Violence and sadness is prevalent throughout Juan Rulfo's novel Pedro Paramo. Death, rape, and murder show themselves throughout the main character's, Juan Preciado, journey. The setting of the story is dark and empty which almost foreshadows the sadness and violent behavior that goes on in Comala. Juan Preciado endures much violence and sadness including death, rape, and murder whether it is by first hand experience or through memories and stories of others. .
The story begins with the death of Juan's mother. Right away, Rulfo sets up his novel with violence, showing that his main character will be going through very rough times. Juan seems to be extremely strong and brave especially since he is left with nothing. His only hope is to find his father in an unknown town to him. As he approaches the town he finds it to be desolate and dark, Nobody is to be found and it is said, rather nonchalantly, that his father, Pedro Paramo, had died many years before. Rulfo puts in random italics where he means Juan's mother to be speaking. She seems to speak when Juan is lonely, scared, or confused. She helps him understand what is going on. Memories seem to flash into Juan's mind as well to help justify the violence and sadness around him.
A story is told through someone else's memory of the death of Miguel Paramo. He had supposidly killed the priest's brother and raped Ana, the priest's niece. Ana's rape was told by another flashback. .
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