Mateo’s Mom Character Analysis in They Both Die at the End

Mateo’s mom died giving birth to him. She enjoyed playing hard to get and so she turned down Dad’s marriage proposals twice. She only accepted when she discovered she was pregnant. Though Mateo had a hard time thinking of his mom as a “beloved mother” when he was a kid, Dad tried to make Mateo understand that Mateo’s mom chose to take care of Mateo instead of herself during her difficult birth, which resulted in her death. During Mateo’s End Day, he often thinks of his mom’s last day—his first day. He takes comfort in the fact that he’s going to be buried next to her after he dies.

Mateo’s Mom Quotes in They Both Die at the End

The They Both Die at the End quotes below are all either spoken by Mateo’s Mom or refer to Mateo’s Mom. 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:

Twelve hours ago I received the phone call telling me I’m going to die today. In my own Mateo way, I’ve said tons of goodbyes already [...] but the most important goodbye is the one I said to Past Mateo, who I left behind at home when my Last Friend accompanied me into a world that has it out for us. Rufus has done so much for me and I’m here to help him confront any demons following him [...]

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio, Lidia, Dad, Mateo’s Mom

Page Number and Citation: 227

Explanation and Analysis:

“I know there’s no time to waste, but I had to be sure you are who I thought you were. The best thing about dying is your friendship.” I never thought I would find someone I could say words like this to.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio, Dad, Mateo’s Mom

Related Symbols: Mateo’s Birth

Page Number and Citation: 308

Explanation and Analysis:

Mateo’s Mom Character Timeline in They Both Die at the End

The timeline below shows where the character Mateo’s Mom appears in They Both Die at the End. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon

...or get angry—Dad chose the wrong time to end up in intensive care, and Mateo’s mom marked him for an early death by dying during his birth—but he can’t avoid it.... (full context)

Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon

...be here for Mateo, since he was here when Mateo was born and when Mateo’s mom died. On the back of his photo, Mateo writes Dad a note, promising to be... (full context)

...about him. Mateo remembers Dad saying that people can become immortal through stories—he’s kept Mateo’s mom alive this way. Mateo says that Dad loved creating lists and thought his lists were... (full context)

...especially since Rufus caught him singing—he wants to listen to “Come What May,” which Mateo’s mom sang to Dad in the shower before her water broke. The boys look both ways... (full context)

...bike beside Mateo, Mateo says he has one idea: he’d like to go visit his mom’s grave. Rufus agrees, but he stops in at a drugstore first, where he buys Mateo... (full context)

...train with a kid who’s holding a Lego house, on his way to visit his mother’s headstone, is Instagram-worthy. A moment after Rufus takes the picture, the lights come back on... (full context)

...the cemetery since he was 12, so he doesn’t know the fastest way to his mom’s grave. As he and Rufus wander, they discuss the afterlife. Rufus says he believes in... (full context)

Mateo stops dead. They’re almost to his mom’s grave, and next to it, a man is digging Mateo’s grave. Rufus asks the gravedigger... (full context)

Mateo kneels in front of his mother’s headstone and asks if she’s excited to meet him. He says that she’s had lots... (full context)

...to pour down rain as Rufus helps Mateo out of his grave. Mateo kisses his mother’s headstone and notices Rufus taking a photo. Mateo looks at his placeholder headstone and thinks... (full context)

...explains that they’re here so Rufus can get some closure, like Mateo did at his mom’s grave. They walk to the end of the pier. Rufus says this feels like a... (full context)