Chac Mool is a short story by Carlos Fuentes that tells the tale of a man who becomes obsessed with an ancient Aztec statue. It explores themes of power, possession, and the clash between modernity and tradition.

Chacmools were placed in entrances in order to receive sacrificial offerings, including human blood and hearts. The aquatic imagery carved onto the underside of some of the figures symbolised that they were floating on water, on the frontier between the physical world and the supernatural realm.

Irony: The irony in the story is that the protagonist, who has been searching for meaning and purpose in his life, finds it through his encounter with the statue of Chac Mool, which is a symbol of the ancient culture that he has been trying to reconnect with.

The Indian who answers the door at the end of Fuentes' story is effectively Coleridge's flower, asking us to willingly suspend disbelief and accept that a statue has actually come to life, that the statue of Chac Mool that Filiberto buys from an antique dealer outside of Mexico City and the Indian at the door are one ...