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The House of the Scorpion
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The House of the Scorpion (2002) (edit title/settings)

by Nancy Farmer (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium - a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a... read more

Summary edit see section history

Matt Alacran finds himself in a difficult situation when it is discovered that he is a clone of the powerful drug lord. He is jailed for months by the housekeeper until he is released, but only faces more challenging times. He lives with the Alacrans who treat him poorly in Opium, a nation in... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Matt Alacran finds himself in a difficult situation when it is discovered that he is a clone of the powerful drug lord. He is jailed for months by the housekeeper until he is released, but only faces more challenging times. He lives with the Alacrans who treat him poorly in Opium, a nation in between the U.S. and what used to be known as Mexico. When El Patron,or the real Matt Alacran, finally dies at unnatural ages,he must escape to Aztlan, the new Mexico, or face death. Aztlan brings even more problems in which Matt must face to find someone who will help when trying to overthrow Opium.

Characters edit see section history

  • Matteo Alacran: Matt: The clone who has been kept away from humanity and everyone treats/thinks of as an animal.
  • El Patron: El Patron, the original Matteo Alacran, a powerful drug lord who is 140 years old in the beginning of this book. He is extremely wealthy and uses it towards him for his power. He has a very high concern for Matt's care, education, and health.
  • Maria: Younger daughter of Senator Mendoza, friend of Matt.
  • Celia: Chief cook and Matt's caregiver. Celia is almost like Matt's mother. She always has positive thoughts towards others. She knows where she stands in the Alacran Kingdom. She took care of Matt since he was very little
  • Tam Lin: Bodyguard for both El Patron and Matt
  • Tom: Son of Feliciia and Mr. MacGregor; Matt's enemy
  • Emilia: Maria's sister--daughter of Senator Mendoza
  • Chacho: Another Lost Boy in the Plankton Factory who befriends MAtt & Fidelito
  • Fidelito: A Lost Boy; eight years old
  • Furball: Maria's pet dog
  • Ton-Ton: A Lost Boy; driver of the shrimp harvester.
  • El Viejo: El Patron's grandson and Mr. Alacran's father
  • Mr. Alacran: El Patron's great-grandson, husband of Felicia, father of Benito and Steven
  • Felicia: Mr. Alacran's wife; mother of Benito, Steven and Tom
  • Benito: Oldest son of Mr. Alacran and Felicia, married to Fani. Drop out of college.
  • Steven: Son of Mr. Alacran and Felicia
  • Fani: Benito's wife
  • Senator Mendoza: A powerful politician in the United States--Emelia and Mara's father.
  • Esperanza: Maria's mother; disappeared when Maria was five.
  • Mr. MacGregor: A drug lord; El Patron's old friend
  • Daft Donald: One of El Patron's many bodyguards.
  • Rosa: Housekeeper; Matt's jailer.
  • Felipe: El Patron's son who died long ago
  • Willum: Doctor to the family. Has some kind of relationship with Rosa.
  • Mr. Ortega: Matt's piano teacher, he is deaf.
  • Teacher: An eejit
  • Hugh, Ralf, & Wee Willie: members of the Farm Patrol--the group of people who guard the borders and capture anyone trying to cross. The people caught are turned into eejits.
  • Raul: Keeper at Orphanage
  • Flaco: oldest Lost Boy
  • Luna: Lost Boy in charge of the infirmary
  • Guapo: old man celebrating El Dio de los Muertos
  • Consuela: Old woman celebrating El Dio de los Muertos
  • Sister Inez: nurse at the convent of Santa Clara
Show all 33 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Very dark indeed is his majesty when he wants to be. When he was young, he made a choice, like a tree does when it decides to grow one way or the other. He grew large and green until he shadowed over the whole forest, but most of his branches are twisted.”
    Tam Lin
  • “You could say I'm a cat with nine lives. As long as there's mice to catch, I intend to keep hunting.”
    El Patron
  • “Fetal brain implants - I must try that sometime.”
    MacGregor
  • “You can tell how much someone loves you by the size of the present.”
    El Patron
  • “I always say the truth is best even when we find it unpleasant. Any rat in a sewer can lie. It's how rats are. It's what makes them rats. But a human doesn't run and hide in dark places, because he's something more. Lying is the most personal act of cowardice there is. (page 134)”
    Tam Lin
  • “"Voy a enseñarle la mapa mundi"”
    Fidelito

Setting & Locations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

In the beginning there were thirty-six of them, thirty-six droplets of life so tiny that Eduardo could see them only under a microscope.

Table of Contents edit see section history

I. Youth: 0 to 6
1. In the Beginning
2. The Little House in the Poppy Fields
3. Property of the Alacran Estate
4. Maria
5. Prison

II. Middle Age: 7 to 11
6. El Patron
7. Teacher
8. The Eejit in the Dry Field
9. The Secret Passage
10. A Cat with Nine Lives
11. The Giving and Taking of Gifts
12. The Thing on the Bed
13. The Lotus Pond
12. Celia's Story

III. Old Age: 12 to 14
15. A Starved Bird
16. Brother Wolf
17. The Eejit Pens
18. The Dragon Hoard
19. Coming-of-Age
20. Esperanza
21. Blood Wedding
22. Betrayal

IV. Age 14
23. Death
24. A Final Good-Bye
25. The Farm Patrol

V. La Vida Nueva
26.The Lost Boys
27. A Five-legged Horse
28. The Plankton Factory
29. Washing a Dusty Mind
30. When the Whales Lost Their Legs
31. Ton-Ton
32. Found Out
33. The Boneyard
34. The Shrimp Harvester
35. El Dia de los Muertos
36. Homecoming
37. The House of Eternity

Glossary edit see section history

  • Eejit: A human with a brain implant that removes their ability to make decisions.
  • Mí Vida: The Spanish word for "my life"
  • laudanum: opium dissolved in alcohol

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • The Future: This is the author's idea of what the future may be like.
  • Prejudice: The clones are subject to severe prejudice

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Newbery Honor Roll. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Nancy Farmer (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Country: United States of America
Publication Date: September 1, 2002
ISBN: 0689852223
Page Count: 380

Awards edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

This book has.... mature themes. It may be frightening for younger children, or they may not grasp the concept. This book is definitely for young adults or advanced readers.

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Ear, the Eye and the Arm
  • Unwind
  • Uglies
  • Brave New World Revisited
  • Feed
  • The Giver
  • The Hunger Games
  • Never Let Me Go
  • The Goodness Gene
  • Double Helix
  • The Clone Codes
  • Transplant (Point)
  • Plague
  • Taylor Five
  • Restoring Harmony
  • David Copperfield

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • The Sea of Trolls

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Connecting Young Adults And Libraries

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