The Virgin of Guadalupe Symbol Analysis

Matt grows up with a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe beside his bed, given to him by Celia. The statue represents Matt’s inherent kindness and morality despite the evil corruption that surrounds him throughout the story. Matt thinks about the Virgin whenever he is faced with moral conflicts. For example, when Matt is imprisoned in the room covered in chicken litter, he hoards a dove feather that he describes as soft and gentle, two virtues that the Virgin loves. He contemplates the feather after he throws a rotten orange at his bully, Tom, and will feel guilt for not acting with the same gentleness as the Virgin. In this way, the Virgin represents Matt’s consciousness and the virtues of kindness and compassion he must choose over his darker impulses in order to be a moral person unlike his original, El Patrón. Notably, two characters who encourage Matt to be kind and moral are also associated with the Virgin. Celia, who advises Matt throughout as his caretaker, brings the Virgin of Guadalupe statue with her when she immigrates to the country of Opium. Matt’s friend María, who argues that Matt has a soul and should choose to be moral so that he can go to heaven, goes to school in a convent dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The use of the Virgin as a symbol is also ironic, because the Virgin Mary gave a miraculous birth to Jesus and Matt himself is the product of an untraditional origin, being a clone.