The House of the Spirits

Multiple Choice

1. B (Various chapters)

2. D (Chapter 13)

3. C (Chapter 9)

4. A (Chapter 6)

5. C (Chapter 5)

6. D (Chapter 13)

7. A (Various chapters)

8. C (Chapter 4)

9. B (Various chapters)

10. C (Chapter 13)

11. A (Chapter 13)

12. D (Chapter 6)

13. A (Various chapters)

14. B (Chapter 10)

15. C (Chapters 9, 12, 13)

Long Answer

1. Answers may include several possibilities; one relationship that Esteban irrevocably damages is the one with his sister, Férula. Overly possessive of Clara and jealous of Férula’s closeness with her, Esteban continually looks for way to keep Férula away from Clara. When he comes home one day to find Férula in bed with Clara, albeit for innocent reasons, he seizes the opportunity and throws Férula out of the house, accusing her of “corrupting” Clara. Férula curses Esteban and never returns; she later dies, alone and in pitiable conditions, which causes Esteban a great deal of guilt. Other examples of broken ties include Esteban’s relationship with Clara herself and his relationship with his foreman, Pedro Segundo. (Chapters 4, 5, 6)

2. Answers may include several possibilities; Clara’s descent into muteness during her second pregnancy is one instance where she uses silence as a way to preserve energy. Here, silence is an escape, and she is able to “elevate” above the physical discomfort of her condition. Clara also uses silence as a way to assert power in her relationship with Esteban when she refuses to speak to him ever again after he strikes her. Yet another example of silence being used as a way to assert autonomy and agency is when Blanca refuses to disclose the parentage of her child. First forced to abandon her lover, then to marry a stranger, and finally to flee her marital home, Blanca withholds this information as an act of resistance—a way for her to retain some semblance of power and control. (Chapters 4, 6, 7)