Saint Emmanuel the Good, Martyr

Content Warning: The text addresses themes of death by suicide and suicidal ideation alongside employing outdated and offensive terminology regarding people with disabilities.

The lake is a critical symbol and recurring motif linked to the themes of Saintliness, Legacy, and Mortality, and The Tragedy of Consciousness. It is a mirror, reflecting how characters grapple with their faith and doubts.

For example, Don Manuel’s internal conflict is highlighted by Lázaro’s comparison of him to a submerged town, suggesting layers of hidden doubt beneath his outward faith: “[A]t the bottom of our Don Manuel’s soul there’s something submerged, drowned, a town whose bells you can sometimes hear” (76). Lázaro’s observation shines a light on the duality of Don Manuel’s character, outwardly serene yet inwardly battling with existential questions. Angela’s observation of the deep sadness in his eyes, which are “blue as the waters of the lake” (69), also serves as evidence of his complex inner life, hinting at his concealed despair—in particular, his desire for death. This is something Don Manuel himself confirms, seeing in the lake both a symbol of his inner turmoil and a possible means of suicide: “This water looks so calm—the current runs below the surface—and mirrors the sky; how it calls to me!” (85).