Depiction of The Personality of The Character Matteo Alacran The House of The Scorpion

Introduction

The House of the Scorpion, written by Nancy Farmer (2002), is the story of Matteo Alacran, who is actually a clone of a powerful drug lord, El Patron. Matt is despised by everyone in his family except the drug lord himself, who loves him as a pet. Cecilia is his caretaker in the "Big House," and Matt is restricted from seeing other children. He is treated harshly by the Alacrans until El Patron shows up and is infuriated at Matt's living conditions; he orders that he be put in a room like everyone else. At this point in the book, the ethical question of Matt's treatment begins to emerge.

The Ethical Dilemma

Shortly after, Matt discovers a dead body in the Opium fields; in fact, he finds an eejit, a human slave with a computer chip in their brain. The concept of eejits is horrifying; it strips away the very essence of being human and individual choice. This portrayal serves as a metaphor for how society can dehumanize individuals by taking away their autonomy. After El Patron's death, Matt runs away to Aztlan, present-day Mexico, and finds an orphanage filled with communistic 'Lost Boys'. However, it is quite the contrary; the keepers lavish themselves with a wide selection of delicacies while the Lost Boys are limited to just plankton. Matt leads a rebellion against the keepers and destroys their tyrannical government.

Political and Social Commentary

Nancy Farmer (2002) sends a powerful message about how communistic experiments in the world today have failed to thrive due to corruption. Maria's mother, Esperanza, is a champion of clones' rights in the United States and tells Matt that with El Patron dead, Matt can officially take his place as the leader of Opium. Clones fighting for civil rights in the United States is a huge political and governmental step; through this book, clones are portrayed as individuals and thus should be treated as such. Matt finally goes back to Opium with the intention of shutting down Opium and reverting eejits back to humans.

Depiction of the Personality of Matteo Alacran

Nancy Farmer wrote The House of the Scorpion to reiterate the belief that civil rights should be extended to all human beings, no matter their origin—in this case, clones. Senator Mendoza is a clear example of this belief. He is the fictitious senator in the book who fights for clones to be recognized as human beings and treated as such. Universal civil rights for all human beings are a major part of Nancy Farmer's message, but she also juxtaposes several governments together. Opium's government is tyrannical, headed by El Patron. He even has human slaves with computer chips in their minds! The failed attempt at a communistic government is seen in the orphanage of the Lost Boys. The keepers are corrupted in their view of fairness. Meanwhile, the United States government is portrayed as standing stable and secure in the background, even fighting for clones' rights.

Conclusion

I believe Nancy Farmer's assertions are valid because if a minority were to fight for civil rights, America would be the leading candidate to start a movement. Although we are not quite on board with cloning ethically yet, Americans still believe in individualism, freedom, and equality, so clones should have the same rights and privileges as other humans. I highly recommend this book because it is eye-opening and enlightening to consider such circumstances concerning civil rights. The book forces you to reflect on how you have treated others, whether discriminately or not. The book's message of civil rights will resonate in your mind days after you put it down. It offers great insight into the human condition and also compares types of governments by setting them next to each other. I really enjoyed this book, and I believe anyone who picks it up will enjoy it just as much.

References

Farmer, N. (2002). The House of the Scorpion. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.