The Judges Wife Casilda as an Evolutionary Character Essay

Behind Two Strong Men is an Even Stronger Woman Sigmund Freud said, â€Å"A woman should soften but not weaken a man.† This quote exemplifies the character Casilda from Isabel Allende’s short story â€Å"The Judge’s Wife†. Although not seen by all as a main character, Casilda is the strongest and most evolutionary character of the short story. â€Å"The Judge’s Wife† is an exceptional tale that follows the progression of characters as they fight against their predetermined destinies and how they are viewed in others’ eyes. Casilda is a catalyst for the evolution of almost every character in the story. Not only does her character grow in â€Å"The Judge’s Wife†, but she is also a medium for the growth of the two other main characters in the story, Judge†¦show more content†¦After three days, the priest and a group of Catholic women go to Casilda to plead for Juana the Forlorn’s life. They feel that she is j ust a poor old woman who does not deserve this kind of torture simply to try to capture her son. She hears their request and sets forth for the town, taking her children dressed in their Sunday best, with a basket of food and a bottle of fresh water. The soldiers try to keep her away, but once Judge Hidalgo hears his children’s cries, he realizes the error of his ways. Judge Hidalgo personally comes down and unlocks the cage, freeing Juana the Forlorn. Again, Casilda makes him a softer, but not weaker, man. This softening is not wasted on Judge Hidalgo alone. Casilda also has an immense impact on the character of Nicolas Vidal. Nicolas Vidal is the â€Å"villain† of â€Å"The Judge’s Wife†. Born to a prostitute whom tried numerous times to achieve a self-abortion during her pregnancy, Nicolas was prophesied at birth to â€Å"lose his head over a woman† (Allende 1227). Juana may not have successfully expelled the growing child from her body, but she feared that the numerous attempts and infallible techniques must have â€Å"tempered his soul to the hardness of iron† (Allende 1227). Before he reached his teens, his face carried with it the scars of knife fights with other children. Nicolas became the leader of a