21st Century Literature discussion

This is for discussion of the seventh major chapter of The Lacuna, in which Harrison's mother is revealed to have died in a car accident. Soon afterwards, Harrison and Frida visit Teotihuacán, an ancient Aztec site, where they have a heartfelt conversation.

'What a raging, salted wound, that sad little passage, what arrogance the world holds against women like Salomé. So many salons she has entered on the arm of a beau, always ready to charm the necessary bureaucrats of this world. Yet in the end, not one proved willing to escort her out of it.'

How did the world hold arrogance against women like Salomé? Has this changed since then, in your view?

'It was a true conversation, about whether our ancestors had more important lives than we do. And how they've managed to trick us, if they did not. Frida felt it helped them not to put anything in writing. The people at Teotihuacán had no written language, according to Dr. Gamio. "So we can't read their diaries," she pointed out, "or the angry letters they sent their unfaithful lovers. They died without telling us their complaints."'

How do you feel about the idea that the ancients are given more gravitas than they deserve, that they were people just like us?

'"Mi vida, don't keep secrets from me. You shouldn't even try, you see how we're connected? It will always be the case. We came into life through the same passage."'

In many ways, Frida and Harrison are very different people. In what way are they connected?