Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Farming of Bones, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Power of Memory
Dreams vs. Reality
Language and Identity
Death, Grief, and Hope
Home, Family, and Belonging
Summary
Analysis
Señor Pico is named after “one of the fathers of Dominican independence.” When he arrives with Don Ignacio, he runs from the automobile into the house to see his children, and Amabelle and Juana follow him. As workers, they know that they must “be present and invisible at the same time, nearby when they [are] needed.” After greeting his wife, the señor names his son Rafael, after the Generalissimo. Luis, Juana’s husband, is also in the room; Amabelle notes that he looks tearful, and that “his face showed the ache of wanting.”
Señor Pico’s name—and the name he chooses for his son—are signs of cultural pride. The names refer to past and present historical figures who believe in the superiority of their culture, and thus illustrate how ideas of immovable cultural differences are longstanding. Additionally, Amabelle’s thoughts about workers’ roles within the house reveal that she does not feel as if she truly belongs in the household in the same way that she might in her own home. Rather, she feels an obligation to the family, but acknowledges that sometimes she must not be visible in the house—an isolating feeling—even as she exists there.
Themes
Juana and Luis convene in the yard, and Amabelle sits nearby. Luis tells Juana that Señor Pico was in a rush to return and drove recklessly. They came across three men walking in the road; the señor blasted his car horn, but one man did not get out of the way. The señor’s automobile struck one of the pedestrians and pushed him into a ravine. Amabelle wonders if the victim is Sebastien, but her speculation is cut short when Beatriz arrives.
As Luis recounts the accident, it is clear that Señor Pico’s privileged identity within his country allows him to treat others with carelessness. In this way, fixed perceptions of his cultural superiority have resulted in physical harm to others, a warning that preserving cultural boundaries can prevent two groups from empathizing with one another. Amabelle is unsure if the struck pedestrian is Sebastien, and her uncertainty reveals how omnipresent death can be: within an instant, she may have lost her partner.
Themes
Amabelle recounts Beatriz’s dream of becoming a “newspaper woman.” Beatriz wants to “ask questions” of people who suffer “through calamities greater than hers,” but spends most of her day playing the piano and practicing Latin phrases. Señor Pico once courted Beatriz, who had “no interest in him,” but he eventually asked to marry Señora Valencia after one month. Don Ignacio agreed, as long as the señora coud stay in her home; he does not want her to live near the soldiers’ barracks.
Beatriz’s fascination with less privileged members of society illustrates how identity can separate people in the Dominican Republic. Although Beatriz lives in a neighborhood that thrives off of Haitian laborers’ cane harvests—a physically taxing job that pays poorly—her upper-class identity keeps her from truly sympathizing with the workers. Instead, she merely observes them as a scientist might, and is unwilling to cross boundaries due to her status and class.
Themes
Amabelle is summoned by Señora Valencia, who tells her that she is grateful for Amabelle’s help during the delivery and squeezes her hand. When Señor Pico interrupts them, however, the señora lets go of Amabelle’s fingers and announces that Juana will stay in the house overnight, instead of Amabelle.
Amabelle and Señora Valencia’s familial dynamic is capable of transcending boundaries between class and cultural heritage, as shown by their moment of connection here. Still, when the señora’s husband intrudes on them, the señora begins to separate herself from Amabelle. This willingness to preserve the disparities between herself and her lifelong friend indicate that the señora still values cultural boundaries, even though she doesn’t always uphold them. These boundaries allow her to protect her privileged identity and comfortable life.
Themes
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Amabelle overhears a conversation between Señora Valencia and Señor Pico about a new border operation that he will be placed in charge of. He will also be responsible for “ensur[ing] the Generalissimo’s safety at the border.” He claims that the operation will be “quick and precise,” and that, in fact, the operation has already started.
The señor and señora’s conversation is a reminder that the family is politically well-connected in the Dominican Republic, a country with nationalistic pride. The señor’s involvement in a border operation for the Generalissimo, who is a known dictator, is further indication that the señora’s family is deeply invested in their Dominican heritage. Furthermore, this conversation occurs very shortly after the señor sees his children for the first time; in this way, the señor demonstrates that his service to his country is as important as his family.
