Mario Jimenez a young an immature boy with no experience in life started his career at age seventeen as a post man to the famous poet Pablo Neruda. Both characters have very similar but yet very different experiences throughout the book, Pablo and Mario became good friends along the plot of the story. When Mario got hired to be Pablo’s postman he was very well excited about the job even though that would be his only client but that did not bother Mario. He would deliver the mail and telegrams but did not have a conversation with the poet at all. Mario wanted the poet to sign one of his books (Elemental odes) that Mario bought to get girls. Intimated and shy Mario did not have the nerves to ask the poet to sign his book after reciting how he would ask for a while. One day after delivering the mail and a letter from Sweden Mario hoped that he could get the poet to sign his book but instead they had a good conversation over metaphors. Later on Mario found his way to the tavern and discovered his beautiful beloved Beatriz Gonzalez soon he realized he was in love with her; it was love at first sight. He went on to tell Neruda about his love and the way he felt when he saw her, this is when he took the interest in poetry. Neruda told Mario about a poet named Dante Alighieri he as well fell in love with a women named Beatriz. Neruda told Mario that Dante had fallen with the women’s provocative loves, just like Mario was describing his situation to Neruda. Mario started making up metaphors just like Neruda in his poems.
Both character faced a problem in the story for Mario it was Rosa Gonzalez, Beatriz’s mother and for Don Pablo Neruda the nomination of him becoming the president of Chile. In an encounter with deputy labbe (who had won the last election), Mario told him that he was voting for Neruda labbe tried to bribe young Mario with a blank note book. With this book Mario would write down his finish works so he could recite them