara, Esteban Trueba, Blanca, Alba, and other characters suffer a loss of innocence and/or become corrupted. Esteban is the first to have his innocence stripped of him after an act of violence against Rosa. The townspeople, who sent the poisoned brandy as an act of violence against Severo del Valle, became a violent act against Rosa. The violence against her caused Esteban to lose contact with his former naÐ"Їve attitude. Esteban believed he had everything because of Rosa, and his innocent view on life kept it perfect to him. He believed he could strike it rich in the mines and live happily ever after with Rosa.

Unfortunately, he finds himself to be incorrect and finds that life is not so giving. He completely loses touch with his family and becomes a cold, angry, and miserable person In the anger that came out of Rosa death, Esteban does not only lose his innocence, but he becomes a stripper of innocence. It begins with the rape of Pancha Garcia, in which he shows how the act of violence against Rosa totally changes him. This act of sex is his first taste of the wine of corruption, in which he eventually begins to sip regularly. He is no longer the sweet boy who would do anything for Rosa, but he is the angry man who will reap fear and sorrow throughout the countryside. Esteban rapes numerous girls in the country and these girls bear all his illegitimate children, but no one can make him pay for his actions because of his power. His corruption is so large it spreads even to the authorities in the land, and he is unchallenged. This corruption, as well as the acts he committed in it, haunts Esteban for the rest of his life until the day of his death.

Clara’s innocence is affected by Esteban later on in her life, when she marries him. The problem arises out of Blanca, Clara’s daughter, and her love for Pedro Tercero Garcia. Blanca loses her innocence to him after committing numerous acts of sex. Since Blanca is prohibited from seeing Pedro, they must do this in secret without Esteban’s knowing. When Esteban find out of their love affair from Jean de Satigny, he beats Blanca to a bloody pulp. And when Clara stops him and insults his manhood and honor he strikes her so hard that she loses several teeth. Blanca’s act of sex caused the corruption to arise again and Esteban’s act of violence caused the loss of innocence. Clara and Blanca, who no longer feel love for Esteban, give treat him with coldness and silence. They lose their trust in Esteban and their innocence is literally stained with blood. Esteban’s corrupt soul brought him to do this, and although he suppressed it for many years, it surfaces again and brings pain into his life.

Alba is born, the daughter of Blanca and Pedro Tercero Garcia. Alba should be seen as the symbol of purity and guiltlessness at her early age. She is unfortunately confronted by Esteban Garcia, Esteban Trueba’s illegitimate grandson. Esteban Garcia is a seed of Trueba’s corruption, and is extremely corrupt himself. He finds that to get back at Trueba he must strip Alba of her innocence and corrupt her mind. His first act against her is when she is six and he molested her and his second act against her is when she is fourteen and he forces a kiss on her. He tries to strip her of innocence through sexual acts and although it works for