Ending of a concert
The hostages enter the vice-president’s house exactly after Roxanne finished singing. Thus, the end of her concert marks here the end of a happy and peaceful time when everyone was enjoying themselves and when peace was the general feeling experienced by the guests. The association between the opera concert and happiness is commonly found in literature and so the end of the concert symbolizes the end of happiness and the beginning of a tense period.
Stop the time
The chapter when the General shoots the clock is important because it also has a symbolic meaning. When the general shoots the clock, he stops the time in a symbolic way. From that point on, time passes differently for those inside and time loses its value. It also marks the end of the time when the hostages lived a normal life and it marks the beginning of their life in captivity.
Secret life
A motif found in the novel is the idea that there is more to a person that meets the eye. In two instances, two different characters hid their passion or talent from the world, fearing that they will be judged because of it. The priest for example concealed his love for music, fearing that it may be considered as sin and Kato hid his musical talent because he wanted to avoid being judged by the others because of his passion for music. In both cases, their secrets are revealed in the mansion, the place where they can openly admit their passions.
Not wanting to leave
While the situation is tense, there are characters that feel like the time spend in the mansion was the best time of their life. Carmen for example, prays that the she will be able to remain in the mansion forever because it represents the only time when she lived a happy life and she found someone she liked who made her feel safe. Father Arguedas also would like to prolong his captivity because he feels blessed to be able to spend his time with a renowned opera singer. Because of this, the idea that some characters will willingly continue living their lives in captivity becomes a common motif.
Uncooked food
After a while, the state stops sending the prisoners and the terrorists cooked food and sends them instead ingredients that they have to prepare. For many, the sight of the uncooked food unsettles them because it points towards the fact that the state no longer cares about them in the same way they did before. For them, the uncooked food symbolizes the beginning of a new time and the decline of the hostages’ value in the state’s eye.
