Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

Just after Boyle’s dream in Chapter 4 comes another important dream in Chapter 5, this time relayed by a young homie named Pedro. Pedro struggled with drug use during his time in the barrio, so he approached Boyle for help. Boyle helped Pedro commit to going to rehab, and upon arriving, the young man did an excellent job in the rehabilitation process. One month into his stay there, however, Pedro sadly learned that his brother committed suicide. On the day of Pedro’s brother’s funeral, Pedro told Boyle about his dream the night before. In the dream, Pedro and Boyle were sitting in an utterly dark room together. Boyle proceeded to grab a flashlight and shone it on the room’s light switch. Pedro interpreted the dream to mean that Boyle could show him how to live a righteous life, but it was ultimately up to Pedro to make the choice for himself to turn the lights on and obliterate the personal darkness that surrounded him. 

The final symbolic dream of Tattoos on the Heart is that of a troubled homegirl dubbed La Shady. La Shady greeted Boyle at his office one day and asked him to interpret a dream that she had dreamt the night prior. In her dream, she entered the Dolores Mission Church. Boyle motioned La Shady to approach the coffin he stood by at the front. She approached the coffin slowly, afraid that she might know the person inside. Once she got closer, however, a beautiful white dove burst forth from the coffin and began flying around the church. Boyle explained to La Shady that he felt the dream was an unconscious message that she should begin striving for redemption and forgiveness and that she should release her inner goodness.