Dream sequences (Allegory)
Asturias's novel incorporates dream-like sequences to blur between reality and dreams to achieve the desired effect. The effect resembles the isolation that is experienced by the public under a tyrannical power. The author attempts to evoke the sense of alienation that is fostered by the uncertainty and unpredictability of dictatorial power. Truth is nonexistent in such an environment as the notion of truth is dependent on opinion permitted by the régime. Therefore dream sequences represent the feeling of ambiguity that is infused in their reality.
The President (Symbol)
In a tyrannical rule, the cult of personality goes hand in hand in maintaining the state of affairs in the regime. Therefore the dictator is held as a mythical figure that is beyond the common man. In that, a dictatorial leader cannot be accessible to his subordinates or the masses in terms of his way of thinking. Thus the novel portrays the titular character as a minor one whose presence is scarce, to say the least. The President symbolizes the tyrannical rule as a whole: the propaganda, sense of alienation, fear, and political corruption.
Fear and Cruelty (Motif)
The portrayal of cruelty is prevalent in the novel as it is synonymous with a dictatorial régime. Several scenes incorporate the inhumane acts against the common citizen as well as political figures by the government. Furthermore the use of tactics to induce fear among the masses, political rivals, and the allies too. Asturias focuses on these main means that allow tyrannical power to flourish despite massive opposition. No one is particularly safe even the high ranking officials in the government who may hold contradictory opinions about the régime. The totalitarian nation aims to thrash the sense of hope and human dignity left by killing the peoples’ spirit.
