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Sam Washburn
Lucinda is Anita’s 15-year-old sister. At the beginning of the novel, Anita scoffs at Lucinda—to her, Lucinda seems like a self-centered teenager who cares only about her looks. (She sleeps in hair rollers and uses pimple cream, even though Anita insists that Lucinda doesn’t need it.) Lucinda also treats Anita with scorn when Anita asks for information about what’s going on. However, the girls grow closer as Lucinda takes it upon herself to tell Anita about their family’s involvement in the resistance movement. Since she’s the only person in the family who will tell Anita anything, Anita returns to Lucinda again and again for information—Lucinda appears to share it because she understands that Anita is more scared and confused without knowing and she wants to look out for her sister and help her mature. Lucinda has a rash on her neck that appears whenever she’s stressed. It’s visible for most of the novel—though it grows worse after Susie’s quinceañera, when Trujillo decides to court Lucinda. Lucinda is understandably terrified at the prospect of becoming Trujillo’s next rape victim, though she’s also frightened when her only option turns out to be leaving the country. On the night before she flees to the U.S., Lucinda talks to Anita about boys and and Anita feels a deep love for her. In the morning, when the girls discover that Anita started her period, Lucinda promises not to tell anyone. Anita sees this as proof that she and Lucinda are growing closer.
Lucinda Quotes in Before We Were Free
The Before We Were Free quotes below are all either spoken by Lucinda or refer to Lucinda. 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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Chapter Two Quotes
Now I’m really confused. I thought we liked El Jefe. His picture hangs in the front entryway with the saying below it: IN THIS HOUSE, TRUJILLO RULES. “But if he’s so bad, why does Mrs. Brown hang his picture in our classroom next to George Washington?”
“We have to do that. Everyone has to do. He’s a dictator.”
I’m not really sure what a dictator does. But this is probably not a good time to ask.
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“That’s where I’m from,” Sammy says, puffing out his chest, as if someone is going to pin a medal on it. “Greatest country in the world.”
I want to contradict him and say that my own country is the greatest. But I’m not sure anymore after what Lucinda told me about us having a dictator who makes everybody hang his picture on their walls.
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Chapter Six Quotes
Not even the thought of falling in love with Sam is a consolation anymore. Overnight, all boys (except for Papi and Tío Toni and Mundín) have become totally gross. Here’s an old lech flirting with my sister. Here are Oscar and Sam drinking liquor and throwing up. If only I could be like Joan of Arc, cut off my hair and dress like a boy, just to be on the safe side. Or even better, if only I could go backward to eleven, instead of forward to thirteen!
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I lift the sheet and she looks down with a questioning expression. Then a knowing smile spreads on her lips. “Congratulations,” she says, leaning over and kissing me. “My baby sister’s a señorita.”
I don’t feel like a señorita. I feel more like a baby in wet diapers. And I don’t want to be a señorita now that I know what El Jefe does to señoritas.
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Chapter Seven Quotes
“I think we’d better have the nurse look at you,” she says, taking my hand.
I don’t resist. I stand and walk with her. As we cross the front of the room, Charlie Price makes a circle motion in the air to Sammy, who grins as if he agrees.
I feel like screaming, I AM NOT CRAZY! But instead, I swallow that scream, and suddenly it’s very quiet inside me.
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Chapter Ten Quotes
Then one of them shook our hands and said, “Welcome to the United States of America,” and pointed us out of Immigration. And there was my answer to how I would survive in this strange, new world: my family was waiting for us—Mundín and Lucia, my grandparents, Carla, her sisters, and Tía Laura and Tío Carlos and Tía Mimí—all of them calling out, “Anita! Carmen!”
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Lucinda Character Timeline in Before We Were Free
The timeline below shows where the character Lucinda appears in Before We Were Free. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter One
Anita’s older siblings, Lucinda and Mundín, are already home. They stand with Mami and Chucha, the nanny, who holds...
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...long, Mami gives her a stern look. A black moth flies into the room, frightening Lucinda—she thinks it’s a bat. Mundín, however, says it’s a black butterfly. According to Chucha, black...
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Chapter Two
...they search the bedrooms, the men act like they expect to find weapons. They enter Lucinda’s room without knocking and shove their bayonets under the bed. Lucinda still has her rollers...
