Pregnant woman
One of the most important images in the story is that if Fanny, the woman Francisco left pregnant after the two had an affair. Fanny ends up killing Francisco in a fit of rage and she loses her mind soon after. This is an important image in the novel because the image of Fanny is used to exemplify what happens to those who refuse to adhere to the strict moral ideas which exist in a society.
Carlos in his prime
The novel begins with the narrator describing Carlos before he got sick. He is described as a man in his prime, not affected by what others believed about him and what they cared about his actions. The image described of Carlos, in the beginning, is that of personified masculinity. This image is often compared with that of other men and is important because of the way it makes the other characters feel.
Women as jealous creatures
All the women who got involved with Carlos at one point find out about the other women the man they loved getting involved with and become jealous. This feeling makes them act irrationally and even makes them dangerous. In fact, in some instances, these women even become capable of committing murder just to attract the attention of the man they want. This image is an important one because it presents each woman in the novel as irrational and dangerous.
The last stages of illness
The novel ends with a shocking image, that of Carlos moments before he died. This image is compared with the memory of the man as he looked in his youth and of the way he used to behave when he still had his health. This image is an important one because it shows just how much illness can change a person and also how powerless we are in front of death.
