Josh's OP topic

I will discuss the unavoidable nature of one's fate. Fate is an ongoing theme in House of the Spirits. The characters appear to be victims of circumstance that have been created as a result of their actions. Clara's marriage to Esteban seems to be predetermined. Their union was tragically established as a result of Clara's sister's death, as Esteban was originally engaged with Rosa. Alba's relationship with Miguel is the result of a series of twists and turns which eventually reunites the two. Blanca's connection to Pedro begins during childhood on a chance encounter, and evolves into a deep romantic relationship which grips the two through out their years.

Ninas OP Topic Yay

I plan to discuss the novel's descent from the saturation of cultural magic and tradition into a reality that more resembles our own. This is a key theme that represents of the dilution and loss of traditionalism from the forced integration of modernization (both of technology and ideology) of the country of Chile creating a hybridization where one entity slowly over comes and destroys the other.

Nathan's OP

I plan on doing my O.P. on the concept of lust within the novel. It has an extremely powerful effect on all of the characters involved and I will discuss the role and changes it forces upon them as the story progresses.

Alex's OP topic

I plan to discuss the importance of love and family through House of Spirits. I will be comparing the families of the novel to those of Allende's family to attempt to draw a reason of why Allende portrays family as so important throughout her novel.

Isa's OP topic

My OP topic will focus on how the reader is driven to believe in what is being said. In the sense of how the magical and mysterious aspects of the novel don't contradict the technical part (such as politics and science) and what are the techniques that Allende use in order to not only make the reader feel sympathy for the characters involved on it, but also, the story as a role.

Rikki's OP Topic

I am going to discuss class struggles in House of the Spirits. I will focus on the Latin American society that Allende writes about and how that affects her characters. I will also look at the viewpoints of the characters who come from aristocracy (such as the del Valles and Truebas) and those who come from peasantry (such as the Garcias) and the conflict that these class struggles bring along

Dany's OP Topic

I choose to discuss the power struggles in the book, such as the rise of socialism in the politics of Chile and also at Tres Marias. I plan to examine how the residents of Tres Marias escape Esteban Trueba's 'monarchy', and also how a 'socialism' (Estaban not having power) emerges even at the House on the Corner. I then plan to explain how the transitions in Tres Marias and the House on the Corner are inevitable due to the actions of certain characters in the book, most obviously Esteban Trueba.

Hayley OP topic

I am going discuss the role passion plays in the novel. There are many different kinds of passion, romantic passion, lustful passion, political passion, spiritual passion and vindictive passion. I will select characters and relationships in the novel to exemplify these passion and how they rule opinions and sometimes destroy individual lives.

Nick's OP Topic

I will talk about the concept of a mother being the anchor of a family. I will evaluate the evidence of this so far in The House of The Spirits, and I will compare it to evidence that I will pull from Allende's own life and current statistics. This is to see if Allende chooses to portray mothers as the ones who hold together families to make a feminist point, to see if its a representation of her life, or to see if it is simply used coincidentally.

Eric's OP topic

I intend to investigate how Estaban Truaba's later life foreshadows the political fate of Chile in the early 1970's. First by showing how Estaban loses everything that he had worked for all of this life, and then by explaining how this rise and fall mirrors the election of "the candidate" or President Salvador Allende and then the coup and the rise of General Augousto Pinochet.