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Particularly once Negi reaches age 12, she becomes increasingly curious about what loving and healthy relationships look like, since Mami and Papi's relationship becomes increasingly fraught during this time. At this same time Negi spends her afternoons listening to soap operas on the radio. These soap operas offer convoluted storylines of women with beautiful names and men named “Armando” or “Ricardo,” and they introduce Negi to the idea that it is possible for men and women to interact kindly, romantically, and lovingly with each other. Armando and Ricardo in particular become symbols for what Negi wishes Papi could be to Mami, as well as for what Negi hopes to someday experience herself.
Armando and Ricardo Quotes in When I Was Puerto Rican
The When I Was Puerto Rican quotes below all refer to the symbol of Armando and Ricardo. 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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10. Dreams of a Better Life
Quotes
The women suffered. Frequently they were orphaned, brought up by nuns or stepmothers who made them do all the housework. In spite of this, they were cheerful and optimistic, never doubting that if they were pure of heart, life would eventually get better.
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I called up the images of Armando or Ricardo, and with Mami and Papi's shrill fights as background, I imagined a man and woman touching one another gently, discovering beauty in a stubbled cheek or a curl of hair, whispering adoring words into each other's ear, warming one another's bodies with love.
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Armando and Ricardo Symbol Timeline in When I Was Puerto Rican
The timeline below shows where the symbol Armando and Ricardo appears in When I Was Puerto Rican. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
10. Dreams of a Better Life
...heroines. At night she daydreams her own fantasies of being rescued by an Armando or Ricardo. According to these soap operas, Negi will fall in love at first sight and will...
(full context)
...Negi thinks he looks like a Mexican movie star and thinks his name must be Ricardo. Her heart skips a beat. She wills the man to look at her and fall...
(full context)
