Chapter 12, 1889: April 9 Summary

Lunero holds his sister's shoulders while she painfully gives birth to a white baby, the son of the master of the house. He will grow to have Atanasio Menchaca's green eyes. As Lunero hears the boots of those who have come for his sister, he slaps the baby, causing the child to give its first cry.

On the operating table, the surgeons open Artemio Cruz up only to find that his disease is too advanced for them to help. He has gangrene and a perforation, eaten away from the inside. He dies on the operating table.

Chapter 12, 1889: April 9 Analysis

This chapter traces Cruz's birth in the hut in Cocuya, intercut with scenes of his death. This suggests that birth and death are one, which implies a belief in eternal life. It also creates a sense of destiny in Cruz's life, as...