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The “brightest light” is used is a metaphor for solidarity among poor people. Raphael, Rat, and Gardo attempt to recover Senator Zapanta’s hidden fortune by decoding a cryptic letter written by a man named José Angelico, and Angelico tells the boys to look for “the brightest light” at the graveyard if they want to find the fortune. When the boys arrive at the graveyard, they see thousands of poor people with candles streaming in to celebrate the Day of the Dead, generating “the brightest light” for miles around. This is one of many such examples in the novel of impoverished people finding joy in the simple daily rituals and celebrations of their communities. This bright light, as both a literal and metaphorical bright spot amid the grim setting of the graveyard, thus symbolizes how poor people are a similar kind of bright spot for one another amid their suffering. And given the terrible conditions of the society at large, poor people are also “the brightest light” in the city—they are the only hope for leading the city out of moral corruption and into genuine love, compassion, and equality.
Brightest Light Quotes in Trash
The Trash quotes below all refer to the symbol of Brightest Light. 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:
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Part 5: Chapter 1
Quotes
And that is when we saw the brightest light.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Brightest Light Symbol Timeline in Trash
The timeline below shows where the symbol Brightest Light appears in Trash. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 4: Chapter 4
...the message, which reads: “Go to the map ref where we lay look for the brightest light my child.” Rat remembers from school that “map ref” meant they had to find coordinates...
(full context)
Part 5: Chapter 1
...climbs up a marble angel to get a better view. Then the boys see “the brightest light ”: thousands of poor people’s candles from the other side of a wall. The graveyard...
(full context)
Part 5: Chapter 2
...Gardo finds the Angelico grave. Underneath the words “Maria Angelico, wife of José Angelico,” “the brightest light ” is etched, which makes Raphael shiver. The boys see Pia Dante’s grave stacked on...
(full context)
