ers ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁those ▁who , ▁long ▁under ▁the ▁dom ination ▁of ▁the ▁over - ag gress ive ▁father ▁figure , ▁lack ▁love ▁and ▁pity ". ▁Furthermore , ▁el ▁Pe le le ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁tool ▁that ▁allows ▁readers ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁psych ological ▁effects ▁of ▁living ▁under ▁a ▁dict ator ship ▁ruled ▁by ▁terror . ▁His ▁murder ous ▁act ▁seems ▁to ▁trigger ▁the ▁subsequent ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁to ▁impact ▁on ▁all ▁the ▁characters . ▁Also ▁important ▁is ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁one ▁moment ▁of ▁complete ▁happiness ▁experienced ▁by ▁the ▁Z any ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁takes ▁place ▁while ▁he ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁dream - like ▁state . ▁Walker ▁arg ues ▁that ▁this ▁serves ▁to ▁highlight ▁the ▁har sh , ▁night mar ish ▁world ▁of ▁reality ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁forced ▁to ▁live . ▁ ▁Minor ▁characters ▁▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁includes ▁a ▁host ▁of ▁minor ▁characters ▁who , ▁in ▁Richard ▁Franklin ' s ▁words , ▁" gro pe ▁for ▁the ▁means ▁to ▁assert ▁the ▁valid ity ▁of ▁self ▁and ▁to ▁anchor ▁this ▁individual ity ▁in ▁a ▁night m are ▁which ▁constantly ▁faces ▁it ▁with ▁black ▁nothing ness ". ▁These ▁characters ▁range ▁from ▁Colonel ▁José ▁Par ral es ▁Son ri ente , ▁otherwise ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" man ▁with ▁the ▁little ▁m ule ", ▁whose ▁murder ▁at ▁the ▁C athedral ▁Por ch ▁opens ▁the ▁novel , ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁begg ars , ▁prisoners , ▁minor ▁officials , ▁relatives , ▁fl atter ers , ▁bar keep ers ▁and ▁prost it