The Life of a Clone
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Who is Matt?
Matteo Alacrán is an outcast in El Patrón's world. Nobody wants to socialize with a clone, so they ignore him all together. Once El Patrón dies, Matt runs away and tries to fit in. Matt realizes that outside El Patrón's world, people are different. What Matt thought was the right opinion, is actually the opposite of what everyone believes. He has to find out who he really is, not who he grew up learning to be.
Literary Devices
Literary Elements Further the Plot
Irony and setting are two literary elements that help advance the story. The unique setting sets the reader in a futuristic country called Opium, which is a section of poppy fields separating the Untied States and what was once called Mexico. The setting causes the reader to think about all aspects and details of the story. The irony in this book is that Matt believes El Patrón loves him like a father would a child, when in reality, El Patrón only loves the idea of Matt-- a perfect clone who can give him vital organs in the case that his fail (220). Irony helps the plot move by creating two different aspects that only the reader knows.
Praise or Pan?
More by Nancy Farmer...
Nancy Farmer has written three Newbery-Honor books among her many published works. A few other books are:
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm: When General Matsika’s children decide to go on a dangerous adventure to prove themselves worthy, they get lost, kidnapped, escape, held hostage, kidnapped again, and almost sacrificed. Can the hired detectives Ear, Eye, and Arm save the children? Can the kids find their way home?
The Sea of Trolls: Jack, a Bard's apprentice, is kidnapped by a group of ferocious vikings. He anticipates being sold into slavery, serving his kidnappers for the rest of his life, and most definitely not seeing his home ever again. What he doesn't expect is the enchanted adventure that he is taken on which leads him into the hearts of his abductors and to the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil.
A Girl Named Disaster: Nhamo, a Shona girl living in Mozambique in 1981, is left a slave in her village after her mother dies. When she discovers that she must marry a merciless man with three other wives, Nhamo resolves to run away. What was supposed to be a short boat trip to Zimbabwe turns into an experience filled with challenges and danger that lasts a year.