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I am not saying I don’t love our president, because I do. It’s like if I were to find out Papá did something wrong. I would still love him, wouldn’t I?
Mate writes this sentence in her little book in Chapter Three, after Minerva talks to her about the evils Trujillo has perpetrated. At this young age, Mate still believes in the benevolence of the world around her, in particular the benevolence of the patriarchal system she lives under. Her comparison of Trujillo and Papá highlights that she sees both the father of the nation and her own father as caring authority figures whom she must love unconditionally. Her sincere belief that she could never stop loving Papá foreshadows her later disgust with him when she learns about his affair.
I couldn’t believe the same man had written those two verses. But sure enough, there it was, José Martí, dates and all. Minerva showed me her poem was written later. “When he knew what mattered.” Maybe she’s right, what does love come to, anyway? Look at Papá and Mamá after so many years.
In Chapter Seven, Mate discusses her love of the Cuban poet José Martí and her radically different experience with his work from Minerva’s. Throughout the novel, Minerva and Mate clash idealistically as Mate tends to lead with her heart and Minerva her intellect. As Minerva is older and more steadfast in her beliefs, Mate often struggles to have her opinion heard and second guesses herself. However, even as she accepts that Martí ultimately chooses the route of a revolutionary over that of a lover, Mate connects Minerva’s statement to her own complicated emotions over her parents’ marriage, still leading with her heart.
I try to put together the perfect man from all the boys I know. It’s sort of like making a menu:
Manolo’s dimples
Raúl’s fairytale-blue eyes
Berto’s curly hair & smile
Erasmo’s beautiful hands
Federico’s broad shoulders
Carlos’s nice fundillos (Yes, we girls notice them, too!)
And then, that mystery something that will make the whole…more than the sum of these very fine parts.
As she writes in her journal in Chapter Seven, Mate assembles the man of her dreams. This charming entry highlights Mate’s romantic and sexual appetite that defines her personality. Even as she struggles with the reality that men, even her own father, can be terrible, unfaithful, and controlling, she still longs for a passionate relationship. Her emphasis that girls also notice men’s fundillos (bottoms) demonstrates her resistance to playing a passive, chaste feminine role. A cornerstone of Mate’s flirtatiousness is her desire to choose a man for herself on her own terms without shame.
I would never be able to give up Leandro to some higher ideal the way I feel Minerva and Manolo would each other if they had to make the supreme sacrifice. And so last night, it touched me, Oh so deeply, to hear him say it was the same for him, too.
As she begins both her revolutionary action and romance with Leandro in Chapter Seven, Mate establishes her relationship to politics as vastly different from Minerva’s. Although she fully agrees with the cause of the resistance, Mate is always fully aware of her human fears and desires. She knows that she could not sacrifice Leandro for the revolution, no matter how much she believes in its justice, because her revolutionary principles do not supersede her love for him. Fortunately, Leandro is similarly a heart-first person and understands Mate’s feelings.
So I say to her the only thing I can say. I promise you this, I’ll be true to what I think is right.
While preparing to face the OAS Committee in Chapter Eleven, Mate finds the inner resolve to hold on to her own principles in the face of Minerva’s objections. When Mate is preparing to speak to the OAS Committee, Minerva encourages her not to worry about Santicló’s safety, deeming him an acceptable sacrifice. Not only does Mate disagree with Minerva, but she also holds her ground and finds a way to let the Committee know of the prison’s maltreatment without risking Santicló’s life. She asserts her ability to both be true to the revolution and her heart, not allowing Minerva’s logic to supersede her own beliefs.
