Importance of Cologne

Despite Gonzalez's known allergy to cologne, two important men in his life use this knowledge to offend him. First, Gonzalez's lover wears cologne in defiance of him when the two break up at the beginning of the book. At the end of the book, Gonzalez's father gives him cologne as a present. This act represents just how far apart the two of them really are, since his father is well aware of Gonzalez's allergy to the gift.