Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Before We Were Free, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age and Political Consciousness
Adulthood, Childhood, and Fear
Family and Politics
Storytelling and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
Chucha goes back to her room while Anita kneels next to Mami to pray. Instead of praying, she thinks through how to escape the SIM if they come. It occurs to Anita that they all might die. She wonders if the SIM will torture her for staying silent and wonders how to tell them that she’s not talking to anyone right now. When Anita sees that Mami is shaking, she realizes that Mami is afraid too. Anita remembers Oscar saying that one has to be scared to be brave and she wonders where he is. Maybe, if things work out, Anita can be normal again and fall in love with Oscar. Eventually, Mami gets in bed with Anita. They keep the radio tuned to the official station and hope to hear Pupo’s announcement, but it doesn’t come.
Given what Anita has heard about Trujillo’s government, it’s hard to say if her fears of facing interrogation are justified or just a reflection of her youthful belief in her own importance. On the plus side, things seem a little bit easier for her once Anita remembers that it’s impossible to brave without being afraid. This helps her decide that Mami isn’t doing anything wrong or scary by shaking—Mami, like Anita, is trying to be brave despite her fears. Dreaming of a normal life after this is understandable, given how traumatic the situation is.
Themes
Anita jerks awake when she hears sirens. She asks Mami if they’re going to be okay and who Pupo is. Mami says they’re in God’s hands, but Pupo is the head of the army. He was supposed to announce the Dominican Republic’s liberation. Anita wants to ask if there aren’t other people who will help, like the police officer who saw the guns. Mami sobs that without the army, they won’t be free. Anita barely sleeps. She dreams of the García girls, the eraser in the shape of the Dominican Republic, and blood. Eventually, Chucha shakes Anita awake. Moments after, “gangster men” rush in and search the room. Other men push Mami in and shout “Traitors.”
Mami may feel that under the current circumstances, it doesn’t do any harm to let Anita know what was supposed to happen. It may not seem useful to protect her anymore by withholding information. For Anita, Mami appears to be overreacting, since Anita knows there are other officials besides the military who support the resistance. But while Anita might not be wrong about the resistance’s broad support, this does show that she doesn’t understand how Trujillo’s government works and how crucial it is to have the backing of the military.
Themes
Then, the men lead Mami and Anita to the living room, where a man they call Navajita—"little razor blade”—sits. After a while, a SIM agent shouts that they found El Jefe in the trunk of the Chevy. Navajita tells the agent to “take them in” and Anita sees agents shove Papi and Tío Toni towards the line of Volkswagens outside. Soon, all the cars are gone. Mami tries to phone people for help, but no one can help her. Pupo seems to be gone; meanwhile, the SIM, Trujllo Junior, and Trujillo’s brothers are in charge. They plan to make the country pay for El Jefe’s murder.
El Jefe was found dead in the back of Papi’s Chevy, which confirms that Papi and Tío Toni assassinated the dictator. The fact that the body spent the night at Anita’s house shows her again that politics and family life are impossible to separate from each other. Her home isn’t just where she lives; it’s where the resistance planned and even carried out parts of its assassination plan. However, the fact that Pupo is missing and Trujillo’s son and brothers are now running the country is terrible news—not only is the dictatorship intact, but now the Trujillo family is thirsty for revenge.
Themes
Mami, Chucha, and Anita start to clean up the trashed house, but Mami breaks down. Finally, Mami reaches Mrs. Mancini. Mrs. Mancini comes over immediately with her husband. Mr. Mancini tells Mami that she and Anita need to get to safety—if the SIM can’t get confessions out of their captives, they’ll arrest the family. Mami panics when she realizes that Mundín is in danger, but Mr. Mancini assures her he’s fine. He tells Mami and Anita to pack bags and come with him, and he tells Chucha to go to “her people.” Chucha snaps that this is her family. Anita breaks down when she sees the smashed monkey lamp in her room. Chucha comes in, packs a bag, and tosses Anita’s diary in. Then, she tells Anita to fly free.
Mr. and Mrs. Mancini’s arrival shows Anita that even if the resistance can’t get help from people like Pupo, there are always people willing to help. And sometimes, even someone as strong as Mami will have to rely on outsiders to help her get through this traumatic situation. The smashed monkey lamp marks the irrevocable shattering of Anita’s innocence. While she has previously clung to some vestiges of her childhood to keep her world feeling normal and safe, she can no longer do that after today. Chucha’s undying loyalty to the family is a reminder that some bonds are unbreakable. No matter what went wrong among the conspirators, Anita is reminded that blood isn’t the only marker of loyalty and there are plenty of people in the family’s orbit who are dedicated to keeping them safe.
Themes
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