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Scorpions are the emblem of the Alacrán family and represent El Patrón’s cruelty toward others, as well as the connection that exists between him and his clone, Matt. “Alacrán” means scorpion in Spanish, symbolizing the family’s poisonous, back-stabbing nature. El Patrón says that Mexico is a crowded with people as it is with scorpions. Comparing people to scorpions shows how El Patrón often reduces people to animals, so as to justify disposing of them for his own gains. El Patrón also describes himself and Matt as a pair of scorpions. This shows that he believes he and Matt share the same traits of viciousness and cruelty, like a couple of poisonous animals. Matt rejects this presumption of scorpion-like characteristics by attempting to be kind and compassionate when El Patrón is cruel and deadly. Scorpions further signify the link between Matt and El Patrón, as drawings of scorpions mark entrances to passageways that can only be opened up by El Patrón’s DNA, which Matt shares despite his rejection of his destiny as El Patrón’s clone. Thus, scorpions represent the predetermined link between Matt and El Patrón, which Matt rejects when he leaves the Alacrán mansion, decorated with an image of a scorpion, but which he also embraces when he connects his DNA to the marks of scorpions in order to open locks closed to everyone but El Patrón.
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Scorpions Symbol Timeline in The House of the Scorpion
The timeline below shows where the symbol Scorpions appears in The House of the Scorpion. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Property of the Alacrán Estate
...him to a house with many pillars, statues, and doorways. A carved outline of a scorpion sits above the central arch of the house.
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Chapter 6: El Patrón
...to be called Mexico. According to him, people from his hometown of Durango were called scorpions or alcránes. El Patrón then recounts how his siblings all died in childhood. Eventually, El...
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Chapter 13: The Lotus Pond
...Celia tells Matt that Tom is actually MacGregor’s son, even though he acts like a scorpion like the rest of the Alacráns. Tom was conceived when Felicia briefly ran off with...
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Chapter 22: Betrayal
...a special red flashlight and shines it on the wall, illuminating a drawing of a scorpion. She explains that the scorpion marks El Patrón’s bedroom, where there are no cameras.
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...that part of the passage only opens when El Patrón touches the drawing of the scorpion on the wall. Because Matt has the same DNA and fingerprints as El Patrón, he...
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Matt and María move through the deserted tunnel. Matt finds another scorpion drawing and touches it. The door opens to the hovercraft landing field. María walks him...
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Chapter 38: The House of Eternity
...Tam Lin brings out a special bottle of wine, marked with the sign of the scorpion. El Patrón planned for this wine to be served either at his 150th birthday party...
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...Matt sees something sparkle. He runs toward it and finds another red drawing of a scorpion. He touches it and a door opens in the cliff. He looks into the chamber...
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