The Judges Wife
Fulfilling Ones Desires
The struggle for freedom is a universal issue that all people must go through. People are always looking for freedom, whether it is little things such as trying to get more freedom from your parents or freeing yourself of inner demons, which is what Isabel Allende writes about in the "The Judges Wife". The two main characters, Nicolas
Vidal and Casilda are both trying to find freedom from their inner demons and fight their desires for love and intimacy, but Isabel
Allende shows that no matter how hard you try, everyone must eventually give into their desires. In the "Judges Wife", "Nicolas Vidal had always known a woman would cost him his life". (203) This prediction had made him avoid any serious relationships with women throughout his life which also him to a lonely life and never fulfill his desires. To avoid women,
Vidal surrounded himself with all men who were outside the law and led dangerous lives. Living this life style made it hard for any woman to get attached to Vidal. But Vidal could not seem to get Casilda out of his mind. Every other girl, he quickly forgot about, but when it came to Casilda he seemed to remember every small detail, for example "the translucent young girl in her traveling suit, with bashful eyes and delicate fingers". (203) Vidal also sat and watched her marriage to Judge Hildago, a curious thing to do because Hildago can put Vidal in jail. Allende sets all this up to show that Vidal is trying to find freedom from his desire for love and intimacy, but he can't resist his desires. Allende writes, "Nicolas Vidal fled from love his whole life ", but in the end of the story, Vidal gives in to his desire to love another woman and this eventually will cost him his life.
He could have run away after raping Casilda but instead stays because he has finally found love and he is willing to give up his life for it. He tried to find freedom from
The struggle for freedom is a universal issue that all people must go through. People are always looking for freedom, whether it is little things such as trying to get more freedom from your parents or freeing yourself of inner demons, which is what Isabel Allende writes about in the "The Judges Wife". The two main characters, Nicolas
Vidal and Casilda are both trying to find freedom from their inner demons and fight their desires for love and intimacy, but Isabel
Allende shows that no matter how hard you try, everyone must eventually give into their desires. In the "Judges Wife", "Nicolas Vidal had always known a woman would cost him his life". (203) This prediction had made him avoid any serious relationships with women throughout his life which also him to a lonely life and never fulfill his desires. To avoid women,
Vidal surrounded himself with all men who were outside the law and led dangerous lives. Living this life style made it hard for any woman to get attached to Vidal. But Vidal could not seem to get Casilda out of his mind. Every other girl, he quickly forgot about, but when it came to Casilda he seemed to remember every small detail, for example "the translucent young girl in her traveling suit, with bashful eyes and delicate fingers". (203) Vidal also sat and watched her marriage to Judge Hildago, a curious thing to do because Hildago can put Vidal in jail. Allende sets all this up to show that Vidal is trying to find freedom from his desire for love and intimacy, but he can't resist his desires. Allende writes, "Nicolas Vidal fled from love his whole life ", but in the end of the story, Vidal gives in to his desire to love another woman and this eventually will cost him his life.
He could have run away after raping Casilda but instead stays because he has finally found love and he is willing to give up his life for it. He tried to find freedom from