Pedro Paramo

El Tilcuate survived the battle against the Villistas. He explains to Pedro that the battle was just chaos; he actually joined the Villistas as he and Pedro agree that they should be “on the side of whoever’s winning” (119). Now, however, their militia is in dire need of money. Pedro refuses to help. He tells El Tilcuate to take his men and loot Contla. El Tilcuate does so. After he has left, Pedro thinks about his wife. When he had sex with the “small, frightened, trembling” (121) servant girl the previous night, he tried to imagine that she was Susana. He is pained that Susana will never be the young girl with whom he fell in love.

Susana talks to Justina about the nature of sin. She believes the whole world has been consumed by sin. Justina trusts her friend, though she cannot hear those same deep, guttural noises that Susana claims come from the depths of the earth. Justina cleans the room and Susana rests on the bed, thinking aloud about hell, sin, and death. Susana does not believe in heaven, only hell. She falls asleep.

Justina goes to tell Pedro that Susana seems despondent. She seems to have given up on living. Furthermore, Father Renteria did not bring her communion, as he was supposed to do. Pedro visits Susana. When he enters, she is writhing in her bed. He tries to comfort her. As he does so, Renteria appears, bearing the communion. Susana is given communion but, afterward, she speaks about a “glorious day” (123) with Florencio. Then, she falls asleep.

Fausta and Angeles are two elderly women. They see that a light has gone out at Pedro’s ranch and one of the rooms—likely Susana’s room—is now in the dark. They speculate that the “poor, crazy” (124) Susana is dead. Fausta claims that Susana’s condition and possible death are God’s way of punishing Pedro for his sins. The women pass through the town, seeing other people rushing toward the ranch. They hope that Susana was at least able to make a final confession. They fear that her death will distract people from the upcoming Christmas festivities. The women go to their separate homes, agreeing to trust in “Divine Providence” (125).

Father Renteria administers the last rites to Susana, but she does not understand what is happening. She wants to die alone. She refuses to repeat his words. As he talks, she has visions of his face melting. Renteria looks to the doctor, Pedro, and others for support. When he asks Susana to repent her sins, she tells him to go away. Justina begins to cry, causing Susana to shout at her as well. Susana collapses with the effort. She struggles to breathe, sinking “deeper into the night” (128). 

In the present, Dorotea claims that she saw Susana die. She is sincere, though Juan is confused.

In the past, the church bells toll to mourn Susana’s death. The “pealing of bells” (128) continues for days, drawing people from the surrounding region. These people do not understand that the bells are sad; they throw a large “fiesta” (130). Pedro is furious that people are enjoying themselves while he is consumed by grief. He plots his revenge by deciding to allow the town to fall into ruin, so that the people will starve.

El Tilcuate tells Pedro about the state of his war. He leads his small militia against similar groups. Pedro is uninterested. So many people are being swept up in the militia violence and the broader revolution that even Father Renteria joins the fight. He joins the rebels, though Pedro insists that his people—led by El Tilcuate —should fight “on the side of the government” (131), though he is told that the government views his people as enemies. Pedro does not care. He lets El Tilcuate pick the side on which the men fight.

Pedro spends the years after Susana’s death in a deep pit of misery. He sits in his chair all night, waiting for his death. Each morning, he relives the exact moment at which Susana died. He mumbles incoherently to himself.

While Pedro is mumbling to himself in his chair, Abundio Martinez tries to go into a store belonging to Gamaliel Villapando. The store is closed, however, as Gamaliel is asleep. He stirs from his hungover sleep just long enough to complain about life. Instead, Abundio speaks to Gamaliel’s mother, Ines. He wants to buy alcohol, he says, “to ease [his] sorrow” (133) as his wife died the previous night. Abundio sold everything he had to afford his wife’s medical care but it was not enough. Ines speaks disjointedly about death and her son, while Abundio mentions that no one will attend his wife’s funeral. Ines agrees to give Abundio two bottles of alcohol, one being free. She also offers her prayers for his dead wife.

Abundio thinks about his wife’s body. It is still in his house. Father Renteria did not arrive in time to perform the last rites as he was away, fighting as a part of the revolution. Abundio drinks a little, listens to Ines’s confused talk, and then takes the rest of his alcohol away. He gets lost on the way home and finds himself on the outskirts of Comala. As he wanders around, Pedro spots him. Pedro sends Damiana to fetch Abundio. By the time she reaches him, he is too drunk to stand. He begs for money “To bury [his] wife” (135). Damiana crosses herself; both she and Abundio feel that the other is some kind of demon. In the distance, Pedro seems to vanish under his coat. Damiana screams. She says that Pedro is being killed. Abundio is still thinking about his wife, whose body is still at home. He begs for “a little money” (136) again but Damiana ignores him. Her screams draw several men to the scene. They find Damiana on the ground. Pedro has been beaten but he has survived. Abundio is holding a “bloody knife” (137) in his hand. The men drag Abundio away as he spews up bile and admits that he is drunk.

Pedro watches as Abundio is dragged away. He sits in his chair, then realizes that he has lost the use of his left hand. This seems familiar, as he feels as though “some part of him” (137) dies each day. His thoughts drift back to Susana. Soon, he realizes that his other hand is also not functioning. Pedro knows that he will die soon. Gradually, his body begins to fail. When his heart stops, he is relieved that he will finally be able to escape the ghosts of nighttime. At the same time, however, he will no longer be able to ignore Abundio and his pleas for help. When Damiana asks him about dinner, Pedro assures her that he will come soon. When he stands, however, he collapses “like a pile of rocks” (139). Pedro is dead.