The Murmur of Bees

The motif of “the broken promise” recurs throughout the narrative. Beatriz breaks her promise, made in confession, to Father Pedro to pray for Lupita’s killer. Francisco breaks his promise to Beatriz that he’ll grow old with her and breaks his promise to his son and wife that Francisco Junior will be perfectly safe with him planting trees on his birthday. Most tellingly, Simonopio breaks his promise to Francisco Junior that he’ll never leave his side and will always protect him from “the coyote,” the mystical force of evil of which they must always beware. Even minor characters make promises they can’t fulfill. The huckster Ronda promises to amaze the citizens of Linares by singing underwater, which he can’t do. Father Emigdio promises the archbishop that he can vouch for Lázaro’s resurrection, only to learn that it never occurred.

Segovia ironically contrasts the broken promises of the major characters, all solemnly made, against their situational prophetic pronouncements (as discussed in Prophetic Pronouncements as Foreshadowing), made in the spur of the moment. An example of this contrast is Anselmo’s constantly repeated vow that his family will own the land they farm that belongs to Francisco Senior and Beatriz’s declaration to Anselmo, in a moment of anger, that he’ll never own the land. Anselmo’s repeated vow becomes a broken promise, while Beatriz’s single comment proves true.

Although Segovia doesn’t overtly address Mexico’s classism in the early decades of the 20th century, this unnamed reality pervades the novel. Francisco and his son are fair skinned and blonde haired—meaning that they’re primarily of Castilian-Spanish descent. Nana Reja, Simonopio, and Anselmo have exceptionally dark skin, thus belonging to an Indigenous heritage. The visible differences are reinforced by the distinct social structures to which each of the groups conforms. The landowning upper class adheres to many archaic strictures, from which the laborers of the lower class are exempt. The lower-class citizens, however, understand that they’re perpetual servants, excluded from owning property—and from self-determination—by economics if not by law. The Mexican Revolution, a lingering backdrop of the novel, is largely a conflict over the inherent inequality resulting from this disparity.

Many conflicts faced by the Morales family reflect the presence of this unspoken classism. Beatriz and Francisco each work to provide for the servants and campesinos beneath their oversight. However, both demonstrate a lack of understanding about the true needs of their servants and the depth of inequality they face. For example, Francisco cautions Martín not to enter a romantic relationship with Lupita, which indirectly leads to her murder. Beatriz’s attempt to console Anselmo after the deaths of most of his family reveals her lack of understanding about his bitterness toward Francisco Senior for a decision Anselmo considered arbitrary, which indirectly leads to Francisco’s death.