Miguel Páramo

Character Analysis

Miguel is the kind of guy you want to push into the mud. You want to pour cigarette ash in his coffee. You want to prank him, in order to make him feel like he's going slowly insane.

He has no redeeming qualities, unlike his father Pedro, who at least is in love with Susana. Miguel is an irresponsible, hateful, cruel human being who makes the townspeople's lives miserable and doesn't care.

Fulgor worries about Miguel, because he seems dangerous (you think?). He thinks to himself,

That boy! A ringer for his father, all right, but he's starting off too early. At this rate, I don't think he'll last. I forgot to tell him yesterday someone came by and said he'd killed a man. If he keeps up like this… (37.32)

The only thing that seems to interest Miguel is girls, girls, girls, and he gets them however he can… whether they are willing or (gross) not. He uses Dorotea to find out when they'll be alone. When he meets with her to make the deal "when he came inside he was rubbing his hands" (37.30), Mr. Burns-style.

He rides his horse all over the countryside to his various rendezvous, and that's what ends up killing him. Yessss. We want to shake that horse's hand, uh, hoof.

Miguel is a big disappointment to pretty much everyone, but he is important to Pedro Páramo because he highlights the injustice in Comala's society. Even though he is a jerk, he's the only one of many children that his father recognizes and gives his last name. This gives him the right to boss everyone around, while the rest of Páramo's children—who aren't recognized by their father—are poor and starving to death.