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Chapter 6
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The House of Ulloa, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Revolution and Aristocracy
Intentions vs. Consequences
The Political and the Personal
Marriage and Parenthood
Summary
Analysis
As Julián goes back to the manor that evening after the festival, he decides that the manor is too scandalous of a place to live, so he must leave. He is interrupted in his thoughts as he walks down a corridor and suddenly comes across Don Pedro hitting Sabel while Perucho watches and sobs. Don Pedro caught Sabel dancing with another man at the festival. Julián intervenes and helps Sabel up. Don Pedro yells at her to go make dinner. His tone softens a little, however, when he sees that Perucho has been injured and is bleeding from his head. Julián senses that Don Pedro himself must have given that wound to Perucho, his own son. Don Pedro yells again at Sabel to make sure she treats Perucho’s wound properly.
At first, Julián is more concerned with protecting his own reputation by avoiding any association with Don Pedro. But after Julián witnesses Don Pedro hit Sabel, Julián realizes there will be consequences if he just tries to leave the manor. Don Pedro’s violence toward Sabel brings to light a dark side of him that was previously lurking beneath the surface. Although Julián doesn’t witness Don Pedro hitting Perucho, he sees the wound and realizes what must have happened. Julián loses some of his innocence and begins to better understand the dark side of the manor.
Active
Themes
Sabel tells Don Pedro he needs to find someone else to make dinner because she’s leaving. She bursts out crying. Just then, Primitivo arrives. He helps Sabel to calm down, and she gets started on the meal. While supper is being prepared, Julián invites Don Pedro to step outside. Julián says that he has learned that Don Pedro is “living in sin” and that as a priest, Julián can’t give the appearance that he endorses this. Don Pedro protests that he and Julián are both just human and make mistakes. Julián argues that Don Pedro could solve his problem if he simply let Sabel leave, as she clearly already wants to. But Don Pedro doesn’t want to, because Primitivo is Sabel’s father, and he is essential to keeping the manor running well. In fact, Primitivo uses his knowledge about the manor and about Don Pedro’s relationship with Sabel as leverage against Don Pedro to control him. Primitivo also holds many of Don Pedro’s financial debts.
“Living in sin” means living together and having a sexual relationship without marriage. It’s called “living in sin” because in Catholicism, it is the sin of fornication (premarital sex). For Julián, even the idea of witnessing someone else sin is too much for him to deal with. This passage explores the power dynamics at the manor. Don Pedro is supposedly in charge as the marquis and uses his authority over Sabel. At the same time, however, Primitivo’s status as Sabel’s father and his financial leverage over Don Pedro gives him authority in this situation as well, showing the decline in authority of the traditional aristocracy.
Active
Themes
Julián suggests that perhaps Don Pedro himself should go off on a trip then, just for a vacation, perhaps to give Sabel enough time to marry someone fitting. But again, Don Pedro is reluctant. Don Pedro also gets resentful when Julián suggests that Don Pedro himself should get married, not to Sabel but to someone of his own social status, which might help Don Pedro escape Primitivo’s control over him. The idea has already occurred to Don Pedro many times before. Just then, Julián hears a rustling noise. He thinks it’s a fox, but Don Pedro explains that it is probably Primitivo, eavesdropping on their whole conversation.
Active
Themes
