Summer Reading Response 1

In the book "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer is about a boy name Matt who is clone. He was a clone of El patron ruler of a country called opium. Matt the main character was harvested from a cow, and as result he was called a monster. People treated him as nobody. El Patron love's Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself. Celia Matt's guardian, Tam Lin Matt's bodyguard, and Maria Matt's friend are all the people who love Matt. One of the themes that I found in this book is what life is if you can't control or own it.
            On page 4, when Matt was first harvested he was loaned to a women named Celia. As a result Celia loved and took care of Matt for a very long time. Matt got older and started to question Celia. He asked why can't he go outside and see the world himself. He questioned this because he never went outside, not even with Celia. Celia just cried and told him “No Mi Vida, there are lots chupacabras”. Matt was 5 by that time and he didn’t understand a thing, so he believed that they are monsters outside. So he had to stay in the dark house and couldn't even go near the window. He had no right or control over his body. When he couldn't go outside he couldn't go to school and make friends. He also had no idea how the world looks like with his own eyes. He only listens to what Celia says about the outside world and he uses that to imagine the world. What is life if you can't control it? You can't even enjoy life if you can't go outside.
            On page 36 Matt went outside, but was treated like an animal. People didn't like him and thought of him as a monster. El Patron on the other hand, loved him. When El Patron is with Matt, Matt is treated nicely and got whatever he wanted. Matt felt really pleased when he was with El Patron. He felt like he existed in this world. Matt got depressed when El Patron said “Mi Vida you are my clone, I created you, so you’re my property”. This quote showed that Matt’s life is El Patron’s and not his. So what is life if you can’t control it? What is life, if it’s not yours to begin with?  I think that life is good when it is yours and no one can say it’s their property.

            On page 185 El Patron got a heart attack. The bodyguards took El Patron to the hospital and were looking for Matt. El Patron created Matt because he needed hearts to keep himself alive. The reason he was nice to Matt and gave him what he wanted was because he wanted Matt to owe him something. When he was forced to come to the hospital El Patron tried to explain to him why he was created. El Patron told him that he needs spare parts of a human to survive and live. “Without me, you would never have seen beautiful sunset or smelled the rain approaching on the wind. You would never have tasted cool water on a hot summer day. Or heard music or known the wonderful pleasure of creating it. I gave you these things, Mi Vida. You…owe…me.” This quote shows us that El Patron gave Matt a temporarily life that he wanted to use as a tool. He wanted to create him so he can have what is needed for him to survive. What is life if you can’t control it or own it?

            Therefore I think Matt’s life was being owned by El Patron and not himself. He got a temporarily life until El Patron needed parts to keep himself alive. What is Life if you can’t control it or own it? I think that Matt felt used and he felt like he was a tool for El Patron. I think that knowing Matt he would get really depressed and try to run away. In the book world and our world both have similar themes. Although there in different world they both human emotions, and have what humans have. Overall i think this book was very interesting and exciting.