The Heat

The narrator's frequent references to the heat of Managua are metaphorically connected to her similarly frequent references to Managua as hell. This is because hell is generally associated with flames, fire, and torture. In all these references, there is foreshadowing of the narrator's experience of having a tortured conscience in the aftermath of her self-preserving choice to betray the Englishman

American Dollars

For the narrator, American dollars represent hope, possibility, and the potential for freedom. American dollars, in the context of the narrative, are more reliable and/or more expected than any other currency, which means that the more American dollars the narrator can control, the more likely she is to be able to control her destiny, and eventually that of the Englishman.

Nicaraguan Carderos

In contrast to the positive metaphoric values of American dollars, Nicaraguan carderos (i.e., the local currency) represent despair, futility...