Matt Character Analysis in Into the Beautiful North

Several years before the start of the novel, Matt went to Tres Camarones as a missionary, where he won the heart of every woman in town by writing their names phonetically on notecards. He also loved movies and spent every night in the theater with the women. Before he left, he kissed Nayeli. In the present, Matt works in San Francisco, but returns to his mother's home in San Diego to deal with her affairs after her sudden death. He feels lost in life, and he enjoys helping Nayeli and her friends with their mission. Though Nayeli, Yolo, and Vampi believe that Nayeli will surely win Matt's heart, Matt has sex with Yolo instead—though he also seems unaware that Nayeli still harbors feelings for him. Despite the fact that the Tres Camarones group likes Matt, and Matt helps them in a number of ways while they're in the US, Matt is also somewhat racist. For example, when he smokes with Carla, he semi-seriously suggests they call the police on the "illegals" and build a wall on the Mexican-American border.

Matt Quotes in Into the Beautiful North

The Into the Beautiful North quotes below are all either spoken by Matt or refer to Matt. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Little, Brown and Company edition of Into the Beautiful North published in 2010.

"You are there to collect Mexicans," Irma reminded her. "Don't fall in love with that missionary!"

"I won't."

"And don't screw him, either. If you give him the milk for free, why would he buy the cow?"

"Tía!"

"Don't bring me any damned American surfers. And don't bring me any American babies. Bring me Mexicans."

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 168

Explanation and Analysis:

"Welcome to the United States," Velma shouted at them as if they were deaf.

Everyone smiled warmly, wondering if she was mad at them.

Related Characters: (speaker), , , , ,

Page Number and Citation: 213

Explanation and Analysis:

Matt Character Timeline in Into the Beautiful North

The timeline below shows where the character Matt appears in Into the Beautiful North. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Tacho and Nayeli carry on with their work. Nayeli thinks about one particular missionary, Matt. All of Nayeli's "notorious girlfriends" loved him, especially since he was the first blonde boy... (full context)

Nayeli pulls out Matt's card, which she keeps in her knee sock, to inspect it. It's signed with "love,... (full context)

As Nayeli sweeps the floor, she sighs over Matt. Finally, she tosses her broom inside and declares that she's going on the internet—the bar... (full context)

...a sauce for the crabs and wearing a sarong. The girls reminisce about the time Matt came crabbing with them and a crab pinched his toe, and the girls argue about... (full context)

Later, Nayeli packs her belongings. She tucks Matt's card and the phone number from Irma into her pocket, and her mother insists she... (full context)

...morning, the group returns to the street. Yolo and Tacho discuss how they both loved Matt, and Tacho calls Nayeli promiscuous for kissing Matt. Nayeli leads them to a metal wall.... (full context)

...next day. Coyotes (crossing guides) mill around, and Christian missionaries drive through. Nayeli watches for Matt. (full context)

...attempts to soothe them. Tacho insists that he's going, and when Nayeli suggests they call Matt once they cross, Yolo and Vampi agree to go. (full context)

...postcard and reads her father's message, "everything passes." Then, she pulls out her card from Matt. She notices that Yolo is awake and is also looking at her card from Matt.... (full context)

...sighs, ignores her, and says that they're going back across the border and will call Matt when they get there. Irma curses and calls Matt a "simp" before reminding Nayeli of... (full context)

...door, and they discuss the phone call to Irma with Nayeli. They decide to call Matt when they get to the US, but they agree that they don't want to cross... (full context)

...sit at the end of the tunnel and argue about going to Kankakee and visiting Matt. Suddenly, they hear a scraping above and a male voice tells them to climb up.... (full context)

...want to do now that they're in America. Nayeli wants to find her father and Matt, Yolo wants to find Matt and Tacho, and Atómiko declares he wants to go to... (full context)

The narrator introduces Ma Johnston, Matt's mother. She lives in a duplex, and after leaving her garbage cans out for several... (full context)

Matt pulls into the Jack in the Box parking lot in Ma Johnston's minivan. Nayeli, Yolo,... (full context)

Matt is prepared to apologize for Ma Johnston's home, but Atómiko whistles and the girls declare... (full context)

...he arrives in Tijuana, Tacho calls Tía Irma. She explains that Nayeli supposedly went to Matt's house, but she doesn't know if she made it. Tacho vows to cross the border... (full context)

Late at night, Atómiko and Matt giggle drunkenly in Matt's living room. They speak a strange mixture of Spanish and English... (full context)

Atómiko tells Matt about a woman who once showed him her breasts, but Matt barely listens. He announces... (full context)

...Yolo, and Vampi quietly wash their clothes. They giggle at how fast asleep Atómiko and Matt are—the girls are dressed and drinking coffee before the boys move at all. When he... (full context)

Later, Matt drives the group to get pancakes. Nayeli tries to explain what a pancake is to... (full context)

Back at Ma Johnston's house, Matt and Yolo search the phone book for Chavarín. They find a Salvador Chavarín, and Yolo... (full context)

In the present, Matt drives Yolo, Nayeli, and Atómiko to the Hillcrest bowling alley. Nayeli takes Matt's arm as... (full context)

Yolo and Matt bowl while Atómiko insults them, and Nayeli and Chava talk. He tells her how he... (full context)

...and he agrees to join the girls on their mission. When Nayeli, Yolo, Atómiko, and Matt get back to the duplex, Vampi and Carla are grilling, and El Brujo is engaged... (full context)

Rigoberto buys Tacho lunch and then passes him a cell phone to call Irma and Matt. Rigoberto later drops Tacho off at a visitors' center. They gruffly say goodbye, and Tacho... (full context)

Later that night, Matt escapes to Carla's side of the duplex. They pass a bong back and forth, and... (full context)

At Matt's house, El Brujo fries beans and meat and Tacho blasts disco music. Atómiko sits outside,... (full context)

Chava accepted the girls' invitation to come for dinner, and as he drives to Matt's house, he realizes the girls delight him. He misses Tres Camarones and Irma, and he... (full context)

Chava drops Tacho, Nayeli, and Atómiko back at Matt's house around midnight. They find Carla in an inflatable pool in the yard. Atómiko pulls... (full context)

...Nayeli can barely listen; she tries to rationalize that she never staked a claim on Matt. Carla finally says that Tía Irma called to say she's in a hotel in San... (full context)

...of the pool, thinking that nobody knows she's here. She feels like she lost Yolo, Matt, and Vampi, and she wonders if she'll lose Irma now that Chava is in the... (full context)

Matt spreads out his road atlas and helps Tacho and Nayeli plan their route. Yolo watches... (full context)

...desert between San Diego and Las Vegas is dull, brown, and dusty. Nayeli flips through Matt's Spanish-English dictionary, learning as many words in Spanish as she does in English. Tacho tries... (full context)

...are more brutal. They reach their first turnoff point, which is the world's biggest thermometer. Matt laughed when he told him about it, but Tacho doesn't get why it's so funny.... (full context)

...it funny, and she drags him out of the shop. They find the motel that Matt booked for them and sign in as Shakira and Ricky Martin and then eat dinner... (full context)

...Vampi sit with Irma as well, and El Brujo and Atómiko act as security guards. Matt and Angel sit in the corner, and Matt wonders how Nayeli is doing on her... (full context)

...Irma's number. Irma shares that Yolo decided she wants to stay in the US with Matt—but Matt doesn't want her to stay. Nayeli is shocked. (full context)