Tam Lin Character Analysis

In this excerpt from the novel under the feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes, we are introduced to a young girl named Estrella. Throughout the excerpt Estrella’s character changes and develops in many ways. The author reveals these changes through her usage of literary devices such as selection of detail, figurative language, as well as tone.

Another reason is that Tam Lin killed more people when he was trying to redeem himself. In the book it states that, “ It had gone on for hours when Tam Lin bought out a special wine that has been bottled the year El Patron was born” The last reason is that Tam Lin knew he was going to die because El Patron told him about it. In the book it states that, ”El Patron told him everything.” Tam Lin knew he was going to die but he shouldn’t have brought out the wine, he killed more people, and MAtt would be happy.

At first Matt had no idea how to get in, until Ezperanza explained, “You can’t have two versions of the same person at the same time. … But when the original dies the copy takes its place.” (Farmer 367). Ezperanza was saying how Matt was El Parton and due to his DNA being identical to El Parton he could get in. Maria then asked, “Matt’s human?” and Ezperanza answered, “He always was.” (Farmer 367). Matt was never not human, instead he was a copy of someone, like a twin. Once Matt finally understood that he was human the whole time, he started to believe in himself much more. This made him confident, and made him realize that only he was capable of going in there due to his relation to El Patron, which means that he is the only one who able to put a stop to this insanity.

Jimmy knows too well the agonies of abandonment. First, when his mother, Cecilia, ran away with Richard to pursue a better lifestyle. Then, due to his father’s, Damacio Baca, alcoholisms and violent behavior; he also had to leave Jimmy behind. In spite of the drawbacks from abandonment to being a maximum security prisoner in Arizona State Prison, Jimmy preserver’s the darkness of prison by overcoming his illiteracy. However Cecilia and Damacio is not as fortunate as their child; Cecilia is shot by Richard after confronting him for a divorce and Damacio chokes to death after he is released from the detox center(Baca 263). Therefore the most significant event in this section of the memoir, A Place to Stand by Jimmy Santiago Baca is the death of Jimmy’s parents.

Matt is faced with fact that he will die to help El Patron. To escape his horrible fate, Matt escapes to Aztlan, but is taken to a plankton farm and must escape once again. While facing all these obstacles, Matt Alacran never gives up achieving what he wants. In the end we can see Matt had friends who trusted him and didn’t care if he was a clone, such as Maria, Celia, Chaco, and Fidelito. When he returns back to Opium and hears about Tam Lin’s sacrifice, he sets his mind to freeing the eejits and making Opium into a better land. Overall, he became someone people can trust and someone who wasn’t just El Patron’s clone, but just Matt Alacran. This novel was able to show readers the true meaning of what it is to a human through a clone’s eyes who has been going through a tough journey to become a person with a good

Others saw El Patron as a crazy, power-hungry, senile old man. Matt saw himself. Maybe this was just because he was a clone, maybe it was because he was ignorant to the extent of El Patrons evil, but Matt was faithful anyway. In this case, Matt's ignorance brought him bliss, it gave him someone to look up to and revere. Unfortunately, this dreamy ignorance blinded Matt to the true danger. Matt wanted to believe El Patron was good, because if El Patron could be good, so could Matt. All this longing blinded Matt and almost made him miss his chance to escape. Although wisdom was not the easy, enjoyable choice in this situation, it would've kept Matt a great deal safer.

El Patron needed Matt’s heart as a transplant so he cold stay alive, but this would kill Matt, El Patron’s clone. In order to stay alive, Matt had to run away. Matt had to continue running even when he was exhausted because he didn’t know who was after him. He also had to climb an enormous cliff where he grew very tired, but again, he persevered and pushed onward. Although he was tired he had a goal to accomplish, this made him grow in strength to carry on. “He no longer felt exhausted or discouraged or anything else except a towering fury to survive.” (Farmer 251) Matt’s growth in virtue helped him escape Opium and summit a cliff, but it also continued to help him threw his

All throughout the book, Matt is constantly reminded that he is lacking a soul and in other cases, an identity of his own. In the eyes of the people of Atzlán, Matt is nothing. He is just another one of El Patrón’s clones to them; that he would be nothing without El Patrón. We can recognize that once El Patrón dies, Matt opens up and really becomes his own self; one nothing like his ruthless dictator. Reading this book, there are never any ambiguities about Matt’s humanity; he is always magnanimous and loving towards his close family and friends; especially Maria. The words, “inferior,” and, “filthy lie,” take Matt by surprise. It is clear that Matt has been pegged as inferior his whole life, and to now be told that that has been a lie this whole time, would be enough to leave anyone in bewilderment. As the book wraps up, Matt is left with an identity of his own, one he creates by making his own

