Julia Alvarez's Relationship with Her Father in El Doctor

In "El Doctor," Julia Alvarez remembers her father as a mysterious figure, with many parts of his past unrevealed - in other words, in the dark. At the same time, she remembers him with fondness, not only for supporting her and the rest of his children financially, but also for supporting her in her choice of profession, which is professional writing, overall presenting him as a brighter personality. The imagery of her father's personality for Alvarez is a combination of light and darkness, with light sometimes too uncomfortable to reveal and the darkness sometimes to comfortable to illuminate.

At the beginning of the story, light is shown as financial drain on the household. This symbolic representation of light as a drain is repeated later in the story, but in a different context. For example, Alvarez's father is unwilling to reveal, or to spill light, on his family's real past because he is afraid it will be emotionally draining. He also tries to avoid confrontation with his wife and to dispel any dark moods in the household, which he considers a drain not only on a person who experiences them, but also on the rest of the people living in the house.

Alvarez also mentions that when her father leaves the room he leaves the rest of the people there in the dark. This signifies the good feelings she associates with being around him. Another meaning enters this analysis later in the story when she mentions her father walking from room to room turning off lights regardless of whether someone is in the room or not. This means that despite his love for his family, her father's personality is clouded with some darker thoughts or concerns that often block the rest of his family off.