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Chapter 21
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
In the weeks after Papá leaves for good, Odilia’s sisters talk about him, wishing things might have turned out different. Odilia keeps her wounds hidden but cries unexpectedly over her father’s abandonment. Mamá throws Odilia a Sweet Sixteen party since she missed her quinceañera the year before. Dancing in her backyard, Odilia spots Papá watching the party from a distance. Approaching him, she allows him to hug and congratulate her. Papá says he wanted to talk with Mamà, but she is dancing with Special Agent Gonzales. He remarks that she looks happy.
It feels realistic that the Garza sisters continue to miss Papá even after his hurtful behavior, showing that wounds from loved ones have a haunting quality and that healing is not immediate. Papá’s arrival at Odilia’s party echoes the dead man’s untimely return to his daughter’s quinceañera. Although Papá is alive, Odilia has no more desire to mend her relationship with him than Beatriz Pérdido had with her father—the damage has been done. Ironically, Mamá has replaced Papá the same way he did to her—he is fully unnecessary to his family.
Themes
Mamá has undergone her own transformation, attending night school, earning her GED, getting a new job, and finding love with Agent Gonzales. Her daughters are so proud and happy for her. Through rumors, Odilia has heard that Sarai abandoned Papá, taking all his money with her. Papá tries to apologize, but Odilia cuts him off, not wanting to talk about the past. She thanks him for coming and watches him leave, wondering if they will ever be close again. Juanita sees him too, and remarks that he didn’t even bring a present, but Odilia contradicts her, saying “You just can’t see it.” She watches Mamá and her sisters laughing, and knows that they will always be together.
The ordeal of losing her family only to find them again has changed Mamá—she seems determined to accept nothing less than what she deserves. With the full support of her daughters, who have also been changed by her great love, the Garza family is closer than ever. Papá, on the other hand, reaps the just rewards of his selfish behavior, finding himself alone. It is unclear what Odilia is referring to as Papá’s gift, but it could be that she has gained a sense of closure from his appearance and her own maintenance of a healthy boundary. Despite her complicated feelings for her father, Odilia reflects on her closeness with Mamá, her sisters, and the many ancestors who watch over her.
Themes
