Zacarías is a creature who appears in Jacinta’s dreams and possibly in her real life. Dressed in black, accompanied by a cat, and sometimes covered in scales, he seems distinctly demonic, but in fact he’s neither good nor bad; he tells Jacinta about the bad things that will happen in her life, but he also guides her towards her best experience: her relationship with Penélope. Notably, he shares his name with one of the Biblical prophets, underscoring his ability to predict the future. Zacarías is a supernatural counterpart to Laín Coubert, Carax’s alter-ego who is deadly and devil-like but still retains Carax’s human character.
Get the entire The Shadow of the Wind LitChart as a printable PDF.
Zacarías Character Timeline in The Shadow of the Wind
The timeline below shows where the character Zacarías appears in The Shadow of the Wind. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
City of Shadows: Chapter 31
...plagued by nightmares due to a dangerous fever. A recurring figure in her dreams was Zacarías, an angel who smelled like sulfur. Zacarías accurately predicts deaths in her family, that Jacinta...
(full context)
...for God to grant her dearest wish, to become a mother. One day in church, Zacarías approached her in real life and whispered the word “Tibidabo,” at which point Jacinta had...
(full context)
...moved with the Aldayas to the cursed mansion, which she perceived to be inhabited by Zacarías but did not fear. When Penélope was born, Jacinta cared for her fiercely, especially given...
(full context)