Compare One Writes To The Colonel And Essay Example

the Colonel has politics as a subplot, with the revolution occurring before the story's events. The disillusioned Colonel, who fought for the defeated side, shows us the aftermath of revolution through his dignified and composed demeanor while waiting for his pension. This exhibits a stark contrast to Esteban Trueba's ambitious and violent nature, unable to sit idly. Despite its passive take on political events, No One Writes to the Colonel is an inherently political story.

The House of Spirits and No One Writes to the Colonel both center around the importance of status and power. However, while The House of Spirits focuses on wealth and gender, No One Writes to the Colonel highlights the significance of age. The protagonist, a stubborn old veteran, fights against various powers including his wife. The political ideals of socialism are integral to understanding the characters and their motives in both novels. Both include communist references such as the use of "Compa�ero" in The House of Spirits and "friend" in No One Writes to the Colonel, which serves as a symbol of communism akin to "Comrad�" in Orwell's Animal Farm.

In my opinion, the authors imply that communism represents an idealistic world, but they also suggest that in The House of Spirits, prior to the coup, the country may have been headed towards a communist society. However, communism is mainly used by conservatives to scare neutrals or weaker party members. An example of this is seen in The House of Spirits when Esteban Trueba starts a smear campaign against left-wing parties and Jaime loses his temper upon seeing angry posters showing a woman and her son being taken away by a Communist

soldier headed for Moscow.

An example of how right wing parties use fear of communism to manipulate people and stir up hatred leading to revolution. Esteban Trueba genuinely fears communism, particularly for the power it would give the working man. His increasing paranoia and obsession with destroying what he calls "the Marxist cancer" amplifies his desire to eliminate communists. However, he is told that "Marxism doesn't stand a chance in Latin America." Despite left wing parties, led by "the Candidate," winning the election, they are ultimately doomed to fail due to conservative sabotage and a military coup. It appears that communism has no chance in Latin America.

This passage from No One Writes to the Colonel highlights the loss of rebellious spirit seen in characters such as Miguel in The House of Spirits, resulting in a town where only dignity and pride remain. However, as the Colonel's wife points out, "you can't eat dignity." While it's possible that pockets of resistance, similar to Miguel's character, persisted after the revolution in this unnamed town, they seem to have eventually faded away. The Colonel's reference to a recent end of resistance is evident when he mentions that "this burial is a special event...."

According to the novella, the first death from natural causes has occurred after a long time in which only deaths from war seemed to take place. However, it seems that there has been no fighting for some time, and the whole town is now decaying. The Colonel and the townsfolk find hope in their refusal to lose their dignity despite their desperate situation. They are determined not to give in to despair, as shown by the Colonel's

steadfast attitude towards their rooster who, in his eyes, cannot lose. This stubbornness may be the last remaining hope for the people of this forsaken town.

Socialism is depicted as more achievable than communism in both The House of Spirits and No One Writes to the Colonel. Many characters in The House of Spirits, including upper class members like the del Valle family and Jaime, are strong advocates of socialism. In fact, Jaime dedicates his entire life to assisting the poor and sick. This portrayal of social class is complex, as the author does not present a straightforward dichotomy. Jaime appears to yearn for absolution for being born into privilege, which may be influenced by his father's harsh treatment of him. His father criticized him for lacking practicality and referred to him as a hopeless failure. Unfortunately, this prediction appears to be accurate by the conclusion of the book as Jaime ultimately perishes at the hands of the fascist government his father helped establish. I perceive Jaime as representing socialism more than any other character in the novel.

Jaime's embodiment of core socialist ideals is demonstrated through his kind, gentle nature and almost monk-like lifestyle, putting his desire to help others above all else. While characters like Pedro Tercero and Miguel are driven by their love for Blanca and their hatred of conservatism and fascism, respectively, Jaime sacrifices everything but the necessities to aid others. He firmly believes that helping one's neighbor is a value that exists, and stands in stark contrast to Esteban Trueba. Unfortunately, Jaime's fate is predetermined as one of loss.

The novel portrays Jaime and Esteban Trueba as representations of socialism and conservatism, respectively.

As socialism gradually fades away in the story, so does Jaime's character. Conversely, in No One Writes to the Colonel, socialism is depicted through the rooster as a collective hope shared by everyone in the town. The Colonel's wife even claims that the rooster is not solely theirs but belongs to the whole community.

