The House of the Spirits

by

Isabel Allende

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The House of the Spirits makes teaching easy.

Father Jose Dulce María Character Analysis

A priest with revolutionary ideas, who serves a parish near Tres Marías and befriends Pedro Tercero. Father Jose is known for spreading the word of socialism and labor unions along with the word of God, and Esteban Trueba doesn’t like him coming around Tres Marías. Father Jose teaches Pedro Tercero how to play the guitar and write songs about equality, and when Esteban banishes Pedro from the hacienda, Father Jose gives Pedro a place to live. Father Jose oversees old Pedro’s funeral rites, and since Esteban respects old Pedro, he says nothing of the priest’s presence on his land. Father Jose stays at Tres Marías for the three-day mourning period, along with the parish priest sent to assist him, who is really Pedro Tercero is disguise.
Get the entire The House of the Spirits LitChart as a printable PDF.
The House of the Spirits PDF

Father Jose Dulce María Character Timeline in The House of the Spirits

The timeline below shows where the character Father Jose Dulce María appears in The House of the Spirits. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: The Time of the Spirits
Class, Politics, and Corruption Theme Icon
...Pedro Tercero befriends communists and meets with union leaders, and he spends much time with Father Jose Dulce María , a priest with revolutionary ideas. When Esteban catches Pedro Tercero handing out subversive pamphlets... (full context)
Chapter 5: The Lovers
Class, Politics, and Corruption Theme Icon
...read all of Marcos’s books, as well as political pamphlets from local union organizers and Father José Dulce María , who teaches Pedro Tercero all about the guitar. Pedro Tercero writes songs about unions... (full context)
Chapter 6: Revenge
Class, Politics, and Corruption Theme Icon
Two priests, one of them Father José Dulce María , arrive to oversee old Pedro’s funeral rites. Esteban has heard of Father José and... (full context)
Chapter 7: The Brothers
Class, Politics, and Corruption Theme Icon
Women and the Patriarchy Theme Icon
Writing and the Past Theme Icon
...considers a close friend. After Esteban’s assault on Pedro with the axe, Pedro ran to Father José Dulce María , who tended to his severed fingers and helped him to heal. Now, Pedro Tercero... (full context)