To a greater extent than English, Spanish lends itself to using names to make a statement about a character, a location, or anything that might be named. Beatty avails herself of this trait by granting a number of individuals—particularly the main characters—with symbolic names.

Readers who are acquainted with Spanish or who take the time to investigate the root meaning of certain words can discover a great many symbolic uses of names. It is worth noting here that Beatty uses names to make comments—sometimes ironically—about her major characters. At the top of the list is Lupita, which translates as “little wolf,” an apt description of the underlying fierceness of the story’s protagonist. Her brother’s name, Salvador, in English is “savior,” a characteristic Lupita wishes upon him throughout the story but ultimately becomes ironic. Another major character with a symbolic name is Consuelo, whose name in English can be translated as “comforter” or “consoler;” indeed, as Lupita determines Salvador is not her savior, Consuela is the one who consoles her. Fidencio, Consuelo’s brother-in-law, seems appropriately named in that, in English, his name means “faith,” an accurate title for this man who never fails to daily steer the Indio migrant community to where they must go to find work.