Torito’s Wooden Cross

The wooden cross that Violeta gives Torito as a birthday gift serves as a powerful metaphor for the importance of familial love in the novel. Torito treasures the simple gift and wears it constantly. When Violeta and Facunda sort through the human remains found in a mountain cave, the wooden cross confirms that Torito’s corpse is among the dead. In this way, the wooden cross both connects family members across time and provides a sense of closure and finality for the Del Valles. Violeta proceeds to treat the wooden cross as her most prized possession; it becomes a symbol of the love and kindness that Torito exhibited throughout his life.

The Sky

The simple beauty of the sky represents the wonder and reverence that Violeta feels towards her life. As she faces her imminent death, she remarks simply that “The sky is...