Summary:
The story begins with a young girl, who recently moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She begins the story by discussing how to properly eat a guava. This guava represents her life in America versus life in Puerto Rico. She concludes the prologue by saying although the guava's in New York are not as good as the guava's in P.R they are there and remind her of home. Negi is Esmeralda Santiago's nickname, and she lives with her mother, father, two sisters, and soon to be born little brother, in Macun Puerto Rico. Her father is a handy-man around the house but also does work away from home, and her mother is a stay at home mother, especially now that she is eight months pregnant. Negi faces many troubling realizations while living in her new home, like encountering the phrase jibara, which means from the country. Her and her sisters are accustomed to life on the country, and the perks that come with it, like free time to play in the yard, and exposure to animals of all sorts. The turning point in the section is when Negi's father is accused of adultery by his wife, and the arguments begin. He will leave at sunrise one morning, and not return until sundown two days later. Negi's mother, who recently gave birth to her son, cannot take the come-and-go attitude of her husband, so she decides to pack up her children and head to the city. They go to Santurce, a highly populated city in Puerto Rico(and where my mother is from). The living conditions are no better than those at their country home, but htey have running water, which is in paucity in their home. No more than two days following the move, Negi and her sisters are enrolled in school.
The phrase that she encounterred earlier in the story jibara returns to haunt her at her new school. The perks she oonce enjoyed while living in the country, where seen as crude and un civilized in the city, earning her the label, jibara. Negi's father comes to Santurce at an attempt to court his wife back, and his attempt was successful, because the next day they are back at their home, but the problems are not yet resolved,as a new member steals their mother's lap.
Quote:
" 'What a jibara,' when Christmas came around and I'd never heard of Santa Claus. 'What a jibara...What a jibara... What a jibara." (Santiago 39)
Reaction:
Growing up in the country, where ther was no running water and no electricity,Negi does not realize that she is a jibara. She is struck withthe reality that she is what her mother spoke so illy of, and what she does not want to be. A similar event may happen to anyone who grows up or even adapts to an enviornment. When that person leave sthe enviornment they are stuck with the reality of the outside world and that is what occured with Negi. I believe this quote is very powerful, because it shows that the people who are secluded, or isolated from urbanization, are outcasts and odd-balls. The reeaction of Negi is seen through innocent eye, and that is why she does nto truly understand many of the things that are happening around her, but as a reader I feel a connection and bond with Negi, as she questions being an outsider.
