Essay Questions

Why does Antonio yearn for a black box?

Antonio witnessed the death of Ricardo but he did not know the motives of the murderers. He was so astonished that he wished to have a black box which could record his conversation before death. He also desires to have a black box for himself because he wanted to have a record of his transformation in life. He symbolically says that he has also fallen from the sky but there is no record of his fall.

What was Ricardo and Antonio’s relationship?

Antonio was a university professor and he had affairs with different girls. One night he came at a club and he met Ricardo there. They got acquainted with each other within short span of time. Antonio started considering him as his friend and he was so much grieved at his death. He felt like he has lost a closed one and his life was changed altogether after Ricardo’s death.

Why was Ricardo murdered?

Ricardo was involved in drug dealing and he spent years in prison. After releasing from the prison, he was murdered by the drug cartels. They also attacked Antonio just because he was with Ricardo. The drug cartels were killing people in streets in front of everyone without being afraid of law or the authorities. It symbolizes the lawlessness in Colombian society.