Dr. Cuevas’s Assistant Character Analysis in The House of the Spirits

The assistant who accompanies Dr. Cuevas to perform Rosa’s autopsy. When Rosa’s clothes are removed to begin the procedure, both Severo and Dr. Cuevas weep with grief, but the assistant stares at Rosa’s beautiful body and “pants.” At the end of the autopsy, Dr. Cuevas’s assistant suggests they take their time and make sure Rosa’s body is pristine for her family’s viewing, and Dr. Cuevas agrees. Afterward, Dr. Cuevas leaves the room, and with Clara watching from a nearby window, the assistant kisses Rosa on the lips, the breasts, and between the legs. The trauma of witnessing the sexual assault of Rosa causes Clara to stop speaking for many years, and it teaches her that no woman is safe from the oppression of men in patriarchal society, not even in death.

Dr. Cuevas’s Assistant Character Timeline in The House of the Spirits

The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Cuevas’s Assistant appears in The House of the Spirits. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Class, Politics, and Corruption Theme Icon

...children to bed early and gives the servants the night off. Dr. Cuevas and his assistant arrive shortly after, and they help Severo lift Rosa’s body onto the marble slab in... (full context)

...too, is struck with grief and sits crying, his head in his hands. Dr. Cuevas’s assistant, however, can’t take his eyes off Rosa’s body and begins to breathe heavily—a “pant” that... (full context)

...doubt that Rosa’s poisoning was meant for Severo. When their work is done, Dr. Cuevas’s assistant can’t stand the thought of crudely sewing up Rosa’s body, and he suggests they work... (full context)

...a box to the kitchen window, and peered in. She saw Dr. Cuevas and an assistant she did not know covered in blood and standing over Rosa’s naked body. Clara was... (full context)