The Weight of All Things

“She pressed her cheek once more against her son’s, sought to spread herself more completely over him. ‘Holy Mother, protect us,’ she uttered.” 

As his mother protects his body from stray bullets and explosions, Letty invokes the spirit of the Virgin Mary. She calls on her to protect them and thus begins the perilous relationship between Nicolás and miracles. Indeed, he is spared on that day, and comes to believe that La Virgen protects him from death time and again. Once his mother’s body is no longer there to protect him, his spiritual mother, La Virgen, takes over.

“His mother was especially devoted to La Virgen and had even named him after her. Nicolás de La Virgen Veras was his name in full.” 

The novel suggests that Nicolás was given protection from his mother’s devotion to La Virgen. She becomes a lifelike saint, appearing to Nicolás whenever he needs her. His mother ordained a special connection between he and the virgin through his name and the medallion he wears. The Virgin Mary may also represent Letty, as she gave birth to a son whose conception is immaculate in the eyes of the reader (there is no mention of the man or act who impregnates Letty), and Nicolás is compared to the lamb many times. He is portrayed both as a lamb in the flock in need of protection, and as a Christlike figure who performs miracles under the guidance of La Virgen.