The House of the Scorpion

by

Nancy Farmer

The Virgin of Guadalupe Symbol Analysis

The Virgin of Guadalupe Symbol Icon

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.

The Virgin of Guadalupe Quotes in The House of the Scorpion

The The House of the Scorpion quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Virgin of Guadalupe. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Free Will vs. Predetermination Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

Celia said the Virgin loved all kind and gentle things. She wouldn’t approve of throwing a rotten orange in Tom’s face, even if he deserved it. If She looked inside Matt, She would see the bad thoughts about Rosa and the doctor and be sad.

Related Characters: Matteo “Matt” Alacrán, Celia, Tom, Rosa, Willum / The Doctor
Related Symbols: El Virgin
Page Number: 46
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The House of the Scorpion LitChart as a printable PDF.
The House of the Scorpion PDF

The Virgin of Guadalupe Symbol Timeline in The House of the Scorpion

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Virgin of Guadalupe appears in The House of the Scorpion. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: The Little House in the Poppy Fields
Abuse of Power and Corruption Theme Icon
...but she still carries Matt to bed and lights a candle underneath their statue of The Virgin of Guadalupe . She goes to bed, while Matt practices how he’ll invite Steven and Emilia to... (full context)
Chapter 4: María
Language, Law, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
Terrified of going to bed without Celia, Matt cries. Then he remembers that The Virgin is watching over him and feels comforted enough to sleep. He wakes up when María... (full context)
Chapter 5: Prison
Free Will vs. Predetermination Theme Icon
...Rosa and the doctor. Matt holds the dove feather and remembers how Celia said that the Virgin loved gentle things like this. He realizes the Virgin wouldn’t like that he thinks dark... (full context)
Chapter 11: The Giving and Taking of Gifts
Free Will vs. Predetermination Theme Icon
...tissue, Matt feels awful for his treatment of her. He looks at the statue of the Virgin and feels ashamed. (full context)
Chapter 35: El Día De Los Muertos
Free Will vs. Predetermination Theme Icon
...the convent and how each morning the girls raise a flag with a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe . (full context)