“Painting is actually personal code, I desired to inform him. Translations only confuse it, dilute they, like words supposed off Language in order to English. We jealousy my mother their particular Foreign language curses either. They make my personal English collapse within the a stack.” (pg. 59)
Felicia features an extremely romantic, and yet unhealthy relationship with their own youngsters
Pilar and you may Lourdes are anything but romantic. Pilar keeps a record, and that she must mask within the liner out of their unique winter season layer. Pilar’s record might possibly be considered a mirror of one’s pseudo-record that Celia has, on paper letters so you can their unique previous mate. Pilar and you will Celia have become comparable, and their similarities emerge more about as the novel happens on the. This might be one more reason as to why Lourdes and you may Pilar are continually butting minds. Lourdes’s relationship with Celia are challenging. When Celia provided beginning to help you Lourdes, she’s quoted given that passing the little one in order to Jorge and saying Femmes ThaГЇlande “I won’t remember their own label” (pg 43). Lourdes understands that it facts, along with a way explains the reasons why she clings so you’re able to their dad and you will denies their particular mommy.
One day Lourdes discovers Pilar’s journal and finds out you to definitely their daughter has begun coming in contact with herself regarding shower, a consistent action to take throughout the puberty. Regardless of if Lourdes demonstrably provides a problem with sex you to their own daughter knows, she berates their particular because of it, hitting their own and you can calling their a slut. Around is apparently a constant battle between Pilar and you can Lourdes; Lourdes pain getting rid of Cuba, if you are Pilar craves to go back and that is believing that she will discover by herself if she actually is reunited along with her grandma around.
That it passageway just makes reference to Pilar’s reference to their own ways, but inaddition it relates to her tumultuous connection with their particular mom, Cuba, additionally the Foreign-language vocabulary
Pilar spends their unique painting to speak with people, it is within this medium one she seems by far the most including by herself, where she feels she will be the best knew. Lourdes are bored with just what Pilar produces. She cannot see the conceptual nature of their own drawings. A vicious cycle is made, once the Pilar does not can correspond with their own mom, and you will Lourdes cannot know how to talk to their unique daughter. A love anywhere between a mother or father and you will child try usually knew while the are certainly wisdom and you will mercy. It includes perception secure, otherwise a sense of that belong. Remarkably, Pilar doesn’t be that it which have Lourdes, and you may Lourdes doesn’t feel it with Celia. This introduces an alternative theme that is omnipresent inside Thinking from inside the Cuban, the question of domestic and you can that belong.
Eventually, you’ve got the reputation of Felicia, along with her about three youngsters: Ivantino, along with her twins Luz and you will Milagro. She dotes for the Ivanito, that’s remote about twins. Luz and you will Milagro provides memories of the dad you to definitely Ivanito do perhaps not express. To own Ivanito, his father abandoned your as well as the remaining portion of the nearest and dearest, but the guy will not understand why otherwise how. Luz and you will Milagro think about their mother setting your ablaze one big date and you will exiling him from their home. Felicia might be considered by far the most volatile of your del Pino relatives, struggling with what seems to be manic depression. She has tall highs and lows; she’s times just like the an enjoying mother, caring for their own youngsters. This will be overshadowed from the her minutes of madness, and you may an event where she tries to destroy by herself and you may Ivanito.
Whenever Ivanito is distributed to college, the guy develops a desire for studying brand new languages, particularly Russian, and possess a small amount of English. The guy develops a relationship together with Russian teacher, and that much like the one to along with his mom, can be regarded as incorrect about vision regarding their class mates and his university. His professor are eventually delivered aside, to have grounds one to will always be unclear, but it is suggested this is due to which have unconventional matchmaking together with his college students.
