The final "Surrounded" image
The final moment of the book is representative of the difficult reality of Archilde's position in life. As a half-Spanish half-Native person, he is already at odds with the racially injust communities of 1936 America, but now, because of his education and indoctrination in that white culture, he is also not accepted by his homelands. Therefore, the final image represents the fact that he is left as a pariah, a victim of conspiracy like the Christ figure himself.
The messianic allegory
There is an unignorable similarity between this protagonist and the religious figure Jesus Christ, because both are well traveled (Jesus was at least partially raised in Egypt, as Archilde was at least partially raised in a boarding school), and their open-minded approach to life lead both to be rejected by their own communities. For Archilde, even his own parents reject him, and just as the Christ is traditionally understood to be sacrificed for the atonement of the world, Archilde is also sacrificed by his community for the sins of his community—even his own mother.
The motif of vice
One vice in the novel is racism orxenophobia. Ironically, even oppressed people can be vicious or racist. Another vice is substance abuse. Then there is the problem of domestic abuse and violence in the community, and ultimately, this culminates in two real murders. There is undoubtably a commentary here about people's propensity to indulge in vices, especially if they are suffering from systemic injustice.
Hopelessness as a motif
Look at the lives of the people in the community. There is no economy in the community, no sense of future. In fact, the central plot twist involves hope being removed from Archilde as he faces the police. This motif underscores the difficulties facing the Native communities throughout American history.
Religion as a motif
Right worship is a significant discussion in the book. Namely, the protagonist must face the perplexing problem of religion in light of his mother's rejection of Christianity and return to native folklore. The question of religion underscores the intimacy of identity and the difficulty of navigating different world views and influences.
