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The beach where Camino swims symbolizes her changing relationship to the Dominican Republic and her family’s roots in the country. Swimming at the beach is Camino’s happy place; it’s where she feels free, safe, and fulfilled. It’s also where she can connect with memories of both Mamá and Papi, as she has fond memories of spending time with both of her parents on the beach. In this sense, the beach is a positive symbol of the Dominican Republic for Camino: it represents her love of the people, the land, and her heritage.
After Papi’s death, though, Camino’s relationship to the beach—and to the Dominican Republic more broadly—becomes more fraught. Papi has been paying a known pimp named El Cero to leave Camino alone for several years, but without Papi around to pay up, El Cero begins stalking and harassing Camino, often at the beach. El Cero’s harassment corrupts the happy memories and associations Camino has with the beach. Now, when Camino runs into El Cero on the beach, it’s a constant reminder that she’s in danger if she remains in the country and continues to swim on her beloved beach.
It’s significant that on the night Camino runs away with Yahaira’s passport with plans to immigrate to the U.S. on her own, Camino’s last stop before the airport is the beach. She wants to say goodbye to all her happy memories of Mamá, Papi, and the Dominican Republic. But El Cero corrupts Camino’s bittersweet goodbye on the beach by attempting to rape her, further underscoring the reality that for her own safety, Camino cannot stay in the Dominican Republic. It’s this traumatic event that finally pushes Mami move up Camino’s visa appointment so that Camino can accompany them to the U.S. In this way, the beach symbolizes how Camino’s relationship to her roots has changed—though Camino loves the beach and the Dominican Republic, she nevertheless must leave them behind for her safety and in order to achieve her dreams.
The Beach Quotes in Clap When You Land
The Clap When You Land quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Beach. 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:
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Chapter 7
Quotes
If you are not from an island,
you cannot understand
what it means to be of water:
to learn to curve around the bend,
to learn to rise with rain,
to learn to quench an outside thirst
while all the while
you grow shallow
until there is not one drop
left for you.
I know this is what Tía does not say.
Sand & soil & sinew & smiles:
all bartered. & who reaps? Who eats?
Not us. Not me.
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Chapter 20
Quotes
[…] & here we are: Tía like a bishop,
slashing her long machete. Mami, the knight with rims. My body
in front of my sister’s body: queens.
Papi, who I know is here too. He did
build that castle he always promised.
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I skim my feet in the water, with my face stroked by the sun
& pretend it is my father hands on my skin
saying sorry I love you welcome home goodbye.
I forgive you. I forgive you. I forgive you.
Say the waves. Say I.
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The Beach Symbol Timeline in Clap When You Land
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Beach appears in Clap When You Land. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3. Camino: One Day After
...best thing about the house, though, is that it’s only a few minutes to the beach. It’s not great in times of flood, but it saves Camino’s life by reminding her...
(full context)
...stop after school, and later Camino has to walk past him to get to the beach. He’s everywhere, and Camino doesn’t feel safe. But she knows he’s not going anywhere, since...
(full context)
Chapter 7. Camino: Nineteen Days After
...her. But today, after Camino finishes swimming, El Cero walks up to her on the beach. Vira Lata didn’t accompany Camino to the beach today, but Camino scans the trees for...
(full context)
...a fruit seller have seen El Cero waiting for Camino after school or on the beach, and the Saints have warned her to be cautious. Camino wants to say it's true...
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Chapter 9. Camino
...and so thirsty. Then, she says she’s heard that girls have seen Camino at the beach with El Cero. Carline says she won’t judge Camino, but El Cero is dangerous. Camino...
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...him and get him to leave her alone. But El Cero won’t leave. At the beach, Vira Lata sits on Camino’s clothes and watches El Cero. It’s nice not to be...
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When Camino doesn’t respond, El Cero whistles. An older man walks onto the beach. He smells like a sewer mixed with cologne. El Cero introduces the man as a...
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Chapter 11. Camino: Twenty-Eight Days After
Camino has been avoiding the beach. Instead of swimming, she spreads her body and hair out on her bed. She feels...
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Chapter 15. Camino
...just like Mamá, who was happiest near the water. Camino knows she can’t avoid the beach forever. The smell of her freshly washed swimsuit is comforting.
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Chapter 16. Yahaira
Camino looks like Yahaira, but golden. When Camino explains that she was swimming at the beach, this makes sense: she’s long and lean, like a swimmer. But Camino doesn’t smile much....
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Chapter 20. Yahaira and Camino
...up when Camino looks like she’ll turn left. Camino says he likes coming to the beach with her. Just then, Yahaira notices a man watching Camino. He looks like he’d like...
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Tía suggests that Camino take Yahaira to the beach, and Yahaira pretends not to notice that Camino acts like someone hit her. Camino quietly...
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Camino isn’t dressed for the beach, but she has to come here to the place that has always welcomed her. She...
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...rustle. How does El Cero always know where Camino is? As he steps onto the beach, he says that Yahaira looks like Camino, but she’s clearly American. He’d like to meet...
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...and tells him to leave Camino alone. Just as El Cero charges, headlights illuminate the beach.
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...is certain Luciano is a “warrior” and will live. One morning, Yahaira walks to the beach. She feels like someone is watching her, but she walks to the water anyway. Her...
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