50 pages • 1 hour read
Victor VillaseñorBurro Genius
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Nature and Animals
Nature and animals are important motifs in Villaseñor’s memoir, illustrating his profound relationship with the natural world. Villaseñor finds spiritual sustenance through nature and animals at crucial moments in his life. He follows his grandmother’s teachings on cultivating love and respect for the natural world: “All plants have Spirits. All animals have Spirits. It is only the two-legged human beings who have lost theirs” (98). Villaseñor learned that all life on earth is “sacred” through his family’s traditions.
On his first day of school, terrified of a new social environment, Villaseñor finds strength through his communication with trees which appear personified. Remembering his grandmother’s lesson of addressing trees “with an open heart” (55), he turns to the eucalyptus trees outside the school, attributing human traits to them: “I immediately liked the one with twisted-skin best. I could see that he was smiling like a huge, old white elephant as he watched the kids run past him” (55). In connecting with the trees, Villaseñor seeks guidance and direction to counter his mental distress.
Villaseñor also emphasizes that animals exist in harmony and balance with the universe. According to his grandmother’s Yaqui traditions, animals are the guides of human souls. Villaseñor invokes this idea by narrating the story of his brother’s dog Shep. He uses anthropomorphism, stressing that Shep was “the smartest human being” he ever met (240). Shep disappeared the night Joseph died and Villaseñor believed that he “leaped into Father Sky to intercept Joseph’s Sacred Soul” (240). Villaseñor’s experiences in the ocean also highlight animals’ spiritual power. When he rode with his brother’s horse into the sea and witnessed its communication with the dolphins, Villaseñor felt one with the natural world: “My entire brain was now talking to me as it had never spoken to me before […] Everything, all around me, was now alive in a whole new way that I’d never seen” (272). Villasenor’s vision of his brother and Jesus highlights his spiritual connection with Joseph and the way nature impacts his inner self. Villaseñor returns to the sea at the end of the book to seek guidance for his mental battle with rage. He recalls that, through the healing power of nature, his rage was “dissolved” and his spirit liberated.
Religion
Religion is a central motif throughout the book, with Villaseñor often discussing his and his family’s connection to God. His religious beliefs are a mixture of Yaqui tradition and Catholic Christianity, indicating the complexity and diversity of Mexican culture. This fusion of Indigenous and Christian traditions is evident in the story Villasenor’s father narrates about the concept of God. Juan proclaimed the existence of a dual deity, a male and a female, as well as two Creation Stories. Juan’s view of God is summarized in the idea that “God is Love” (191). He emphasized his mother’s profound faith as a way of life for her without focusing on religious doctrines: “She saw herself as Living with Papito Dios, and He needing her just as much as she needed Him, so that His Will will be done!” (253). Villaseñor embraces this ideology, which defines his spirituality.
Jesus Christ is also a significant figure for Villaseñor. His family sought comfort in the church while coping with Joseph’s illness. Being in the church helped Villaseñor heal from his guilt over Joseph’s injury during their ride, feeling God’s forgiveness. While he contested the nuns’ teachings at Catholic school, the church remained for Villaseñor a place of peace and healing: “Maybe Papito Dios still loved me […] I sat there glancing all around at the tall, magnificent church—the beautifully carved beams, the gorgeous stained-glass windows” (200). Villaseñor’s vision of Joseph and Jesus walking on the sea reinforces the religious imagery that reflects Villaseñor’s faith. Before his death, Joseph encouraged Villaseñor to remain hopeful, assuring him that God is ever-present: “The more and more that I learn the more and more I realize that God is always with us. It’s just that we’re too busy to notice” (219). Ultimately, religion is central to Villaseñor’s cultural identity and inner self.
Stars
Stars are a recurrent symbol that connects to Villaseñor’s spirituality and creativity. As a kid, he began drawing stars at school as an outlet when his distress intensified: “A teacher would be yelling at us, punishing one of my vatos-amigos, and I’d begin to draw a star. Soon this was all I did all day long, especially when things weren’t going very well” (101).
Villaseñor channeled his restricted creativity and imagination into drawing stars; however, the symbol also acquires a religious dimension, connecting with the Indigenous worldview as it intertwines with the Christian tradition. Villaseñor recalls his grandmother and mother describing humans as “Walking Stars having come to Mother Earth to do Papito Dios’ Holy Work, just like our big Brother Jesus” (101). This connection of the stars with humanity signifies Villasenor’s connection to the Universe. However, it also indicates his attempt to counter the dehumanization he experienced in school and claim his humanity by drawing stars. He notes that some of his classmates were also drawing stars, trying to “keep [their] soul-memories alive” (279). As a creative outlet, it simultaneously helped him connect with his inner self and preserved his spirituality.
