Stories Of Eva Luna Views

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Eva Luna takes us into the life of the eponymous protagonist, an orphan who grows up in an unidentified country in South America. While the country's political history, traced through several decades of the mid-20th century, bears many similarities to Chile (the author's original nationality), the geography and social context of the story depict a society more similar to Venezuela (where she was exiled for over a decade).

Several different ideas are raised by Allende in this novel, often called a picaresque novel, in regards, directly to the protagonist and heroine, Eva. Her ability to tell stories and concoct tales is one of her gifts and it is through this ability that Eva is able to cope with the oppressive atmosphere in Latin America, directly preceding World War II. Eva's stories intertwine Magical realism, that is the amalgamation of supernatural elements and realistic themes. Through this means, Eva is able to 'escape' her reality and construct her own view of society that she is better able to deal with. Described as a modern Scheherazade, Eva's ability to induce others with her stories is her gift to the world, helping her deal with the difficulties that many women, like herself, faced in a tyrannical and explosive political environment.

Allende critiques on the gender imbalance that was and still is present in most Latin American countries. Generally, women were regarded as objects, entities that were subjugated in a male hegemony. Through the protagonist Eva, Allende has found a character that reflects on all the characteristics that all women trying to survive in the harsh conditions of Latin America, should embody. Eva's name is itself symbolic. Luna is Spanish for moon - a symbol of the matriarchal power that women possess. In many ways the character Eva reflects Allende herself and the struggle that she went through after her first cousin once-removed Salvador Allende was overthrown as Chilean President on September 11, 1973.

It is to her credit that, also, she appreciates men, that women may slight, but have hidden worth, as in the story Tosca. Tho, this tale has no male villain. The heroine is merely a victim of a romantic vanity. A typical male complaint against women is that they are carried away by a bad lot. Allende's stories redress that grievance.