Signs Preceding the End of the World

Makina’s journey evokes the myth of Orpheus, who braved the dangers of the underworld to retrieve someone he loved, only to lose them after being reunited. The novel is also reminiscent of the Inferno of Dante: Signs Preceding the End of the World contains nine chapters, beginning with a metaphorical descent into the underworld like the nine levels of Dante’s hell. The title suggests a biblical, apocalyptic allusion. However, the mythological roots of Herrera’s novel also resist a Eurocentric interpretation and are based on Mexico’s past. Signs Preceding the End of the World’s structure follows the soul’s journey through the Aztec afterlife, aligning the work with a myth and history buried by European colonialism. 

The first indication that Makina’s journey is a form of katabasis (a hero’s journey to the underworld and back) comes at the beginning of the novel, where, because of sinkholes, “A few houses had already been sent packing to the underworld” (12). Makina whispers “I’m dead” as she is nearly swallowed by one, causing her to commiserate with at least one “poor soul on his way to hell” (12). Though she does not die, this opening scene is her entry into the criminal “underworld” governing illegal border crossings.