Essay Questions

How does Phillippe Diederich use Ximena to employ the literary of metaphor in his fictional work?

Ximena is a silent character who does not speak much and it is very hard to understand her. Throughout the play, she rarely smiles. No one understands her because she does not express herself in public. The narrator calls Ximena a statue to metaphorically mean a quiet person. Statues do not talk and they compared it to Ximena's traits. For instance, when a seldom truck passes by, everyone is excited except Ximena. She remains expressionless and everyone is wondering if she is one of them. They conclude that she belongs to a different planet.

What symbol does Phillippe Diederich use as a literary device to represent corruption in Playing for the Devil's Fire?

The narrator uses the Catholic Church to symbolize corruption that is taking place in religious institutions. The church reoccurs several times in the play and it seems that it is collapsing due to poor management. Father Gregorio is in charge of the church affairs but he is not doing the right things. For instance, he is living an extravagant lifestyle evidenced by the kind of watch he puts on his wrist. He cares less about the church repairs and telling the truth. He lies to Boli that he is helping in locating his parents. Father Gregorio’s actions reveal the corruption activities undertaken by the religious leaders to swindle their followers. The primary goal of most religious leaders is to loot church resources for selfish gain.

Besides corruption, which other theme is paramount in the Playing for the Devil's Fire?

The reader can precisely see the theme of hope through the life of Boli. Boli is patient and optimistic that he will locate his parents someday. He asks Father Gregorio to aid him locate his parents but the priest becomes unhelpful because of his lies. However, Boli does not give up as he looks forward to meeting his parents someday. The other illustration proving the theme of hope is when Boli believes in Chicano. His encouragement changes Chicano to a hero. Despite everybody leaving him, Boli remains expectant that everything will be okay.