What a strange family. Clara’s statement declaring the weird factor in every family being equally distributed among all the members of the Trueba household definitely holds true. Among their weird traits they all share a common quality: stubbornness.
Each character is unyielding to something they hold dear. Clara lives in la-la land, Jamie has to help those in need, Nicholas is devoted to his Institute for Union with Nothingness as well as money, Blanca is clinging to Pedro while he has his music to stir people’s thoughts, Alba brings everyone’s burdens upon herself, García will not let go of revenge, and Ferula surrounds herself with poverty and rituals.
The one who is thought to be the most stubborn of all, Trueba, seems to have a change of heart. He trusts in the traditional system, the way things have always been. The Republic is his foundation. Whether his motives are selfish ones or not can be argued due to his seemingly convinced notion that some people, like the peasants, need someone to think for them for they are incapable. Either way, he notices that things have changed; he has changed. Is there really injustice? Are people really being beaten? Is his position as Senator actually not strong enough to protect his granddaughter? He regrets the way his country is now functioning; there was a mistake, things did not go according to plan. His pitiful state and awareness of hidden tragedies instills a sorrowful old man waiting to die.
Then again, maybe he is as stubborn as ever. Trueba did not suggest that he and Alba write down their lives to share the story of a nation lacking freedom, but to insure Alba’s origins, her family background. Is there still a sense of what-family-you-are-born-into-determines-who-you-are ideology in Trueba’s thoughts?
Till next time.
You bring up a very interesting point that I hadn't thought of before. I had always thought of Trueba as the unyielding stubborn one but you are right in saying that he is really the only one who makes a big change. However, I don't think his change was complete. His anger problems never totally go away and his narrations throughout the book explain that he still believes he was a fair patron. Perhaps if he had lived longer the change would have been greater. I guess we will never know.
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