Saragossa · Chapter
XXIV explained
In the midst of the relentless siege, Araceli, exhausted and starving, wanders through the burning streets of Saragossa.
What happens
In the midst of the relentless siege, Araceli, exhausted and starving, wanders through the burning streets of Saragossa. He encounters Father Mateo del Busto, who is mortally wounded but continues to minister to the dying. After the friar's death, Araceli meets Candiola, who is frantic over the loss of his financial receipts in the fire, showing his obsession with material wealth even amid catastrophe.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Mariquilla’s confession—that she has failed to persuade her father to contribute to the war effort and that sh…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- War and Dehumanization
The chapter depicts the dehumanizing effects of war as Araceli and others crawl through blood and mud, scavenging for food and water among corpses.
- Religious Faith and Superstition
Father Mateo's ministrations and Candiola's desperate prayers to the Virgin and Santo Domingo highlight the role of faith in the midst of chaos.
- Survival and Human Endurance
Araceli's struggle to find sustenance and the resilience of the wounded and dying underscore the theme of endurance against overwhelming odds.
Characters to notice
- Augustine Montoria
Mentioned by Candiola when Araceli asks about his daughter and Augustine.
- Mariquilla Candiola
Mentioned by Candiola as being somewhere, but he is unsure of her whereabouts.
- Candiola
Seen emerging from a burning house, clutching a fowl and lamenting the loss of his receipts.
- Father Mateo del Busto
Wounded and dying, he gives absolution to Araceli and dies shortly after.
- Don Araceli
The narrator, who is exhausted and starving, and witnesses the horrors of the siege.
- Coridon
Mentioned by Father Mateo as having been killed by the French.
Key passages
“I could now think clearly again. I could see plainly, and could hear distinctly the shouts and the hurried footsteps, the cannon-shots near and afar in dreadful dialogue.”
My mind cleared, and I became aware of the chaos around me—shouts, footsteps, and the constant exchange of cannon fire.
Araceli regains his senses after a period of delirium.
“That was not the only time when the confessor died before the dying one, and the physician before the patient.”
It was common for the caregivers to die before those they were trying to save.
Reflects the high mortality among those tending to the wounded.
“My daughter—I do not know—there she is—somewhere. All, all! I have lost all. The receipts, the receipts were burned.”
Candiola is more concerned about his burned financial documents than about his daughter's whereabouts.
Highlights Candiola's materialistic priorities even in the midst of disaster.
