46 pages • 1 hour read
Catherine Ryan HydeHave You Seen Luis Velez?
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Symbolic Wordplay
As mentioned in the Themes section, Hyde refers to light and vision throughout the novel. She symbolically names her characters, the most obvious of which is Luis. Luis means “light,” from the Spanish la luz, “the light.” Thus, in losing Luis, Millie has lost the light.
The first time someone addresses Raymond, it is as “Ray Ray.” Even though Millie has lost the light, Raymond brings her a ray when he steps into her world.
Millie gives the stray cat a Luis-derived name: Louise. When Raymond receives an offer of divine help in the form of the patron saint Jude, it comes from the beautiful Luisa.
Hyde also uses characters’ names to define them. Raymond is a Germanic name that means “protector” or “counselor.” Jaffe is a Hebrew name meaning “beautiful” or “pleasant.” Millie, who is Jewish and German, has a new caretaker with the Jewish-German name “beautiful protector.” The name Mildred, from Olde English, means “gentle strength.”
Hyde uses this symbolic wordplay with other characters as well: Velez means “beautiful people.” Baby Ramon’s name means “wise protector,” implying the role he will play in the family.
The Tribe to Which One Belongs
The motif of belonging runs throughout the narrative. Hyde uses the idea of belonging to force readers to reflect on their own families, communities, ethnicities, and nationalities. Both Millie and the prosecuting attorney use the word “tribe” to refer to the subsets of human beings to which individuals belong. Hyde begins by introducing two characters, Raymond and Millie, who no longer belong to any tribe and suffer for it. Thus, the author reveals the importance of having a tribe.
When Luis’s ethnicity becomes an issue at Ms. Hatfield’s trial, Hyde explores the dangers of human tribes. The author posits that individuals within one group tend to be prejudiced in favor of that group to the exclusion of individuals from other groups. As Millie describes her family’s escape from Nazi Germany, she recounts the most destructive aspects of prejudice and tribalism.
The idea of belonging permeates the block party scene of Chapter 19. A new community welcomes Isabel, leaving no doubt that they accept her. The author reveals how beautiful belonging can be.
Mistaken Assumptions
False assumption pervades the novel. Many people assume things that are simply incorrect. Raymond’s mother assumes he has a girlfriend and that he is arguing with her when he’s depressed about Luis’s death. Luisa assumes Raymond is attracted to her. The lawyer’s wife assumes Raymond has come to tell her that her husband is involved with another woman. The gravest false assumption is when Ms. Hatfield assumes Luis is going to rob or assault her.
Hyde intertwines discussions of prejudice with mistaken assumptions. She suggests that prejudices are based on false assumptions. Mistaken assumptions, she points out, can make us look foolish, as when Raymond’s mother finds out his “girlfriend” is 92 years old. Mistaken assumptions can also result in devastating and deadly consequences.
