Marcos Character Analysis

Nívea’s brother and Clara and Rosa’s uncle. When the novel begins, two men deliver Marcos’s body to the del Valle residence, along with his personal possessions, including trunks full of books and a puppy named Barrabás. Marcos died overseas of a mysterious plague, and Nívea and the children are devastated. Marcos was an odd man who preserved exotic animals with taxidermy and spent the nighttime hours making strange movements meant to perfect his mind and improve digestion. He frequently stayed with his sister and her family, and the children grow up hearing stories of his adventures in faraway lands. After Marcos’s death, Clara reads his magic books and travel journals, as do Clara’s children and her granddaughter, Alba. This further underscores the profound connection between family members, even those of distant generations.