Matt (short for Matteo) is the protagonist in this story. He is a clone of El Patrón, created so he can be used for transplants to prolong El Patrón's life when El Patrón's organs fail. Though most clones have their brains destroyed at birth, El Patrón's clones are left unharmed and live like normal human beings until El Patrón needs a transplant. Matt, with Tam Lin, Celia, and Maria's help, manages to escape the horrible fate of the 7 other clones and out-lives El Patrón, becoming the ruler of Opiu
El Patrón is a drug lord, born Matteo (he later took on the name Alacrán, meaning scorpion), the ruler of Opium, and eventually, the most powerful man in the world. He has lived for 148 years by harvesting organs from his clones, the last of which (and the only one who lived) was Matt. The Aztlános call him the old vampire of Dreamland (a metonym for Opium). El Patrón is the only one protecting Matt from the people who do not like Matt, but Matt soon finds out that El Patron only wants him for his orgaans. El Patrón has a heart attack when Matt is 14, and demands Matt give him life in return for the life that he granted Matt. However, he is foiled by Celia. El Patrón is so enraged by her treachery that he soon has another heart attack and dies
Rosa is a maid employed by the Alacrán Estate, who treats Matt horribly upon discovering he is a clone. She tortures and neglects him for six months when she is finally reported to El Patrón. For this offense, she is turned into an eejit who can only fetch horses for Matt (who pities her, despite her cruel treatment of him
María and Emilia are the only children of Mr. Mendoza, who is an influential US Senator. El Patrón, who likes making powerful friends, frequently invites them to stay in Opium; consequently, María spends a lot of time in the Big House. She's around Matt's age and is his only friend, aside from Celia and Tam Lin. She treats him well even when no one else will, and unlike everyone else, doesn't see him as a filthy abomination. As they get older, they realize that they love each other. Emilia is revealed towards the end to be cruel-hearted and snobbish, showing no interest in her mother, feeling betrayed that her mother sticks up for "losers". She presumably died with her husband, Steven, during the funeral.
Tom is a rude, mean-spirited boy who is detested (with varying degrees of openness) by almost everyone at the Alacrán Estate. He has specific animosity towards Matt, whom he and Felicia frequently try to bring down.
Tam Lin is Matt's bodyguard and father figure. El Patron gives Matt a choice between Tam Lin and Daft Donald, his other bodyguard; Matt sees a "glint of friendliness" in Tam Lin's eyes and chooses him. Matt quickly bonds with Tam Lin, who teaches Matt to climb treacherous rock-faces and live for days in the wild. He is also one of the only people who believes what Matt says about Tom. Tam Lin is later called back to El Patrón's side and leaves Matt with a cache of supplies in the hopes that when El Patrón decides to take Matt's heart for his own, Matt will escape over the nearby mountains into Aztlán to seek out the convent of Santa Clara where María lives and attends school. All of El Patrón's bodyguards are wanted criminals, and Tam Lin is no exception: he was a Scottish nationalist who laid a bomb for the British Prime Minister that accidentally killed a bus full of 20 children instead. As atonement, he drinks wine he knows El Patrón poisoned, along with all of the other Alacráns
Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_the_Scorpion#Characters
El Patrón is a drug lord, born Matteo (he later took on the name Alacrán, meaning scorpion), the ruler of Opium, and eventually, the most powerful man in the world. He has lived for 148 years by harvesting organs from his clones, the last of which (and the only one who lived) was Matt. The Aztlános call him the old vampire of Dreamland (a metonym for Opium). El Patrón is the only one protecting Matt from the people who do not like Matt, but Matt soon finds out that El Patron only wants him for his orgaans. El Patrón has a heart attack when Matt is 14, and demands Matt give him life in return for the life that he granted Matt. However, he is foiled by Celia. El Patrón is so enraged by her treachery that he soon has another heart attack and dies
Rosa is a maid employed by the Alacrán Estate, who treats Matt horribly upon discovering he is a clone. She tortures and neglects him for six months when she is finally reported to El Patrón. For this offense, she is turned into an eejit who can only fetch horses for Matt (who pities her, despite her cruel treatment of him
María and Emilia are the only children of Mr. Mendoza, who is an influential US Senator. El Patrón, who likes making powerful friends, frequently invites them to stay in Opium; consequently, María spends a lot of time in the Big House. She's around Matt's age and is his only friend, aside from Celia and Tam Lin. She treats him well even when no one else will, and unlike everyone else, doesn't see him as a filthy abomination. As they get older, they realize that they love each other. Emilia is revealed towards the end to be cruel-hearted and snobbish, showing no interest in her mother, feeling betrayed that her mother sticks up for "losers". She presumably died with her husband, Steven, during the funeral.
Tom is a rude, mean-spirited boy who is detested (with varying degrees of openness) by almost everyone at the Alacrán Estate. He has specific animosity towards Matt, whom he and Felicia frequently try to bring down.
Tam Lin is Matt's bodyguard and father figure. El Patron gives Matt a choice between Tam Lin and Daft Donald, his other bodyguard; Matt sees a "glint of friendliness" in Tam Lin's eyes and chooses him. Matt quickly bonds with Tam Lin, who teaches Matt to climb treacherous rock-faces and live for days in the wild. He is also one of the only people who believes what Matt says about Tom. Tam Lin is later called back to El Patrón's side and leaves Matt with a cache of supplies in the hopes that when El Patrón decides to take Matt's heart for his own, Matt will escape over the nearby mountains into Aztlán to seek out the convent of Santa Clara where María lives and attends school. All of El Patrón's bodyguards are wanted criminals, and Tam Lin is no exception: he was a Scottish nationalist who laid a bomb for the British Prime Minister that accidentally killed a bus full of 20 children instead. As atonement, he drinks wine he knows El Patrón poisoned, along with all of the other Alacráns
Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_the_Scorpion#Characters