Symbol: Green Spots
Guevara is cognizant of the green spots swimming before him as indicative of some sort of symbol of the past: "My tired eyes refused to sleep and in them a pair of green spots swirled, representing the world I had left for dead behind me and mocking the so-called liberation I sought" (40). For him, these green circles remind him of what he is leaving but also do so in a way that makes him nervous for what is to come. As a symbolic color, green usually indicates growth and fecundity, but here the impression is that it indicates a rootedness: a connection to one's literal and figurative ground. The circles may symbolize wholeness, unity, and containment, whereas Guevara's imminent journey promises none of that.
Symbol: The Stag
On their freezing and somewhat terrifying descent down a mountain, Che and Alberto glimpse a stag in the middle of the wilderness. It strikes Che, and he writes, "This tremor of nature cut straight to our hearts" (49). The stag thus symbolizes nature, particularly a wild nature set apart from the domain of man. It is a place of unfettered power and mystery, and a place where Che and Alberto realize they do not inherently belong. This symbol is even more important as it is contrasted with the journey through the cities and towns of man.
Symbol: Crossroads
Che writes that there is a place in Casa Pangue with a view over Chile that "is a kind of crossroads, at least in that moment it was for me" (55). This is relatively early in the journey and indicates that some of the easier times have passed, and the harder parts—the parts with no food, cold weather, sickness, and depressing scenes of poverty—are ahead. A crossroads is a potent symbol for travelers, and Che is no different. Furthermore, as a poetic and cerebral individual, he is also open to finding symbols in the landscape, and this is one that he identifies for himself.
Symbol: Weather
Che writes that the weather reflects his state of mind: "The wind was very cold and the smothering, leaden sky seemed to replicate our state of mind" (98). The heavy sky and the freezing wind are a symbol of gloom, mental duress, and the bleakness of the situation Che and Alberto find themselves in now that "our luck seemed to have run out" (98). Again, Che often looks for symbols himself and identifies them in his writing; this seems to be done to elevate the travelogue to something more universal and resonant.
Motif: The Sea
The sea pops up several times in the text. Sometimes it is perceived as a vehicle of travel only, a way for Che and Alberto to get from one place to another. However, there are two prominent moments when the sea is more than that: first, when Che and Alberto sit on its shores and contemplate the decisions they've made, the sea is a confidante and a friend to Che and seemingly validates his decision to go; and second, when the sea again confirms that Che needs to go when he and Chichina are sitting near it and he understands its warning for him to move along.
