The family patriarch, Esteban Trueba, constantly seeks to restrict the women of his family to traditional gender roles, and the women of the family struggle against this in various ways. Gender politics in "House of Spirits" are fertile ground for essay topics. A writer could look at how preconceived gender roles inform the conflicts between characters. Another essay could examine the depictions of masculine and feminine throughout the novel, and how both traits combine in the character of Esteban's granddaughter Alba.
"The House of Spirits" combines a realistic narrative with elements of the supernatural in a technique known as magical realism. In a work of magical realism, the supernatural is accorded the same level of validity as anything else in the story. An essay might explore the effect of magical realism in the novel and attempt to uncover the ultimate purpose of the magical realism to the story. Another possible essay could look at the supernatural events in contrast to the oppression of the military regime after the coup. A writer could also choose to contrast this novel with other magical realism novels such as "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.
Although Allende never names the country in which her story is set, it clearly references Chile from the 1920s to the 1970s. The historical and political context of "The House of Spirits" offers many possible essay topics. An essay might examine how historical events, such as the rise of the socialist party, are used by the author in the novel. Another essay might examine the 1960's "Boom" of Latin American literature as shown in the novel.
"The House of Spirits" constantly draws the reader's attention class and social injustice in the country. The postcolonial country is still very much entrenched in the patriarchal power structure that keeps the larger, native populace poor and ill-educated and the white minority wealthy and empowered. An essay could explore the motivations of those Trueba family members who begin to side with the poor in the fight against social injustice. Another essay might examine how silence and memory are used in the novel in support of and in defiance of social injustice.