Character Analysis
Close your eyes. Now, imagine a big brother who is the complete opposite of Erik.
Meet Luis Cruz. Luis Cruz is Tino and Theresa's big brother. He had dedicated his life to his beloved tangerine groves, and loves sharing his passion for them with others. That's what leads to his friendship with Paul.
He is also dedicated to his family, though, and so when Erik hurts Tino, Luis immediately confronts him about it. But he doesn't fight. When Arthur launches his sneak attack, he just goes down. Sure, we know he was planning some sort of revenge—but he dies before we can find out what it would have been.
Luis is the first person Paul ever feels a real connection to, and his siblings idolize him. It's no wonder when he lets them into his world with statements like this: "That scent. It's like nothing else in the world. […] You know, I walk out here in the mornings sometimes, and I fall on my knees, and I weep, right into the ground. I'm overcome by the beauty of it all" (2.16.28).
Talk about a contrast to Erik.