How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
If you don't get them you may turn into a man. Nenny says this and she believes it. She is this way because of her age.
That's right, I add before Lucy or Rachel can make fun of her. She is stupid alright, but she is my sister. (20.5)
This is classic older sibling syndrome – Esperanza picks on her little sister all the time, but she won't let anyone else make fun of Nenny.
Quote #8
Your abuelito is dead, Papa says early one morning in my room. Está muerto, and then as if he just heard the news himself, crumples like a coat and cries, my brave Papa cries. I have never seen my Papa cry and don't know what to do. (22.1)
The use of Spanish in this scene creates a feeling of intimacy and reminds us of Esperanza's family heritage. It's unclear whether Esperanza's Papa speaks Spanish to her here because he's talking about his family in Mexico, or whether they speak Spanish at home more frequently.
Quote #9
Maybe she was embarrassed it took so many years. The kids who wanted to be kids instead of washing dishes and ironing their papa's shirts, and the husband who wanted a wife again.
And then she died, my aunt who listened to my poems. (23.19)
Soon after the death of her Papa's father, Esperanza experiences the death of a relative that she's closer to – her Aunt Lupe.