THE CHARACTERS
Name Character Description
Esperanza Ortega Thirteen year old girl; only child of a wealthy rancher
Ramona Ortega Esperanza’s mother; tall, refined manners; composed, elegant, and beautiful
Sixto Ortega Esperanza’s father; wealthy rancher who is killed by bandits
Abuelita Esperanza’s grandmother; and Ramona’s mother; white hair; distinguished; good manners; philosophical;
likes to read and crochet
Hortensia Miguel’s mother; housekeeper at the El Rancho de las Rosas
Alfonso Miguel’s father; close friend of Sixto Ortega and the boss (el jefe) of all the field workers at Esperanza’s father’s ranch.
Miguel 16 year old boy; mechanical; His parents, Hortensia and Alfonso, who work for Esperanza’s parents
Marisol Rodriguez Esperanza’s best friend
Tio Luis Sixto Ortega’s older stepbrother; bank president; serious; gloomy; swollen with pride; self-important; asked Ramona to marry him; plans to run for Governor; the smarter of the two stepbrothers
Tio Marco Sixto Ortega’s older stepbrother; Mayor; serious; gloomy; swollen with pride; self-important
Esperanza Ortega Thirteen year old girl; only child of a wealthy rancher
Ramona Ortega Esperanza’s mother; tall, refined manners; composed, elegant, and beautiful
Sixto Ortega Esperanza’s father; wealthy rancher who is killed by bandits
Abuelita Esperanza’s grandmother; and Ramona’s mother; white hair; distinguished; good manners; philosophical;
likes to read and crochet
Hortensia Miguel’s mother; housekeeper at the El Rancho de las Rosas
Alfonso Miguel’s father; close friend of Sixto Ortega and the boss (el jefe) of all the field workers at Esperanza’s father’s ranch.
Miguel 16 year old boy; mechanical; His parents, Hortensia and Alfonso, who work for Esperanza’s parents
Marisol Rodriguez Esperanza’s best friend
Tio Luis Sixto Ortega’s older stepbrother; bank president; serious; gloomy; swollen with pride; self-important; asked Ramona to marry him; plans to run for Governor; the smarter of the two stepbrothers
Tio Marco Sixto Ortega’s older stepbrother; Mayor; serious; gloomy; swollen with pride; self-important
VOCABULARY: Quizlet
tendril He gently touched a wild tendril that reached into the row, as if it had been waiting to shake his hand. (p. 1)
anticipation It had taken every day of three weeks to put the harvest to bed and now everyone anticipated the celebration.(p. 8)
premonition Big pearls of blood pulsed from the tip of her thumb and she automatically thought, "bad luck." She quickly wrapped her hand in the
corner of her apron and dismissed the premonition. (p.8)
resentment They both knew that even thought it was 1930 and the revolution in Mexico had been over for ten years, there was still resentment
against the large landowners. (p.12)
tormented A noise came from her mouth and slowly, her first breath of grief grew into a tormented cry. (p. 22)
anticipation It had taken every day of three weeks to put the harvest to bed and now everyone anticipated the celebration.(p. 8)
premonition Big pearls of blood pulsed from the tip of her thumb and she automatically thought, "bad luck." She quickly wrapped her hand in the
corner of her apron and dismissed the premonition. (p.8)
resentment They both knew that even thought it was 1930 and the revolution in Mexico had been over for ten years, there was still resentment
against the large landowners. (p.12)
tormented A noise came from her mouth and slowly, her first breath of grief grew into a tormented cry. (p. 22)
The Mexican Revolution"Mama nodded and bit the corner of her lip in worry. they both knew that even though it was 1930 and the revolution in Mexico had been over for tenyears, there was still resentment against the large landowners.
'Change has not come fast enough, Esperanza.The wealthy still own most of the land while some of the poor have not even a garden plot. There are cattle grazing on the big ranches yet some peasants are forced to eat cats. Papa is sympathetic and has given land to many of his workers. The people know that.' 'But Mama, do the bandits know that?' 'I hope so,' said mama quietly." Pages 11-12 The country still had cases where the poor people took action against the rich land-owners. See the video below to understand some of the history behind the bandits in the story. Check out a timeline of Mexican history.
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The Quinceanera"When they were all together, they talked about one thing: their Quinceaneras, the presentation parties they would have when they turned fifteen. They still had two more years to wait, but so much to discuss- the beautiful white gowns they would wear, the big celebrations where they would be presented, and the sons of the richest families who would dance with them. After their Quinceaneras, they would be old enough to be courted, marry, and become las patronas, the heads of their households, rising to the positions of their mothers before them."
p. 7-8 See the video of a modern-day Quinceanera: THE RIVER BETWEEN THEM"I am going to marry Miguel!"
Mama had laughed at her and said, "You will feel differently as you get older." "No I won't," Esperanza had said stubbornly. But now that she was a young woman, she understood that Miguel was the housekeeper's son and she was the ranch owner's daughter and between them ran a deep river. Esperanza stood on one side and Miguel stood on the other and the river could never be crossed. In a moment of self-importance, Esperanza had told all of this to Miguel. Since then, he had spoken only a few words to her. When their paths crossed, he nodded and said politely, "Mi reina, my queen," but nothing more. There was no teasing or laughing or talking about every little thing. Esperanza pretended not to care, though she secretly wished she had never told Miguel about the river. Human rights question:
Should money or power and position in society be important in who you can marry? Are your human rights denied if it is tradition, rather than law, that prevents people from marrying whoever they want? FIND OUT WHAT WE THINK |