El Patron needs a new heart and Matt is the only supplier. He wants to believe that the old man loves and would never kill him; nevertheless, he has to face the truth. On page 218 it states, “No matter how treacherous El Patron had been, Matt loved the old man.” Discovering that El Patron only needs Matt for spare parts crushes the boy. He feels that his “accomplishments were a sham. It didn’t matter how intelligent he was” (216). Maria, Matt's childhood friend, tries to help him escape from the clutches of El Patron. While they are trying to figure out a plan she tells him “You’re not a dog. You’re so much, much more” (217). The truth about his purpose only discourages him, but he overcomes it and takes action. Though Matt is still hurt and

In the story Tam Lin was a huge impact in Matt’s life. Tam Lin was a kind hearted person to because he was the only grownup male in the whole book that treated Matt like a regular human. Also he cared and protected him unlike anyone else in the book. Tam Lin also was a father figure to Matt because Matt is a clone and has no mom or dad, but Celia brought him up, so he thinks of her as his mom, and Tam Lin was with Matt for around ten years and he defended him from the Alacran and protected him from El Patron, he even saved him when Matt was supposed to die and helped him get to Atlzan. Although Tam Lin was a nice and kind person, he was a murder, terrorist, and a horrible person when he worked for El Patron. I know this because farm patrol talked about him about how he killed 20 little kids while trying to kill the prime minister of Scotland, also Tam Lin admitted that he couldn’t remember how many people he killed.

Taking a glance through Matt’s childhood, his early years of his life were peaceful. He lived in a small house with his caretaker Celia, who works for the Alacrán family. Apparently, El Patrón is the head of the house so he treats Matt like a son. However, the rest of the family doesn’t treat, Matt like that. When Matt was forced to move into the

This builds on the feelings the reader has while reading the book, as they may likely feel frustrated with Matt’s insufficient knowledge about the corrupt society around him. “...reached for the needle that would blunt its intelligence. ‘Don’t fix that one…. It’s a Matteo Alacran. They’re always left intact.’” (4) In this instance, the reader knows more than the character because for a decent amount of his life, Matt has no clue of what he truly is and where he came from. Young Matt has no idea that he was harvested from a cow, and he lives under the impression that he was born just like any other kid. This also shows how corrupt the society is because they feel the need to go to these extremes to create these clones by harming other creatures, and then they typically blunt their intelligence as if they had no purpose at all, which makes it strange that they would even go as far to create clones. “‘Mama’, he said…’ Don’t call me Mama,’ snapped Celia... Celia had told him long ago that she wasn’t his real mother.” (11) At first, it just seems to Matt that perhaps he is adopted or something of the sort, and it bothers Celia that she is not being called his mother when she is truly not. Afterwards, as the reader begins to learn of El Patron’s practices, there is a realization that Matt may not be the ‘first Matt’. It seems entirely likely that El Patron is making these clones to kill for his

The text states, “He wasted no tears on the Alacráns or their slaves Felicia, Fani, and Emilia. But he wept for El Patrón, who deserved pity less than anyone but who was closer to Matt than anyone in the world.” Even though El Patron tried to kill Matt for transplants, Matt still felt compassion for him, even though he didn’t deserve it. This shows a lot about Matt’s personality. The text also states, “‘He grabbed Chacho and pulled him back.

Nobody dares say what they truly feel about El Patrón and no one insults him. Tam Lin tells the truth and instills into Matt to be honest as well. Additionally, Matt and El Patrón are genetically the same, but Tam Lin attributes that it was choices that caused El Patrón to be what he is today. Matt does not need to grow up and be like El Patrón. Tam Lin also told Matt, “When you're small, you can choose which way to grow. If you're kind and decent, you grow into a kind and decent man” (Farmer 70). Matt is told that he has the choice to be a good person, that as a person he has free will. Showing him that he could be the product of his environment rather than his DNA. If he is nurtured the right way, his nature or biology will not matter. The character is taught lessons relevant to the intended audience, such as telling the truth and making your own choices. However, if parents are just in general opposed to cloning, they can rest well knowing that at least the character is a good person learning good moral lessons from good parental figures.

Matt experiences lots of loyalty and love when he is with Tam Lin. In the beginning of the book, when Matt chooses Tam Lin to be his bodyguard, he did not know that he would also become his best friend. Tam Lin would do anything for Matt, even if it includes saving his life, which he did. When El Patron died, and Matt was no longer useful, Tam Lin was ordered to kill him, but instead, he helped him survive and set up a plan for him to escape. At first, Matt had thought that Tam Lin Was