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Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Summer of the Mariposas, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Sisterhood, Motherhood, and Family
Magic, Myth, and Deception
Gender Dynamics and Female Solidarity
Kindness, Mercy, and Morality
Ancestral and Cultural Appreciation
Summary
Analysis
The sisters give an official interview to the media under the supervision of Special Agent Gonzales. The next day, they and Mamá run into him again at church, leading the girls to suspect Gonzales likes Mamá. With their newfound appreciation for the Virgen, they take some time to pray and light candles before her statue. Odilia notices white roses similar to the ones she picked for Mamá. Since Mamá did not undergo a magical transformation, Odilia worries that she did not complete Tonantzin’s last request correctly. She prays for wisdom and inspiration.
The Garza sisters demonstrate their newfound reverence for their Aztec ancestors in church by actively showing their appreciation. The presence of the roses seems to indicate Tonantzin’s business is yet unfinished. Because Mamá was not transformed in any observable way, Odilia worries that she has missed something, showing that her understanding of magic is not fully complete—she is still learning.
Themes
That evening, the girls play Lotería with Mamá, enjoying being together again. Odilia lingers after her sisters go to bed, still thinking about Tonantzin’s roses. Mamá wants to play Lotería again, but Odilia gets upset when she finds out the rose board is not her mother’s favorite. Mamá says that roses are nice, but the heart board is her favorite because it is the most important thing in life. She loved the white roses, but she loved seeing her daughters again more, declaring that without them she would be like a ghost with no purpose. Odilia suddenly remembers La Llorona, thanks Mamá for loving them so much, and runs out of the house with the roses.
The return of Lotería highlights how the Garza family is healing the wounds Papá left behind, refusing to let his memory tarnish their favorite game. Mamá’s gentle reassurance illustrates her maternal love, which has until now been buried under stressful circumstances. In this sense, she has been transformed and has remembered herself, but not because of the roses—because her daughters are with her once again. They are the source of her joy.
Themes
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