The House of Broken Angels

The rain and rainbows symbolize hope and immortality, particularly regarding the life and death of Big Angel. On the way to Mamá América’s funeral, when it begins to rain, Big Angel reflects: “He watched the sky. He was amassing evidence of any kind of signal sent from Beyond. Anything at all. Braulio? Mother? Anybody? Rain was good. He could work with rain. Many messages in rain. Rainbows were even better” (26). Rainbows and rain are symbols from the beyond, which for Big Angel means hope. As a dying man, he finds solace in the idea of a god and a heaven and sees the symbol of rain as hope for a future beyond this world. Though others see rain as a bad omen, Big Angel sees a divine message. It comes from the sky and thus speaks to the intentions and presence of God.

While earlier in the novel Big Angel reflects on the significance of rainbows as a symbol of divine messages, as the novel ends the symbol is tied to a material form of immortality. The model of San Diego, which Ookie and Big Angel spent years building, is also a rainbow. This city model, which Big Angel hides from his family, is a symbol of hope and immortality because it will live on after Big Angel’s death. It is a permanent structure of dedication, love, and belonging. Its rainbow color is significant because it ties the model to divinity—it becomes a holy site to preserve Big Angel’s memory. 

The house in which the novel takes place in San Ysidro is a symbol of Big Angel’s success and his sense of belonging. As a Mexican man who snuck across the border to build a better life for his starving family, Big Angel feels disconnected from much of American culture. Big Angel is insistent on proving himself to the gringos of California. He reflects on his work ethic in the early chapters of the novel, thinking: “A Mexican doing what these rich Americanos couldn’t do was the point.” (15) His success is tied to his ability to outperform white men and prove himself.

Because of this desire to prove himself, owning a home is an important symbol of success for Big Angel. He owns a literal piece of America—a place that rejected him and his family for decades. The house, which is also a haven for his loved ones, is a symbol of his American life. Overtaken by memories of his childhood in Mexico, Big Angel thinks: “Every day, in the weariest corner of the house, he could remember that he had snuck north from Tijuana once. And now he owned an American home” (96). The house is a record of his journey north and the work he put in to give his family a comfortable life. It is a symbol of his ability to overcome abandonment, poverty, and neglect to find success in America.