Close Knit Family
In Isabel Allende's short story, "The Judge's Wife" the idea of family togetherness seems to be a main theme throughout the story. Familial ties are recognized as binding the two families depicted in this story, even though in the case of one of them, the family members are not close. The idea that blood is thicker than water leads to an action taken by the main character in the story that will not only place stress on the family of his enemy but on his own, as well, and his action will become a catalyst for destroying both families.
The first family that Isabel Allende introduces the reader to is the family of Judge Hildago, which consists of his wife, Casilda and their 3 children. In the beginning the reader gets the impression that the Judge is a very strong and determined person, very dedicated to his job and to his family.
Español: Isabel Allende escritora chilena en la p...
Isabel Allende, Miami Book Fair International, 199...
“We need to nurture the feminine energy in women...When Judge Hildago is home with his family, his personality seems to be mellower than when he is at work. Gossipers report that in the evenings at home ... "He flings off his gloomy apparel, rollicks with his children, chuckles as he sits Casilda on his lap"(382).
Nicholas Vidal and his mother are another set of characters that recognize that they are a family with ties that should be respected, even though they neither love nor respect each other. Early in the story the reader learns that Juana, Nicholas's mom tries to take his life when he is born. Later, after Judge Hildago captures and puts her in a cage in the middle of the Plaza de Armas as bait for Vidal the Judge says, "As soon as the water's finished, she'll start to squawk. Then her son will come running..."(383). From this...