Essay Questions

What is the meaning of the title of the novel?

The title of the novel, “The Last Cuentista,” is directly related to the main protagonist, Petra. The novel opens up with her Lita telling her one of her stories, one of her cuentos, about the young fire snake who was blinded by his father, the Sun, and who wants to return to his mother, the Earth. In the next chapter, it is revealed that the story relates to the apocalyptic event of the meteor falling on and destroying the Earth. This opening reveals the main motif that will be intertwined into the plot: The motif of storytelling. Petra wants to follow in her Lita’s footsteps and become a storyteller, a cuentista. At the end, she succeeds, and she becomes the last storyteller from Earth with an obligation to tell the story of humanity.

What does the Collective represent?

The Collective is a clear representation of radicalism and radical thought. They are a collection of humanity that goes to extremes to accomplish their goal, which is inherently not bad. It is a goal to prevent mistakes humanity committed on Earth, like war and evil. To accomplish this goal, they erase any form of individualism. Each individual is an expendable part of the whole body. For a group that is apparently fighting for the survival and betterment of humanity, they have little regard for human life.

Why are Petra’s stories important?

Petra’s stories or cuentos are important because they are a tool that preserves humanity in the grayness and sterility of the Collective's rule over the spaceship. Despite the other Zetas from her group being reprogrammed to lose every trace of their previous, human self, she is able to touch that presumably erased part of them with her stories. Not only that, her stories reach Voxy, the little boy born and groomed to be the next leader of the Collective. Petra’s cuentos are a symbol of humanity, with all its colors and diversity.