Mina - “Hobbledehoydom”
Martinez writes, “In 1994, I wake up next to an implausibly beautiful woman, Mina, in the north of Bogotá. She’s British. Twenty-seven. She’s into 10,000 Maniacs, is trying to read García Márquez in Spanish, teaches science and math at a private school, is witty and sweet and easygoing. I’m still 21. Her apartment is clean, spare, has two floors.” Mina is absolutely stunning and Martinez is lured by her beauty. She is more organized than Martinez for she has a career and is somehow independent (in that she takes Martinez in). Mina is more dominant in her affair with Martinez who is still a hobbledehoy.
Photographs - “Forsaken, The Crew Awaited News From The People Below”
Martinez explains, “Most, when photographed, lean into the device, ears against the auricular. “Hello?” they say in jest. If the crew and authorities are still down there, and the device is functioning from their end, that’s all they hear: Hello, hello, hello. Hello, anybody there? Hello?” Photographs suggest that the people are convinced that the individuals who disappeared in the ship’s bowel could be alive. The device is the sole link between the public and the disappeared persons. Although the device is malfunctioned, it does not discourage the public from uttering ‘hellos’ because it is symbolic of communication.
“Enterprise Carolina's Gang" - "After The End Of The World: A Capsule Review”
Martinez explains, “They wear leather and dog-collars, fishnet stockings cosmetically torn, heavy mascara, and silver and silverette chains with skulls, monkeys, Celtic crosses, and the suggestive tongue logo of The Rolling Stones. Their hair is dramatically gelled. They sulk.” The gang members are utterly conspicuous: they would be easily discerned once they appear. The monkey skulls underscore their inherent danger, since they discourage the public's love through modest and impressive dressing. Their presence alludes to the impending doom they are about to unleash. The unappealing appearance is a covert allusion to the viciousness of rampant capitalism.
Young Men - “Hobbledehoydom”
Martinez cites Trollope: "There is a class of young men who never get petted, though they may not be the less esteemed, or perhaps loved…. Such young men are often awkward, ungainly, and not yet formed in their gait; they straggle with their limbs, and are shy; words do not come to them with ease, when words are required, among any but their accustomed associates.” The young men Trollope describes are archetypal hobbledehoys who experience difficulty when socializing with others especially women. Their physical form exemplifies the lack of confidence; hence, they do not appear like ordinary men. Communication with others is a challenge for the hobbledehoys as well. Trollope's description of the young men suggests that he is acquainted with hobbledehoys and all the mannerisms which differentiate them from other men.
