Education

The theme of education first appears when Camilo begins receiving love letters from Rosa. Mrs. Milagros secretly reads the letters and discovers that Rosa is a very well educated woman, and this makes Mrs. Milagros feel inferior. She has always held a position of authority over her children and boarders, but now she feels that she is lacking something, and it is something that Camilo holds in high esteem.

David Reguel is another character for who education is of the utmost importance. He tries to use lofty vocabulary and literary and philosophical allusions to convince the inspector that he is the only one who can see the crime clearly enough to have any idea about it. Though David does have a lot of knowledge, his knowledge steers him in the wrong direction, and he is incorrect about the nature of Marta Correga's murder.

Clotilda, Mrs. Milagros's middle daughter...