▁mentions ▁in ▁her ▁conf ession ▁is ▁no ▁fault ▁at ▁all : ▁she ▁went ▁horse back ▁r iding ▁ast ride , ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁som eg ▁Indians ." ▁ ▁The ▁Z any ▁ ▁The ▁Z any ▁( orig . ▁Spanish ▁el ▁Pe le le ), ▁also ▁translated ▁as ▁the ▁Id iot ▁by ▁some ▁critics , ▁appears ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁four ▁chap ters ▁and ▁again ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁chapter ▁seven ▁but ▁serves ▁a ▁critical ▁function ▁in ▁the ▁novel . ▁The ▁Z any , ▁who ▁" look ed ▁like ▁a ▁cor pse ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁as leep " ▁and ▁had ▁eyes ▁that ▁" s aw ▁nothing , ▁felt ▁nothing " ▁is ▁critical ▁to ▁establish ing ▁the ▁tone ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁trigger ing ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁action . ▁Crit ic ▁John ▁Walker ▁arg ues ▁that , ▁by ▁" cho osing ▁the ▁Id iot ▁as ▁a ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁innoc ent , ▁the ▁a - polit ical , ▁who ▁suffer ▁the ▁ab uses ▁of ▁a ▁total itar ian ▁regime ▁[...] ▁Ast ur ias ▁shows ▁how ▁dict ator ship ▁cor rupt s ▁people ▁and ▁dest ro ys ▁their ▁values ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁comp ass ion ▁for ▁one ' s ▁companion ▁in ▁dist ress ▁ce ases ▁to ▁exist ." ▁In ▁fact , ▁it ▁becomes ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁happiness ▁that ▁the ▁Z any ▁experiences ▁is ▁through ▁the ▁memory ▁of ▁his ▁dead ▁mother . ▁Ast ur ias ▁then ▁shows ▁how ▁el ▁Pe le le , ▁a ▁mother - lo ving ▁figure , ▁" su ff