Grief
Juan Carlos succumbs to tuberculosis. Nélida Fernandez is still devastated about Juan’s untimely death. She is now a married woman with kids but Nélida finds it impossible to move on from the life she could’ve had with Juan. Ever since Juan swept her off her feet, Nélida fell in love. That love turned into undesirable grief that continues to haunt her. Time doesn’t seem to heal her wounds, if anything, it’s making it even more painful to bear.
Fantasy
Nélida constantly escapes her reality into a fantasy dream where she is getting ready to be married to Juan Carlos in a celestial wedding up in the heavens. She is unable to accept her reality. Her fantasies offer her a sort of consolation and keep her from completely breaking down. Nélida’s life has become a shell of what it used to be. The death of Juan Carlos destroyed her. Her dreams and fantasies keep her in a state of calm and peace.
Stereotype
When Juan Carlos dies, many people who admired and respected him are left with only great memories they shared with him. In remembrance of Juan Carlos Etchepare, newspapers, letters, confessions, diaries, and witness statements are produced in large quantities, many of which did not portray Juan Carlos as he truly was. The author stresses the contrast between different accounts of who Juan Carlos was as many tended to stereotype him. Since Juan Carlos was a pop phenomenon, his life and legacy were always going to be subject to stereotyping. As many people connected with him, it was always expected that they had different opinions about him.
