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178 Unit 2 ■ Analyzing Comparisons and Representations

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15 COMPARISON Lourdes associates her mother
with pain (physical pain inflicted upon Mami by While we are driving home, I told Mami At dinner, Mami and Papi were fighting
her father, as well as the emotional pain Mami what I told Mrs. Phillips while I was waiting again, but this time they were fighting about
inflicts upon her daughter Lourdes). Lourdes’s 300 to be picked up. How Mrs. Phillips asked me me. You won’t believe what Luli did today,
relationship with her parents (and with her how everything was going, in a voice that 340 she said to him, putting dinner on the table.
mother) is characterized by anger, rigidity, and was warm and made me want to tell her My father started to eat while Mami got
difficulty. everything. dinner together for the rest of us, her and me
I told Mami what I told Mrs. Phillips, how and Mateo.
16 PERSPECTIVE Like many other economically when I told her that when I came downstairs She told the teacher about what
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs were used with this sample chapter.
disadvantaged families or families with histories 305 on Saturday, Papi was holding Mami by the happened yesterday, she says. How do you
of abuse, Mami likely believes that no matter wrist at the top of the steps that led out of 345 like that?
what goes on in someone’s home, it is their own
personal business to manage. She may also fear the house. How she was turning away from My father had no expression, but I could
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
repercussions from Papi or law enforcement if him, pulling away from him, and finally he tell he was getting mad by the way his neck
they were to intervene. 310 let go of her and how she fell. How they told was turning red.
me to get out. How he pushed her away, how 350 I slid to the floor so that Papi wouldn’t see
17 CONFLICT Lourdes has no way to she fell, stumbled down the few steps to the me. If he did, he might pinch my nalga,
communicate her frustration and pain from bottom. twisting my skin between my fingers so that
being treated like an outsider at school, so she My mother’s black eyebrows were jagged 18 it r eall y hurt. Or he might make me kneel in
it really hurt. Or he might make me kneel in
it really hurt. Or he might make me kneel in
uses external identifiers (such as her hair and 315 on her face. Her mouth was like a bruise, the corner for a long time. Maybe fifteen
the corner for a long time. Maybe fifteen
er face. Her mouth was like a bruise,
her name) to represent this part of her identity. 15 angry and hard. She could see me in the 355 minutes, maybe thirty minutes. Really kneel-
minutes, maybe thirty minutes. Really kneel-
angry and hard. She could see me in the
Notably, the name Beth is repeated from the rearview mirror. I looked out the side win- ing, like in church, without my bum resting
ing, like in church, without my bum resting
beginning of the text. dow, as though she couldn’t see me if I on my feet. If he caught me resting my bum
on my feet. If he caught me resting my bum
couldn’t see her. on my feet, he would give me another fifteen
on my feet, he would give me another fifteen
18 IMAGERY This particular form of punishment She was already annoyed she had to pick minutes, with my back to the clock, with no
minutes, with my back to the clock, with no
mirrors Lourdes’s experience in the rest of her 320 me up. She said I didn’t even look sick. Luli, 360 way to tell what time it was except for when
me up. She said I didn’t even look sick. Luli,
way to tell what time it was except for when
life: she is vulnerable and stuck between her 16 why would you tell her that, she asked, the clock boinged at the end of each fifteen
the clock boinged at the end of each fifteen
why would you tell her that, she asked,
home life and her life at school with no way to
minutes.
finally.
tell when the suffering and difficulties will end, finally. minutes.
I don’t know, I said. She asked.
except for brief glimpses of hope when she is I don’t know, I said. She asked. I kept expecting someone to say some-
She was angry. She was silent. We don’t
swinging or planning to run away. 325 She was angry. She was silent. We don’t thing but now my parents were fighting about
talk about that, she said, finally. It’s private. 365 what happened yesterday. Papi put his fork
talk about that, she said, finally. It’s private.
But she asked, I said. She asked how and knife down, stopped eating his dinner.
everything was going at home. I slipped out the door, into the backyard.
But nada, Mami said. It’s private. I could hear their voices, her high-pitched
330 We were quiet in the car after that. Before one getting higher and higher, his low-
17 we got home, I said, I wish you didn’t give 370 pitched one getting louder and louder.
t g
t g
ou didn’
ou didn’
e
e
v
i
i
v
I wish y
e got home
e got home
w w
we got home, I said, I wish you didn’t give
,
I said,
I wish y
I said,
,
me such a dumb name, I wish you named
me such a dumb name, I wish you named In the backyard, the light was still grey,
me something else. I could just make out the outline of the
me something else.
Oh? said Mami. swingset. From inside the house, a door
Oh? said Mami.
Yeah, something like Beth . . . or Amy . . .
335 Yeah, something like Beth . . . or Amy . . . slammed. I sat down on the swing and
I said. Lourdes is a stupid name.
I said. Lourdes is a stupid name. 375 started to pump my legs.
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178 Unit 2 Analyzing Comparisons and Representations

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