Violeta

Feminism is a common theme seen across many of Allende’s works, and Violeta is no exception. Throughout the book, Allende explores the place of women in their homes and in the world through the different women characters that inhabit the story. Violeta’s character arc, in particular, presents the place of feminism in an individual’s journey.

Violeta was born into a time that saw restrictive social norms and ideas about women. However, her family appears to be more liberal and progressive than others, if not in ideology and political affiliation, then in their behavior. For instance, she has her aunt Pilar as an example of a gender nonconforming woman, rejecting feminine activities and accouterments, who is nevertheless valued as a member within the family and society. Josephine and Teresa, who later enter Violeta’s life, are even more radical examples, through not just the relationship they share with each other, but also their outspoken political activities. Despite these examples around her, Violeta is still a product of her time, and is bound by certain ideas about a woman’s life, especially pertaining to marriage. She marries Fabian despite her lack of love for him because she believes it is the only socially appropriate thing to do.

However, Violeta’s early exposure to unconventional and progressive ideas about women gives her a strong base from which to eventually evolve and grow in her own life, over time. For instance, she takes stock of her family’s experiences with money and ensures the same mistakes are not repeated in her own life. During Arsenio’s financial struggles, the women remained indifferent and oblivious, as finance was not considered their domain; in sharp contrast to this, Violeta insists on working, earning, and saving money even before marriage, and over time manages all the financial responsibilities of her family throughout her life. Experiencing the freedom that financial independence can bring, coupled with the legal limitation to a woman’s power over money in a marriage, is what eventually erodes her desire for marriage. From initially asking Fabian for an annulment and hoping that Julián will marry her, she grows to relish her independence of being an unmarried woman, and even rejects Julián when he eventually asks her to marry him.

The trajectory of Violeta’s romantic relationships, in particular, spells a story of emancipation and empowerment. She initially marries Fabian for societal conventions, above all else; she breaks free of these conventions when she begins an affair with Julián and discovers passion. However, she becomes a victim of something that is far less talked about, and it takes Violeta years to recognize the emotionally destructive and physically abusive reality of her relationship with Julián. She finally breaks away from it, but even then, it is decades later that she sees how her experience is not unique; it is a larger societal problem that needs addressing. In this time, Violeta has a meaningful relationship with Roy, which shows her that romantic relationships between a man and a woman can be respectful and desire-filled at the same time. By the time Harald enters her life, Violeta is ready to reenter marriage as a promise of partnership, companionship, and love, rather than as a rigid social contract.

Violeta’s personal growth is mirrored by the sociopolitical situation surrounding her, and its relationship to women. Her country, perpetually embroiled in political chaos, sees a brief respite when the Socialist president first comes to power, but is plunged back into darkness for many years under the military dictatorship. Eventually, democracy returns to the nation, and by the time Violeta is deeply enmeshed in her work with women’s groups and the Nieves Foundation, a woman president has been elected who cares about these issues, too. Violeta’s life story, a journey of independence, personal freedom, and learning, is a feminist journey; in mirroring the changing and evolving sociopolitical landscape around her, it further ties into the theme of The Political Is Personal.