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Chapters 8–11

Analysis: Chapter 8: Las Ciruelas (Plums)

On her first day alone with the babies, Esperanza mashes ripe plums for them to eat before they nap. When they wake, both babies have made a terrible mess in their diapers. They have been sick from eating too much. Esperanza remembers that when she was sick as a child, Hortensia would make her drink rice water. Esperanza prepares rice water for the babies, feeding them small amounts until Isabel comes home. Isabel tells her she did the right thing, because raw plums are too hard on babies’ stomachs.

Esperanza spends time with Irene and Milena. The women talk about how this is the day of the strike, before a hot wind blows across the field, and the sky goes dark. There is a vicious dust storm coming. The women hide in the cabin with the children as dirt and dust fly outside. Irene and Melina leave after the storm settles, and Esperanza waits for Isabel and the others to come home. 

Once home, the family members take turns washing their bodies and clothes. Esperanza’s mother is coughing hard from the dust. At the table, the family discusses how the strike did not happen because of the storm. The cotton pickers now have no jobs because the storm covered the crop in dirt, but the others will go back to work tomorrow, because the grapes are ready.

A month later, Mama is still coughing, and she is weak and feverish. A doctor trusted by the field workers comes and tells the family that she has Valley Fever. Dust spores from the storm have infected her lungs. It is not contagious, but brings fever, pain, and coughing. Even with medicine, it could be six months before Mama is well—if she survives at all.

Analysis: Chapter 9: Las Papas (Potatoes)

Esperanza takes care of her mother while Irene and Melina look after the babies. Mama is not getting worse, but she is also not getting better. She calls out for Abuelita, and asks Esperanza to give her the crocheted blanket Abuelita had started before they left Aguascalientes. As her mother sleeps, Esperanza attempts to finish the blanket. 

Winter comes, and Mama has trouble breathing. The doctor says that she is weak and depressed, and must go to the hospital. Hortensia tells Esperanza that her mother has lost so much, and her strength is gone.

Esperanza goes with Hortensia and Josefina to cut potato eyes for three weeks. If she is a good worker, Esperanza might be hired to do more. Esperanza learns how the older women complete their tasks and stay warm in the shed where they work. One woman is Marta’s aunt, who says that the strikers are organizing now for the spring. She worries that the strikers will lose their cabins in the migrant camp and be sent back to Mexico. She warns that Mexicans who continue to work while others are striking may be harmed. Marta’s uncle has told her that she cannot stay with them if she strikes, because they cannot risk losing their jobs.

A few nights before Christmas, Isabel asks Esperanza about how the holiday was celebrated in Aguascalientes. Esperanza describes the sights and sounds, and remembers that she was happy. For Christmas this year, she wants her Mama to be well again, and to keep working. Esperanza visits her mother in the hospital on Christmas Day, but Mama does not wake from her sleep. Esperanza leaves her a gift of a small stone similar to one Abuelita carried in her coat, and tells her mother that she will take care of everything.

Analysis: Chapter 10: Las Aguacates (Avocados)

Esperanza’s life continues with work during the days, helping with the babies at night, and visiting Mama in the hospital on weekends. Every other week, Esperanza takes money she has saved and gets a money order from the market. She hides the money orders in her bag, hoping to save enough for Abuelita’s travel costs. 

The doctor tells Esperanza that Mama has pneumonia, and must have no visitors for the next month, to avoid other infections. Esperanza asks to see Mama for a short time, and braids her mother’s hair before telling Mama that she loves her. Unable to visit her mother, Esperanza is sad. Miguel convinces Esperanza to go with him to a Japanese market where the owner is kind to Mexicans. At the market, Esperanza buys another money order and a piñata for her mother.

On their way home, Esperanza and Miguel see Marta with her mother, Ada. Ada tells Esperanza that she has been praying for Esperanza’s mother. Marta asks Miguel to take them to the farm where she and her mother are currently living. The farm is messy, with several families living in tents or cars. A family comes begging for food because the father lost his job after striking. Esperanza gives the father some beans and gives the children the piñata. Marta tells Miguel and Esperanza that the strikers are more organized now, and will shut down fields, roads, and the railroad during the asparagus season. Marta warns that they could be in danger if they do not join the strike.

A few nights later, Miguel brings news that he has found a job in the railroad’s machine shop. It may be temporary, but Miguel’s father Alfonso is sure that Miguel’s work will be so good that the railroad will keep him.

Analysis: Chapter 11: Las Espárragos (Asparagus)

On the first day of the asparagus season, the workers are protected from the strikers by a man with a gun, but the gun frightens Esperanza as well. The strikers, including Marta and Ada, chant and threaten the workers all day. Alfonso and Juan tell the women that the same things are happening in the fields. One day, Josefina pulls asparagus from a crate to find a rat, and later, a woman sees snakes coming out of another crate. Other workers find razor blades and pieces of glass in packing crates. 

One day, Esperanza notices that the shouting has stopped. She and Hortensia see that the strikers are gone, and then notice several vans and police cars moving toward the shed. Josefina tells Esperanza that they are immigration officers, coming to find workers who are in the country illegally. Josefina explains that the strikers will be deported back to Mexico even if they are citizens of the United States, because they are causing trouble for the government.

