problematic binary

I think that relationships between men and women create problematic binaries in several chapters of the book. For example Esteban loves his mother but chooses to abandon her for almost all of his adult life. He's not abandoning her because he didn't love, he's abandoning her

because he can't deal with long illness and the responsibilities it brings. Ferula is another example of a problematic binary in the same situation. She is expected to look after her mother because of the culture she lives in. In public she puts on a good face but in private she resents her mother and her brother because her youth is wasted. A different problematic binary is seen in the character of Rosa. She is said to be very beautiful yet Allende describes her with unnatural and sea like green hair.