In the given text, it is mentioned that the Colonel approves of the people taking the rooster from his house for the cockfight, believing they did the right thing. This action leads to the downfall of the Colonel, his wife, and the townsfolk. The rooster symbolizes socialism, as it is something everyone is willing to take risks for and remains impartial. It also represents the Colonel's stubbornness, making him comparable to socialism. The description of the cockfight emphasizes this comparison by stating that the Colonel's rooster did not attack.

The Colonel's personality is accurately depicted as being unwavering and persistent despite initial nervousness and fear, as observed by his ability to resist every attack and land back in the same spot without trembling. This also suggests the conclusion of the novella. In both The House of Spirits and No One Writes to the Colonel, status does not solely revolve around political or social class but also encompasses gender. Women strive for autonomy, liberation, and increased rights in particular, although this theme is less favorably portrayed in No One Writes to the Colonel compared to The House of Spirits.

The political themes in both The House of Spirits and No One Writes to the Colonel are linked to their cyclic structures. The House of Spirits reflects the revolution, with a diary-like format that remains

constant despite the writer. Fatalism is a key theme as characters are unable to change their world. In contrast, No One Writes to the Colonel ends with the Colonel impacting his surroundings. The cyclical structure of The House of Spirits ensures balance between good and evil, with revenge taken in kind for Alba's rape by Esteban Garcia and Esteban Trueba's attack on Pancha Garcia. Over time, debts are also repaid - Esteban Trueba's atonement for his earlier attack is recognized when he allows Pedro Tercero to stay, and Pedro Tercero later helps rescue Esteban Trueba from his former workers.

The House of Spirits explores the themes of powerful women and political ideologies. Interestingly, the most significant female characters in the story are all related. Clara, Blanca, and Alba have a significant impact on those around them and play crucial roles throughout the novel. Clara possesses clairvoyance and is often underestimated because of her unique sister. Her boldness is evident when she speaks out saying, "Psst! Father Restrupo! If that story about hell is a lie, we're all fucked, aren't we."

Clara represents a new influential type of woman in Latin America, distinguished by her spiritualism and gradual transformation of her surroundings. Despite her mother Nivea's involvement in women's rights, Clara is the first of her generation to embody this mystique. Eventually, she becomes almost legendary, but is in conflict with the harsh reality of the genre of magical realism, which portrays the coup as its purpose.

The novel features the love between Blanca, Clara's daughter, and Pedro Tercero. Despite their relationship not always bringing them together, it is still significant to the story. Their departure from the country

towards the end of the novel represents the frugal hope found during this time. It also symbolizes the anti-war generation's belief that "love conquers all." Pedro Tercero is portrayed as a gentle man with kind eyes who believes there are alternative ways to fight oppression. He defies Esteban Trueba by using a song, which results in his eyes leaving the patron's face while his voice rises above the siesta's soporific air.

Alba embodies the educated woman who now shares equal opportunities with men and brings together a failing family with traits of Clara, Blanca, and Pedro Tercero. Though she and Miguel do not support violence, they join a student strike where Alba gains her political shrewdness. Esteemed by her grandfather, Esteban Trueba, for her political mind, Alba recognizes the true nature of the dictator before he does.

Despite gaining respect from one of the most sexist males in the novel and being recognized as a person beyond just his granddaughter, Alba's newfound equality is stripped away when she and the two other women are sent to a prison camp. Their efforts seem to have been for nothing, and the chain of progress appears to end with Alba. Although Alba survives, the country and its socialist dream are left in ruins. In comparison to "No One Writes to the Colonel," "The House of Spirits" portrays women in a positive light, specifically through the significant characters Clara and Alba. Although the book is not solely focused on women, they hold vital roles. In contrast, the main female character in "No One Writes to the Colonel," the wife of the Colonel, is portrayed as a hindrance to socialism.

The House of

Spirits and No One Writes to the Colonel are two political novels with different themes. The House of Spirits has a fatalism theme, while No One Writes to the Colonel has an individualism theme. Both novels contain other themes as well. They can be seen as representing a before and after of revolution. The House of Spirits contains thinly veiled references to Chilean history and the beginning of Pinochet's regime, particularly towards the end of the novel. This makes it all the sadder, especially Jaime's unfair and brutal death which highlights the impact of right-wing politics worldwide. Overall, The House of Spirits portrays practicality without an awareness of the bigger picture, while both novels present status and power in distinct ways.