The Green House: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Green House: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the complex lives and interconnections of several key figures in the narrative, each representing different aspects of humanity and societal challenges. Central to the story is Don Anselmo, an imaginative harpist who establishes the Green House in Piura, which serves as a source of pride and self-esteem for the community. His journey symbolizes the struggle for dignity and hope, culminating in his heroic stature despite eventual defeat.
The narrative also follows the character of Lituma, a national policeman whose encounter with Chapiro Seminario underscores the conflict between individual judgment and societal expectations. Bonifacia, known as Wildflower, is portrayed as a young Indian girl deprived of her cultural identity, ultimately facing harsh realities that reflect the broader themes of colonialism and exploitation. Fushía, a Japanese Brazilian contrabandist, embodies the dualities of victimhood and moral ambiguity, grappling with existential questions during a transformative river journey.
In contrast, Aquilino acts as a moral compass for Fushía, guiding him through reflections on his troubled past. Together, these characters illuminate the themes of identity, resilience, and the impact of societal structures, making "The Green House" a poignant exploration of human experience and the quest for meaning in a complex world.
The Green House: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Mario Vargas Llosa
First published: La casa verde, 1965 (English translation, 1968)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Piura and the Amazon jungle in Peru
Plot: Social realism
Time: 1920–1960
Don Anselmo (ahn-SEHL-moh), an imaginative individual, a harpist and founder of the original “Green House” in Piura. Along with several others, Anselmo provides residents of this barrio with a much needed sense of pride and self-esteem. He temporarily fills the community's need for a positive self-image. In the novel, the rise and fall of Anselmo and the Green House are paralleled. Even though he and the Green House ultimately are defeated, Anselmo attains heroic stature as a result of his courage, perseverance, and capacity for sacrifice.
The Sergeant, Lituma (lee-TEW-mah), a national policeman from Piura who is stationed near the jungle. The story of Lituma's confrontation with Chapiro Seminario, and the latter's death in a macho game of Russian roulette suggested by Lituma, provides a clear illustration of how group values, when put to the test, deprive the individual of the independence of judgment, response, and feeling that are necessary to achieve personal autonomy.
Bonifacia (boh-nee-FAH-see-ah), also called Wildflower, an Indian girl of mysterious origins who is taken from her home and reared in a convent. Her one outstanding physical characteristic is her green eyes. Expelled from the convent when she allows the other Indian girls to escape, she is ultimately forced into prostitution as a means of survival. Although largely deprived of her personal and cultural past at the mission, Bonifacia acquires no solid basis on which to fashion an identity or a position in society. Her fate illustrates the role of the church and the military in the conquest and “civilization” of Peru.
Fushía (few-SHEE-ah), a Japanese Brazilian contrabandist who deals in illegal rubber. As the novel's antihero, he embodies both good and evil; he is both victim and victimizer. During Fushía's month-long river voyage from his island to the leper colony of San Pueblo, he seeks answers to vital questions concerning his existence. Although many of his illusions are shattered on this trip, Fushía nevertheless clings to the belief that he can control his final destiny. Gradually and irrevocably, his own distorted view of life and the pressures of his hostile environment destroy him.
Aquilino (ah-kee-LEE-noh), Fushía's friend and boatman. Aquilino engages Fushía in numerous conversations on their river voyage, thereby eliciting the recapitulation of significant events from Fushía's past. Aquilino's primary function in the novel is to act as a moral and spiritual guide to Fushía. As he probes deeper and deeper into Fushía's troubled past, questioning motives and pronouncing ominous judgments, there is an omniscience about him that further emphasizes the mythic quality of Fushía's story. He takes a stoic position concerning Fushía's fate.