Protagonist's Sideburns
The unnamed protagonist wears his sideburns in the shape of the letter U. This is symbolic of his membership of and loyalty to the Unitario party.
Rosista Emblem Symbol
The Rosista emblem is supposed to be worn by everyone. This symbolizes loyalty to the government. It also symbolizes fear of the government since going about town without an emblem is to court danger and difficulty. The protagonist does not wear such an emblem which symbolizes that he is both reckless and from out of town.
Protagonist's Saddle Symbol
The protagonist rides a horse with a saddle known as a silla - the kind of saddle that a "gringo" wears. This is a symbol to the locals of a city dweller.
Floods Symbol
The flooding in the town is terrible. It is seen by the Church and by locals too as a symbol of God's anger about the existence of the Unitarios, who are considered wicket and heretical.
Matasiete Symbol
The name Matasiete means "kills seven" and it also means "braggart". This name is symbolic of the character and personality of the butcher whose choice of occupation has little to do with wanting to provide food for Argentinians and everything to do with the enjoyment of inflicting as much pain as possible on those who cannot defend themselves, and bragging about it afterwards.
