Vampires of El Norte

What forces transform Nena and Néstor? What do those forces suggest about whether external or internal forces are more powerful in personal transformation?

Research the events leading up to and during the Mexican-American War. In what ways does Vampires of El Norte provide insight into those historical events?

Pick one key setting from the novel and analyze its descriptions. How does the author use figurative language to convey the importance of place?

Choose another depiction of vampires from a novel, movie, or TV show. How are Cañas’s vampires similar or different? How are the functions of vampires different in Vampires of El Norte from other vampire stories?

Why did the author choose to write this in a parallel structure from the perspectives of both Nena and Néstor? How does it enhance the story?

Explore the role of gender in this novel. In what ways do the characters’ genders determine their fates? In what ways do they break out of gendered norms?

Explore the dynamics between the peóns and the patróns. How does it compare to other class dynamics at this time in history? Why do Nena and Néstor decide to change this dynamic in their own rancho?

Analyze the vampires as a metaphor for colonization. Why do you think Cañas chose vampires? What makes them more appropriate than another mythological creature?