The Seven Sisters

Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue is an important symbol in The Seven Sisters. The statue symbolizes the enduring nature of love. Depicting Christ with his arms outspread and a peaceful expression on his face, it broadly represents Christian teachings regarding Christ’s self-sacrifice and love. This love is reflected in the way Christ is portrayed in the statue; this portrayal is very intentional and is described in great detail in the novel as Bel spends time with Heitor de Silva Costa and Paul Landowski. Heitor tells Bel about his vision in a “poetic yet detailed way” (152), and his wife jokes that she has “lost the love of her husband to Our Lord” (151). That the statue must also withstand the elements means that it embodies not only love but also the kind of love that stands the test of time. This is Bel’s early introduction to the Cristo statue, and the feeling of love pervades the rest of the statue’s presence in the book.

The soapstone tile, as part of the Cristo statue, reinforces this symbolism. Bel and Maia both appreciate the romance of the idea of people writing their loved ones’ names on tiles that will permanently be part of the great statue.