Nicknames
Throughout the novel, nicknames are used to convey a sense
of intimacy. This intimacy can be positive, such as when the Garcia
daughters refer to their mother as Mami to express affection. On
the other hand, nicknames can convey a negative sense of being overly
familiar, such as when John refers to Yolanda as Josephine, anglicizing her
name and distorting her identity in the process.
