Clara is a very prominent example of a feminist character in the text. From even an early age, it is apparent that she is very independent and goes against the social norms of the Chilean patriarchy. This is seen as early as the first chapter of the book when Allende writes, “It was the custom then for women and children not to attend funerals, which were considered a male province, but at the last minute Clara managed to slip into the cortège to accompany her sister Rosa…” (Allende 30). This shows that even from an early age, Clara always believed in going against the favored traditions and practices that were just simply unfair towards women. By far, Clara’s best display of women’s liberation comes from her marriage with the wealthy and powerful Esteban Garcia. …show more content…
The book on multiple different occasions, shows Esteban physically abusing his wife to where she even loses several of her teeth. To the untrained eye, it may seem as though Esteban is the one dominating in this dynamic, but that is simply not true. In fact, Clara is able to manipulate and torture Esteban through her psychological prowess. She does this mainly through her unbroken silence towards Esteban after one of his assaults. While Esteban may possess the ability to completely overpower and abuse his wife, Clara’s dismissal of Esteban is more excruciating and effective. Ultimately, Clara is a character that shows how a woman can still go against the male patriarchy even in a time period, such as the 20th Century where males dominated and divorce was not an