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Nana
Esteban and Férula Trueba’s mother. Doña Ester was once heir to the highest surname of the viceroyalty of Lima, but her husband (Esteban and Férula’s father) wasted her dowry and inheritance. Tres Marías is handed down to Esteban from Doña Ester’s side of the family, but it has fallen into disrepair since Esteban’s father left. Doña Ester suffers from crippling arthritis, and Férula is expected to stay home and care for her. Doña Ester dies early in the novel, but before she does, she begs Esteban to marry a respectable girl and have sons to carry his name, which highlights the importance of family and the patriarchy within the novel.
Doña Ester Trueba Quotes in The House of the Spirits
The The House of the Spirits quotes below are all either spoken by Doña Ester Trueba or refer to Doña Ester Trueba. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
“I would like to have been born a man, so I could leave too,” she said, full of hatred.
“And I would not have liked to be a woman,” he said.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3
Quotes
“Father, 1 don’t know how to say this. I think I committed a sin.”
“Of the flesh, my child?”
“My flesh is withered, Father, but not my spirit! The devil is tormenting me.”
“The mercy of the Lord is infinite.”
“You don’t know the thoughts that can run through the mind of a single woman, Father, a virgin who has never been with a man, not for any lack of opportunities but because God sent my mother a protracted illness and I had to be her nurse.”
“That sacrifice is recorded in heaven, my child.”
“Even if I sinned in my thoughts?”
“Well, it depends on your thoughts....”
“I can’t sleep at night. I feel as if I’m choking. I get up and walk around the garden and then I walk inside the house. I go to my sister-in-law’s room and put my ear to her door. Sometimes I tiptoe in and watch her while she sleeps. She looks like an angel. I want to climb into bed with her and feel the warmth of her skin and her gentle breathing.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Doña Ester Trueba Quotes in The House of the Spirits
The The House of the Spirits quotes below are all either spoken by Doña Ester Trueba or refer to Doña Ester Trueba. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 2
Quotes
“I would like to have been born a man, so I could leave too,” she said, full of hatred.
“And I would not have liked to be a woman,” he said.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3
Quotes
“Father, 1 don’t know how to say this. I think I committed a sin.”
“Of the flesh, my child?”
“My flesh is withered, Father, but not my spirit! The devil is tormenting me.”
“The mercy of the Lord is infinite.”
“You don’t know the thoughts that can run through the mind of a single woman, Father, a virgin who has never been with a man, not for any lack of opportunities but because God sent my mother a protracted illness and I had to be her nurse.”
“That sacrifice is recorded in heaven, my child.”
“Even if I sinned in my thoughts?”
“Well, it depends on your thoughts....”
“I can’t sleep at night. I feel as if I’m choking. I get up and walk around the garden and then I walk inside the house. I go to my sister-in-law’s room and put my ear to her door. Sometimes I tiptoe in and watch her while she sleeps. She looks like an angel. I want to climb into bed with her and feel the warmth of her skin and her gentle breathing.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
