Sisa is a resident of San Diego in the book, and she is the mother of the two sacristans Basilio and Crispín, who went insane after losing them. Basilio is Sisa’s 10-year-old son and Crispín is Sisa’s 7-year-old son. An altar boy, he was unjustly accused of stealing money from the church. After failing to force Crispin to return the money he allegedly stole, Father Salvi and the head sacristan kill him. Sisa is treated abusively by Doña Consolación – wife of the alférez. Due to her motherly love, her grief and her frustration, Sisa is thought to represent the suffering motherland. Despite her descent into madness, she remains a vibrant character through the novel. Sisa is the ideal of the native feminine form and escapes into madness early in the novel, providing a contrast with Maria Clara to begin with. She is not necessarily the smartest character in the book, but she has a big heart.