Esperanza goes to the shed to gather bands for the asparagus bundles, and finds Marta hiding there, begging Esperanza not to let her get caught. Esperanza remembers how unkind Marta has been to her, but also knows that Marta cannot leave Ada, Marta’s mother. She tells Marta to put on an apron and carry a bundle of asparagus when she leaves the shed, so everyone will think she is just another worker. Marta apologizes for misjudging Esperanza.

Later that night, Esperanza wonders whether Marta made her way back to Ada. In the morning, she asks Miguel to take her to the farm. The strikers have all been taken by the immigration officers. As she leaves the farm, Esperanza sees that the piñata is broken, and the insides have been torn out.

Analysis: Chapters 8–11

As Esperanza’s focus shifts from her own troubles to those of her weakened parent, her character shifts and she begins to take on the role of caregiver and become a strong female role model like Mama. The motif of crocheting returns as they both find comfort from the crocheted blanket, and vignettes recall earlier moments that set Esperanza to the task of threading her love and concern into crocheting as Mama’s condition worsens. Esperanza’s sadness and concern for the well-being of her family galvanizes her to take her mother’s place working in the fields, which illustrates how much she is continuing to mature. Strong female role models guide and teach Esperanza and she becomes a quick learner, absorbing things that go unsaid at the farm. When Esperanza halfheartedly recalls the holiday traditions in Aguascalientes, it demonstrates that she has truly begun to move beyond her life there. The fact that her only desire is for her mother to be well illustrates her maturity as she recognizes that health and togetherness supersede the need for luxury and possessions. Her conversation with Isabel is a turning point that shows Esperanza’s growth even in sadness. It leads to Esperanza’s promise to her mother of continued strength and her acknowledgement of responsibility on Christmas Day. 

Several setbacks and more responsibilities at home put Esperanza’s newfound optimism to the test. This forward movement in plot and character development points toward Esperanza accepting her place as a model of strength; however, Esperanza must also bear the heaviness of her mother’s illness and depression in her heart. A sense of pride and determination underlines scenes of Esperanza at work, emphasizing her growth from the girl who did not know how to sweep when she first arrived. Although she is still young, Esperanza’s circumstances have quickly made her capable and responsible. Esperanza must balance these traits with her despair when Mama contracts pneumonia in the hospital and cannot receive visitors. 

Esperanza and Miguel’s visit to a Japanese market frames another vital conversation that connects them to the story’s theme of the immigrant experience. Miguel mentions that he takes her here because the Japanese are kind to Mexicans, unlike other market owners. Miguel notes the stereotypes and bias that they face as immigrants, and Esperanza realizes that all of the migrant workers have one thing that unites them: poverty. The return from the market is a turning point for Esperanza. When she offers beans and rice to those in need and gives up the gift that she had splurged on for Mama, it is because she finally understands the joy of giving to those who have nothing despite having so little herself. This behavior is reminiscent of Carmen from the train. Esperanza has come a long way from the girl who thought Carmen was foolish for giving her food to the needy. 

The imagery of the filthy migrant workers’ camp where Marta and her mother live underscores the social and economic disparities that exist among the poor and the ramifications of varying levels of poverty. Esperanza first encountered such conditions on her journey to the United States, and she began to consider the nuances within the workers’ social structure at the jamaica. Now that she is able to observe Marta without concern for their once combative personal relationship, Esperanza can broaden her focus to understand that Marta’s actions have threatened the security of her other family members in Esperanza’s camp. This cooling in their relationship also allows Marta to sense Esperanza’s discomfort and perhaps even her empathy. Marta’s warning to Esperanza and Miguel suggests that she understands the ramifications for all of the workers whether they join the strike or not. 

The divisions between the striking migrants and the other worker groups are at the forefront of the action during asparagus season. Vivid descriptions of the strikers’ threatening chants and acts of dangerous sabotage against the other workers create tension and a sense that worse is yet to come. Although there are divisions between the workers and the strikers, when immigration officers come, it’s clear that in the eyes of authority, they are all the same. The officers’ sweeping roundup of strikers lessens the collective danger, but the roundup affects many individuals in meaningful ways, including Marta. She hides in a shed, terrified that she will be taken and separated from her mother. Marta’s fear mirrors Esperanza’s own and in a further demonstration of her maturity, Esperanza empathizes with Marta. In contrast to her behavior at the beginning of her journey, Esperanza has finally learned to treat those she once perceived as lesser than her as her equals.

Esperanza’s growing maturity and her empathy for Marta is on display as she thinks of the implications for Ada if Marta leaves. Even though Marta presents herself as a strong, fearless young adult, Esperanza understands her need to maintain her bond with family. Marta’s vulnerability is the impetus for Esperanza risking giving Marta the means to escape. Her response to Marta’s apology for misjudging her is a moment that further defines Esperanza’s growth. The old Esperanza would have been glad to hear the apology, but the new one understands that it is more important to keep Marta safe from the officers who are still nearby. This exchange swings the balance of power from Marta to Esperanza, and although she was once a foe, Esperanza’s grace allows Marta to see beyond their differences and focus on their shared experience. 

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