Five Important Quotes
74-90
"Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine." (74)
The trees represent Esperanza in this situation, or if not Esperanza, young women in general. The trees are likened to Esperanza, with the awkward physical traits of recent growth highlighted.
"Their strength is secret." (74)
Even if all think Esperanza weak and inconsequential, Esperanza has power. This states that even if everyone, including yourself, believes you powerless, you still have strength somewhere inside of yourself.
"Let one forget his reason for being, they'd all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their arms around the other." (74-75)
If one woman should fall, submitting to the demands of the rest of the world, all of them would fall, despair rising up and crashing down again upon them, like a hammer beating out the final note of a death knell.
"Four who grew despite concrete." (75)
This unequivocally states that these women/trees are strong, banding together to grow and grow and grow; striking down the oppressive forces that wish to make them become something smaller, standing their ground, sending roots into the earth, prepared to stand for what they believe in till the bitter end.
"They teach." (75)
This is a call to action; a request, an order, a plea for the downtrodden, oppressed or confined women of the world to follow this example, to go out and be something, to grow and change and be their own person.
I exclusively used this chapter because this chapter is an extremely important one, as it is a metaphor for Esperanza's situation, getting its message across in a simplistic, profound way. I know that the novel is related to female independence and autonomy in at least some part, and given that the book is dedicated "to the Women", a two page metaphor for the ideals above has significance by the truckload.
The trees represent Esperanza in this situation, or if not Esperanza, young women in general. The trees are likened to Esperanza, with the awkward physical traits of recent growth highlighted.
"Their strength is secret." (74)
Even if all think Esperanza weak and inconsequential, Esperanza has power. This states that even if everyone, including yourself, believes you powerless, you still have strength somewhere inside of yourself.
"Let one forget his reason for being, they'd all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their arms around the other." (74-75)
If one woman should fall, submitting to the demands of the rest of the world, all of them would fall, despair rising up and crashing down again upon them, like a hammer beating out the final note of a death knell.
"Four who grew despite concrete." (75)
This unequivocally states that these women/trees are strong, banding together to grow and grow and grow; striking down the oppressive forces that wish to make them become something smaller, standing their ground, sending roots into the earth, prepared to stand for what they believe in till the bitter end.
"They teach." (75)
This is a call to action; a request, an order, a plea for the downtrodden, oppressed or confined women of the world to follow this example, to go out and be something, to grow and change and be their own person.
I exclusively used this chapter because this chapter is an extremely important one, as it is a metaphor for Esperanza's situation, getting its message across in a simplistic, profound way. I know that the novel is related to female independence and autonomy in at least some part, and given that the book is dedicated "to the Women", a two page metaphor for the ideals above has significance by the truckload.