A few words can have a dramatic impact. They can be used to destroy and manipulate, or to bring joy and strength. They shape the course of events, large and small, and then later tell the stories of those events. In The House of Spirits, different types of power vie for dominance, one of them being the power of words. The strength and duration of this power is compared to that of physical might, ambition and much more. Isabel Allende illustrates that the power of words is the strongest and most enduring form of power through the actions of Clara, Pedro Tercero, and Alba in her novel The House of Spirits. Clara proves that the power of words is stronger and lasts longer. as physical power through her conflicts with her husband, Esteban Trueba. Clara keeps a diary all her life. At a very young age, “she was already in the habit of writing down important things, and then, when she was mute, she also recorded trivialities” (1). Thus, the power of words is associated with Clara, the person loved by all the characters. Meanwhile, physical might and the power of ambition are associated with the almost universally despised character, Esteban Trueba. He uses violence and physical prowess to achieve his goals, whether it is cutting off Tercero Garcia de Pedro's fingers to rid him of Blanca's life or "[working] like a beast" (20) in the mines, trying to earn money to start a life. for him and Rosa. After Esteban hits Clara, she doesn't talk to him anymore and it drives him crazy. He “chases [her] up and down the house, pleading with her with his eyes and drilling holes in the bathroom wall” (224), but she continues to ignore him. This shows the dominance of the power of words, or lack of words, over physical power...... middle of paper ...... and can then be passed down from generation to generation, but the impact of Ambition is essentially limited to the one who feels the ambition and only lasts as long as one feels that desire to achieve. Similar to Clara, through a meeting with Esteban Trueba, Pedro Tercero proves the power of words. When the peasants of Tres Marias took Esteban hostage, the physical force of the National Guard could not free him, but the persuasive words of Pedro Tercero could, showing the triumph of words over physical force. Furthermore, after being taken prisoner by Esteban Garcia, Alba initially attempts to use physical force to fight back and try to escape. However, this was not successful and Alba eventually discovered that words could allow her to overcome the torture. Clearly, words are a powerful tool. They bring strength in tumultuous times and provide strong, lasting power..