So Far from God

Animal imagery is plentiful in So Far from God,often tying in with mystical and magical realistic tendencies of the novel. Loca is in deep communion with the animals around her and is described as “Patrona de todas las criaturas” (232), or “patron of all the animals.” She is an accomplished horsewoman, despite the fact that she was never given instruction. Loca’s connection to animals reinforces her ties to nature and relationship with the spiritual world. Animals also carry symbolism in the world of the novel, as when Francisco considers the hummingbirds nesting over Caridad’s doorway as, “an omen of true love” (199).Animals allow characters to tune in to the mystical messages around them.

Furthermore, animals provide insight into characters and their relationships. Caridad is deeply attached her to horse,Corazón, and has a premonition of the horse’s death. The horse is found by the side of the road with a broken hoof and subsequently shot by a policeman. Upon discovering this, Caridad demands, “My Corazón is dead?” (52), literally translating into “My heart is dead?”

Corazón’s own death mirrors Caridad’s near-death experience when she is mutilated and left by the side of the road. So, too, do Charles’s peacocks provide insight into the changing dynamics of the neighborhood. He is a white lawyer who breeds peacocks, and Sofi’s neighbor notes, “he did not have to earn his living from raising the birds, much less use them for food” (139). Thepeacocks connect to the model of white people encroaching on Latino territory and utilizing the land that many of the original residents can no longer afford. Thus, the use of these animals ties into the overarching theme of stronger forces dominating weaker ones.