“Paint was my language, I desired to tell him. Translations only confuse it, dilute it, like words heading off Spanish so you can English. I envy my mommy their particular Foreign-language curses both. They generate my English failure in a heap.” (pg. 59)
Felicia possess a highly personal, yet unhealthy reference to their unique children
Pilar and you may Lourdes was certainly not close. Pilar enjoys a diary, and this she must mask within the lining regarding their winter layer. Pilar’s diary might possibly be said to be an echo of pseudo-journal you to definitely Celia have, on paper characters to help you her former mate. Pilar and Celia have become comparable, as well as their parallels appear much more about as the unique goes towards the. This is often one other reason as to why Lourdes and you can Pilar are continuously butting brains. Lourdes’s reference to Celia are tricky. When Celia gave delivery to help you Lourdes, the woman is cited while the handing the baby in order to Jorge and you can stating “I won’t contemplate her identity” (pg 43). Lourdes understands this story, along with a method shows you why she clings so you’re able to their unique dad and you can rejects their particular mother.
Eventually Lourdes discovers Pilar’s journal and you can learns one to her child has begun touching herself throughout the shower, a routine thing to do throughout the adolescence. No matter if Lourdes clearly features an issue with sex that their daughter understands, she berates their because of it, striking their own and you will getting in touch with their a slut. Here seems to be a constant competition anywhere between Pilar and you may Lourdes; Lourdes pain as gone Cuba, when you are Pilar desires to go back which will be convinced that she will look for by herself if the she’s reunited along with her grandma there.
This passage just relates to Pilar’s connection with their unique ways, but it also identifies her tumultuous connection with her mother, Cuba, together with Foreign language words
Pilar spends their particular color to communicate with others, it is in this medium one to she seems probably the most such by herself, where she feels she will be the best realized. Lourdes is uninterested in exactly what Pilar creates. She will not understand the abstract nature off their particular drawings. A vicious cycle is done, due to the fact Pilar will not learn how to keep in touch with their unique mother, and Lourdes does not know how to keep in touch with their daughter. A romance ranging from a father or mother and you will daughter is actually generally understood because the are certainly one of knowledge and you can compassion. It consists of impact safe, otherwise a sense of belonging. Amazingly, Pilar will not become this which have Lourdes, and you will Lourdes cannot be it having Celia. Which raises yet another theme that is omnipresent from inside the Thinking during the Cuban, the question out of family and you will that belong.
Finally, you’ve got the profile from Felicia, and her about three pupils: Ivantino, along with her twins Luz and you will Milagro. She dotes on the Ivanito, that will be remote in the twins. Luz and you can Milagro possess thoughts of the father one Ivanito do maybe not display. To possess Ivanito, his dad quit your in addition to other countries in the friends, yet the guy cannot appreciate this or exactly how. Luz and you may Milagro consider their mommy means him burning you to definitely big date and you may exiling him off their household. Felicia could well be considered probably the most erratic of your own del Pino nearest and dearest, experiencing exactly what appears to be manic depression. This lady has significant highs and lows; she has minutes since a loving mommy, looking after her people. This is overshadowed from the their particular minutes regarding madness, and you can an episode where she attempts to kill herself and you may Ivanito.
When Ivanito is sent to college, he grows a desire for training the latest languages, particularly Russian, and then have a small amount of English. He expands a relationship together with Russian teacher, and therefore just like the you to along with his mother, can be regarded as poor on the sight out of his classmates and you will his university. His professor is at some point sent aside, to own factors that are still undecided, but it is ideal this comes from that have bizarre relationship with his youngsters.