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Chapter 8
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
Don Pedro makes it to Cebre, then continues to Santiago, where he arrives at the de la Lage house early, before anyone expects a formal visitor. He is a cousin to the de la Lage family, and they have several daughters who are of age to be married. Julián sees a clear resemblance between Señor de la Lage (Don Manuel) and his nephew Don Pedro but thinks that the older man looks worse from living a sedentary life.
Looking at Don Manuel, Julián can see the toll that sedentary living takes on a person. Don Manuel seems to represent a future version of Don Pedro, perhaps one where he is more respectable but also weakened and diminished. The de la Lage house doesn’t seem to be prepared to receive formal visitors. While this is partly because Don Pedro surprises them, it also suggests that the de la Lage family is in decline.
Active
Themes
The cousins reintroduce themselves to Don Pedro. Rita is the eldest. After her are Manolita, Carmen, and Marcelina, who goes by Nucha. Don Manuel is eager to see Don Pedro, believing that this will be a chance to marry off one of this daughters to someone worthy. The girls seem to agree, quietly slipping away to fix their hair or fetch plates for the table.
Don Pedro is not the most respectable marquis, and yet each of his cousins seems to go to great lengths to make herself a desirable potential match. Although the de la Lages are a noble family, the daughters seem desperate to get married, suggesting deeper problems.
Active
Themes
At lunch, Don Pedro argues playfully with his cousins. He was worried they might be formal, boring ladies, but is pleasantly surprised to see that that’s not true. Carmen, the youngest, is tall and pretty, but Don Pedro isn’t attracted to her. Nucha, the second-youngest, is more modest and doesn’t impress Don Pedro. Manolita, the second-oldest, is graceful in a way Don Pedro admires, but he dislikes how she has a bit of a moustache. Rita, the oldest, is the one who Don Pedro believes is flawless.
After lunch, the cousins show Don Pedro around the house, including the portrait of their brother, Gabriliño (Master Gabriel), the youngest de la Lage sibling. Carmen, who often looks sad, finds a chance to slip away. The other sisters continue on their tour with Don Pedro, eventually finding Carmen on a veranda, looking out longingly at the city. As Rita points out local landmarks to Don Pedro, she is surprised he’s never seen them before. He says he’s been spending too much time in his country manor. Rita tells Don Pedro that there are beautiful women in Alameda, but Don Pedro says he doesn’t have to go all the way to Alameda to find that.
Active
Themes
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