Mateo’s Birth Symbol Analysis

Mateo’s birth symbolizes the connectedness of life and death, as Mateo’s mother died giving birth to him. When confronted with his own End Day, Mateo thinks a lot about his birth—both the tender, happy parts of it and the tragedy of his mother’s death. He thinks of the stories he’s heard about the shower his parents took together while his mom was in labor, and he thinks about the nurse who was the first to hold him—though he also thinks about how his mom bled to death, causing Dad to lose his beloved wife, as that nurse was holding him. Mateo realizes that his birth is proof that life and death are intimately connected—it’s impossible to think of one without acknowledging the other.