The Hacienda

Discuss the role of the supernatural in the text. What is the significance of the house being genuinely haunted rather than having a rational explanation for supernatural events? What are the ways that the supernatural events symbolize the main characters’ inner turmoils? How do the text’s supernatural elements connect it to the Gothic tradition, and how does it deviate from it?

What is the significance of Andrés and Beatriz’s love being considered forbidden and sinful in the eyes of the church? Does their love highlight other themes in the novel?

Why does Cañas choose to use so many different flashbacks throughout the narrative? As a literary device, how does this aid in the novel’s narrative structure?