While starting off bright, he becomes no more than a slave for his uncle, calloused and hardened. Matute shows that Lope could have been successful, juxtaposing his roughness a less intelligent school friend who is now becoming a successful lawyer. Obviously if his not so bright friend could be successful Lope would have done better. Matute has the reader discover along with Lope just how much he has changed and what he could have had … if his uncle had given him a chance.
Lope himself wishes he had been left for dead than to live a life as some sort of half man. While Matute’s point is not clear at the beginning, reading in context of the title helps reveal the argument. Lope’s sin of commission (murder) is contrasted with his uncle’s sin of omission (forcing Lope to be his worker for life).
