Houses

In the novel, the houses of the characters symbolize the physical and emotional devastation the Trujillo regime has visited upon them. Houses resemble their owners; Chirinos' house is bulging and about to fall apart; Agustin's house is worn out and stripped of its grandeur; Amadito's aunt house is looted and burned to the ground. In this way, each house becomes a physical monument to the destruction and degradation of its owner.

The Rug At The Mahogany House

Trujillo's immense rug, embossed with the national seal, symbolizes both the grandeur and the absurdity of tyranny. While waiting for Trujillo, Urania cannot avert her eyes from the rug which covers the entire room, and at the same time, she associates it in her memory with the kitsch and ridiculousness of the Mahogany House. As she stands on a single branch of the national seal, she feels that her...