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When the men finish searching Lucinda’s room, Mami tells Lucinda and Anita to stay put. Anita wails; she’s terrified that the...
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...that the butterflies are “special ladies” who were in an accident. Finally, Anita goes to Lucinda and offers a back rub in exchange for information. On the patio, Lucinda explains in...
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Lucinda explains that Tío Toni was involved in a plot to get rid of their dictator,...
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Chapter Three
...promise to not talk to anyone about what happened—even to Sam and Susie. Susie and Lucinda are now great friends. Mundín is not concerned that he didn’t get a new friend,...
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Later, Anita seeks out Lucinda. She is concerned with what to tell her classmates about why she missed so much...
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Chapter Four
...Anita feels like she’s not supposed to be here. She felt the same way when Lucinda told her what menstruation was.
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...as writing makes her feel like she’s piecing her world back together. Things are confusing. Lucinda now lets Anita stay in bed with her when Anita has nightmares, and Oscar tells...
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Chapter Five
...the kids are back in school, they don’t go anywhere else. One afternoon, Susie and Lucinda join Anita and Sam for a game, since they’re also bored. When Anita asks why...
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Later, Susie explains to Anita and Lucinda how she convinced her parents to throw her a quinceañera party. Anita usually gets sent...
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...from safe house to safe house. He’s nervous and jumps at everything. When he notices Lucinda’s rash and Mundín’s bitten nails, he laments that kids can’t be kids in this country....
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...coming; it wouldn’t look good for Mr. Washburn if Toni showed up. He comments that Lucinda will be the belle of the ball, while Anita isn’t far behind. He calls Anita...
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The night of the party coincides with the Dominican Republic’s independence day. Lucinda gets ready with Susie at the Washburns’; Anita has to wait in the kitchen as...
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...is in full swing. People are dressed up and Oscar and Sam take drink orders. Lucinda, Susie, and their friends look like flowers as they sit on lawn chairs. Mami and...
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Chapter Six
...standing in the doorway, she feels safe. Recently, Chucha had a dream in which Anita, Lucinda, Mundín, and Mami all flew away. When Anita asked about Papi, Chucha said, “Not everyone...
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The next morning, a limousine from the palace arrives with roses for Lucinda, from “an admirer.” Lucinda bursts into tears—the roses are from El Jefe. She begs Mami...
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...rings. Lorena picks it up and says it’s “Un señor”—a man “who needs no introduction.” Lucinda sobs. Mrs. Washburn takes the phone and says there’s no one named Lucinda here. When...
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...covers her mouth and tells her to be quiet, making Anita cry. Anita seeks out Lucinda, who’s in the middle of packing. Mami and Mrs. Washburn help her put together a...
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Lucinda invites Anita to sleep with her that night. After they turn out the light, Anita...
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...a señorita now that she knows what El Jefe does to them. When Anita begs Lucinda to not tell Mami (she can’t stand the thought of Papi knowing), Lucinda asks what...
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In Lucinda’s room, Mami tells Lucinda that she won’t have to teach English or be a maid—she...
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Chapter Seven
Anita begs to stay home until Lucinda leaves, but Mami reminds her that they have to act normal. Anita and Lucinda hug...
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...that the Americans are playing with them, but Papi reminds Toni that Mr. Washburn saved Lucinda. The men agree that Mr. Washburn is “on his way out.” Anita figures this means...
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Chapter Eight
...his country house and his girlfriends. Anita shivers as she remembers how El Jefe courted Lucinda.
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...the SIM arrest him. Papi doesn’t think they can get Mundín to New York since Lucinda has already overstayed her visa. Mami announces that the children will have an early dinner...
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Chapter Ten
...thought the Chiquita banana lady was saying, “I’m Anita Banana and I’m here to stay.” Lucinda explained that the lady is Chiquita Banana, and “she’s here to say.” Anita feels like...
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...the country and release the prisoners. Papito reacts to the news hopefully, while Mamita sobs. Lucinda, Mami, and Anita cry too.
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...stay in the U.S. To give the children something to do, Mami arranges for Anita, Lucinda, and Mundín to sit in on classes at a Catholic school. Anita ends up in...
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