Story of boiling frog
Igor tells of a story where a frog dies slowly as he grows accustomed to the temperature of the water her is in as the water is being. He believes that the story is a symbol of his own life, as slowly he too grew accustomed to ambition and greed, trying to get out first and then eventually losing the world to let it all go driving a wall between him and Ewa. Like the slowly boiling water, all this happened over many years and he hardly ever realized that he had changed so much.
Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter for Gabriela represents the onset of her dreams to become an actress. She played the part of Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland when she was very young and made a mistake on stage for which she was bullied. She decided then to become an actress. That mistake on the stage was her motivation to become an actress.
Scriptures (Allegory)
There are multiple allusions to the scriptures and Igor forms a meaning from them so as to justify his means. He doesn’t mind creating a false identity which is actually a crime. He justifies his actions as Jesus renamed Simon as Peter who build his church. He believes he is doing the work of God when killing people so they can avoid their life of misery or so he can punish them for having vanity.
What does it matter where diamonds are from, as long as they shine?
The Diamonds here become a symbol of Igor’s confused mind. He is guilty after murdering Olivia and wants to surrender. He is not sure anymore of his goal and his methods to achieve it. He starts thinking about blood diamonds and how their trade funds the conflict in war-ridden Africa. However, he gets to the conclusion that no one cares where the diamonds come from as long as they shine. Similarly, if his actions can force Ewa to come to him, they are justified.
Vanity (motif)
Vanity or the Illusion of Power is a constantly explored motif in the book. Coelho frequently mentions the workings of the Superclass as well the vanity in the main characters, particularly Igor who constantly justifies his immoral and criminal actions by quoting scriptures. The characters are vain and constantly live in a conflict, they like their power and want more of it, but they are also sick of it and want a simple life but do nothing to let go of their vanity and have that simple life.
