Guaraní Culture
Juan is reminded of how the Guaraní people traditionally buried their dead in earthenware containers and even kept them in innocuous handmade baskets of braided reeds. There is also an imagery of a skeleton hung between two poles in a net or a hammock decorated with feathers. This imagery is used to describe the burial methods of the Guaraní who believed they could bring the deceased back to life and worshipped their bones. The idea of a temple filled with bones that are worshipped and decorated with feathers is described in detail to further portray the theme of death. The descriptions of the practices display reverence for the dead and a belief in a spiritual afterlife. It also highlights the importance of honoring the dead in the Guaraní culture and the importance of cherishing those we love.
Iguazu River
Iguazu River is described as flowing "clear in some parts, but in others the currents were dyed red, the colored earth mixing with the river." The clear water is peaceful and serene, while the red water has a more sinister feel as if it is full of danger and mystery. It also highlights the effects of deforestation on the environment, as the red water is the result of the red soil mixing with the river. The use of red in this imagery symbolizes violence and bloodshed, hinting at the possibility of bodies being thrown into the river. This is accentuated by the river being "so strong along that stretch that it surely would have carried them away to wash up somewhere far from the falls." The imagery denotes danger and uncertainty, as Juan worries that the river could have carried away the bodies of those who had been killed.
Send-Off
One powerful imagery is when Gaspar's father "stirred the water with his enormous hands, his long arms, and when a cloud covered the moon and the darkness was nearly total Gaspar thought those hands grew even bigger, claw-hands in the water, an animal splashing." This imagery vividly expresses the intensity of the moment as Gaspar's father says goodbye to his late wife by spreading her ashes in the river. The image of his father's hands becoming "even bigger, claw-hands in the water" suggests that he is becoming more primal in this moment of mourning as if his grief has caused him to revert to a more primitive, animalistic state. Additionally, the juxtaposition of the darkness of the cloud covering the moon with the darkness of the water reflects the darkness of his pain and sorrow.
House in St. John's Wood
Another example is the description of the garden surrounding the house in St. John's Wood. The garden is described as "lovely but sad" with a stone fountain, red and yellow roses, and gravel paths. The intense green of the grass causes the observer to squint. The garden seems to be both beautiful and melancholic as if it is expressing the sadness of the house. The colors of the roses, red and yellow, are traditionally symbolic of love, while the stone fountain and gravel paths evoke an old-fashioned, classical feel. This imagery conveys nostalgia and longing as if the garden is longing for something that it can never have. The intense green of the grass also suggests a longing for something more, as if the garden is seeking something beyond what is visible.
