Importance of Papa’s Fingers

After Papa is kidnapped by Colombian guerillas, the two fingers that are cut off and sent to his family represent the guerilla's desperate and violent attempt to get money. As Chula frequently references in her narration, it is a technique common to the guerillas who have frequently used kidnappings to both generate income and trigger fear, as they do in this particular case. Later, Papa's fingers are cremated, and Mama keeps them under her pillow. To her, they represent what little she has left of him, and they are a means of keeping her hope of his return alive.