Themes
Amabelle departs from Señora Valencia’s room and comes across Don Ignacio, the señora’s father and an “exiled patriot” from Spain who is listening to a radio for news of the Spanish war. Behind Don Ignacio sits a “regal” portrait of Trujillo, the Generalissimo; the portrait also contains the country’s flag, along with “the coat of arms and the shield” which reads, “god, country, liberty.” Don Ignacio is engrossed in the radio, and “unaware” of the Generalissimo’s “presence.”
Don Ignacio’s fixation with the Spanish war is a sign that he is very invested in his cultural identity, though it is a different identity than that of Señor Pico. Moreover, the scene is further dominated by a large portrait of the Generalissimo. This portrait is a symbol of how important Dominican patriotism and heritage is to the family. Don Ignacio ignores the portrait to listen to the radio, however, demonstrating that he is stuck between Spanish and Dominican culture. Don Ignacio’s position between the radio and the portrait illustrates how cultural boundaries can exist not only between countries, but also within a single household.
Themes
Don Ignacio says that he thinks that he and Señor Pico “killed a man.” He says Pico did not want to stay and search for the body, and he asks Amabelle to report back if she hears that anyone is missing. Amabelle agrees and returns to her room, and looks around at her possessions. She notes that “nearly everything” she owns is “something Señora Valencia had once owned and no longer wanted.” She emphasizes that only Sebastien is hers alone.
Don Ignacio’s offhand confession of a possible murder and his son-in-law’s lack of remorse demonstrate how death is considered to be predictable and inevitable. To these two men, death is not a rarity, nor is it always emotional. Additionally, when Amabelle returns to her room after this confession, she realizes that her identity and Señora Valencia’s are closely bound together despite their different cultures and classes. This realization reveals the blurred borders between the two women.
Themes
Unwilling to consider the “unpleasant truth” of Sebastien’s possible death, she instead thinks about Henry I’s citadel. Amabelle used to play in the citadel as a child, and from “the safety” of the building, she would survey “the rest of the world.” Amabelle recalls seeing “armor emblazoned with the image of a phoenix rising.”
Amabelle escapes into her childhood memories of a royal citadel, a Haitian landmark. The citadel is a symbol of Haiti’s strength, as illustrated by Amabelle’s visions of armor, and it allows her to feel protected, as if it is a home to her. Amabelle’s willingness to slip into fantasies of her childhood demonstrates how strongly she relies on dreams to sustain her: when she is faced with the prospect of her partner’s death, her first choice is to imagine a faraway land.
Themes
Her daydream is interrupted by the sound of Sebastien at the door; she opens it, and sees that he is injured. Sebastien confirms that Joël, another Haitian worker, is dead. Amabelle asks how the death occurred, and Sebastien recounts the automobile accident. She notes that he is unemotional about the situation, and thinks to herself that he has “seen death closely before.”
When Sebastien reunites with Amabelle, he tonelessly tells her about the violent death of his friend, Joël. His lack of emotion indicates that he has experienced trauma in the past, illustrating how pervasive a force death has been in his life. Moreover, Sebastien’s detached reaction demonstrates how powerful and all-encompassing grief can be: he is unable to truly perceive his loss, as grief from prior deaths has paralyzed his emotions.
Themes
Sebastien informs Amabelle that Joël’s boss, Don Carlos, will not pay for a burial. He tells Amabelle he must leave to meet with Kongo, Joël’s father, and Amabelle gives him wood for Joël’s coffin. After he leaves, Amabelle expresses silent condolences for Kongo’s loss; she thinks about how “two new children came into the world” at the same time that Kongo must bury his son.
Don Carlos, a Dominican man who profits from the cane harvest, reacts unsympathetically to his employee’s death. Don Carlos’s reaction is at least partly a product of the cultural borders between Haitians and Dominicans in the Dominican Republic. Due to cultural prejudice—which gives Dominicans an excuse to look down on Haitians—he is unwilling to treat his former employee with respect. Additionally, Amabelle’s thoughts about Kongo’s loss and the birth of the señora’s children reinforce the inevitability of death: it is a perpetual cycle, with death—and its inverse, life—occurring eternally and perhaps in balance with each other.
Themes
