The House Of The Scorpions Character Analysis

People often study their reflection in a mirror. They study the details of their face, the curve of their nose, and maybe think of what they might look like with just minor changes to their features. In the book, The House of the Scorpions, Matt is a clone of the master of the Alacran Estate, El Patron. Matt’s image in the mirror reflects the humanity theme of the book – while Matt knows he is a clone, he doesn’t feel any different than his DNA donor El Patron. In fact, he is treated in many aspects like he is El Patron himself. As El Patron says to his family and staff, "Listen, all of you. This is my clone. He's the most important person in my life. If you thought it was any of you sorry, misbegotten swine, think again. Matt is to be treated with respect, just as though I were here in his place. He is to be educated, well fed, and entertained. He is not to be mistreated. Anyone- anyone- who harms Matt will be dealt with severely. Do I make myself clear?" (Farmer Sixty Two)
He treats all of them very well by spoiling them with treats, but in the end, they all end up dying for the same purpose, to keep El Patron alive. This is until Matt. This is why there are multiple clones in the mirror. Matt states many things throughout the book that shows he feels like a reflection of El Patron and cares about El Patron even though he knows that El Patron is harvesting him for organs to live longer. Much like his prison of a home, mirrors do not comfort people and often show defects. Matt spent much of him time alone with his music knowing that his life could end at any time. "Underneath Matt felt a hollowness. He understood he was only a photograph of a human, and that meant he wasn't really important. Photographs could lie forgotten in drawers for years. They could be thrown away." (Farmer Eighty