Okay so “One Holy Night” seems to be the typical teenage pregnancy story. We’re reading a flashback on how this young imature girl falls in love with an older guy. He seems to be smart and heroic but like all the stories in this book, it has no happy ending. She loses her innocence but feels great about it because she feels like she’s in control of her life. In control of destiny. These feelings are only temporary because Boy Baby later leaves and she is left alone. The guy is weird and a murderer. Although it is never said that he is a murderer but the guns, the lies, the dead bodies imply he was a murderer which makes the story even more interesting. Being a murderer probably gave him a sense of being in control of all those womens destiny. What also caught my attention was how Ixchel finds out that Boy baby was born in a town called MISERIA… his whole life seemed to be a misery.
When Ixchel purposely leaves the pushcart behind I think we can see that as symbolism of her trying to forget the degrading life she lived because boy baby was offering a life of passion. But giving up the simple life she lived was giving up her innocence. One of the story’s theme is the power of control and truth. Ixchel gave her innocence over to boy baby and she believed every word he said. The story begins with a quote about truth. We have to learn how to distinguish truth and lies.
I was also trying to figure out why Boy baby didn’t kill Ixchel. Why did he leave her alive? I don’t think he knew she was expecting but maybe planned to get her pregnant. Like she says, “I can feel the animal inside me stirring in his own uneven sleep.” It seems like he wanted to create another Boy baby..another monster.
Mujer Bonita... Said:
on April 3, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I had the same curiosity as to why he didn’t kill her. I agree with your speculation that it was always his intention to impregnate her. He was crazy not weird, and I believe that he believed that he was truly who he said he was. It’s as if he needed to leave his “legacy” of royal tradition behind, and this is the queen he chose. It reminded me a bit of the ending to Don Quixote, the way reality crashes in at the end, after what I am sure were many years of delusion.
lamujerbonitaquelegustaleer Said:
on April 5, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Ok, I asked my foresnsic pysch professor and she says that some serial killers who are caught up in a fantasy identity often kill thier female subjects because they fall short of thier fantastic expectations. She never questioned him, and belived him so sincerly that he had finally found his queen, and once he continued his legacy he allowed himself to be caught.