Before We Were Free

by

Julia Alvarez

Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari Character Analysis

Mrs. Mancini is a woman in Mami’s canasta group. She’s the wife of Mr. Mancini, and she’s Oscar’s mother. Mrs. Mancini is involved in the resistance, and she and Mami eventually realize that they’re distantly related, which is why she eventually asks Anita to call her Tía Mari. She loves the Virgin Mary and so she included Maria in all of her children’s names. Tía Mari is kind and supportive, especially when Mami and Anita end up hiding in her walk-in closet. She encourages Anita to write in her diary, as she notices that it helps Anita regain her ability to talk. She also comforts Mami often and assures her that things are going to be okay.

Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari Quotes in Before We Were Free

The Before We Were Free quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari or refer to Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age and Political Consciousness Theme Icon
).
Anita’s Diary Quotes

Whenever I feel this way, I start writing in my diary so there’s another voice that I can listen to. A third radio, tuned to my own heart.

So I snuck off to the bathroom with my diary, and soon enough, Mami was calling me, saying it was rude for me to be off by myself, come join them and be sociable, but then Tía Mari told her to let me be, that it’s a good thing that I’m writing, that ever since I started keeping this diary, I’m talking a lot more.

It took her saying it for me to realize it’s true.

The words are coming back, as if by writing them down, I’m fishing them out of forgetfulness, one by one.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Mami, Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari Quotes in Before We Were Free

The Before We Were Free quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari or refer to Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age and Political Consciousness Theme Icon
).
Anita’s Diary Quotes

Whenever I feel this way, I start writing in my diary so there’s another voice that I can listen to. A third radio, tuned to my own heart.

So I snuck off to the bathroom with my diary, and soon enough, Mami was calling me, saying it was rude for me to be off by myself, come join them and be sociable, but then Tía Mari told her to let me be, that it’s a good thing that I’m writing, that ever since I started keeping this diary, I’m talking a lot more.

It took her saying it for me to realize it’s true.

The words are coming back, as if by writing them down, I’m fishing them out of forgetfulness, one by one.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Mami, Mrs. Mancini/Tía Mari
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis: