Matute shows that Lope could have been successful, juxtaposing his roughness a less intelligent school friend who is now becoming a successful lawyer. While starting off bright, he becomes no more than a slave for his uncle, calloused and hardened. She shows Lope as an intelligent child who could have easily become successful in life had he only had the chance. Matute drives her point home mostly through the emotions of the reader as well as logical arguments through juxtaposition. She writes to those who do not realize or who do not see the terrible circumstances of the poor working class, primarily made up of underprivileged children.
Matute asks, are the consequences of damning a child’s progress worse than death? The resounding answers she cries, is yes! Stunting the progress of a child is worse than letting them die because stunting their progress makes them subhuman, it destroys their humanity. Upon realizing this, he murders his uncle and is lead off to jail while the villagers rant of how ungrateful Lope was to his uncle for giving him work. Over the years Lope becomes no more than a slave and a beast of burden to his uncle. The story is of a young orphan taken under wing by his uncaring uncle who makes him work as a shepherd.
One short story I’ve revisited is “Pecado de omission” (“Sin of Omission”) by Ana Maria Matute.
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