Before We Were Free

by

Julia Alvarez

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Before We Were Free makes teaching easy.
Mrs. Brown is Anita’s teacher at the American school. She is generally nice, but Anita observes some discriminatory behaviors—for example, Mrs. Brown gives the good parts in skits to American rather than Dominican students. It’s also frustrating for Anita when Mrs. Brown won’t answer all of her questions. For instance, when Anita has questions about why there’s an embargo on the Dominican Republic, Mrs. Brown is evasive. In reality, Mrs. Brown probably can’t tell her students the truth and expect to stay safe and keep her job, but her omissions are nevertheless annoying for Anita.

Mrs. Brown Quotes in Before We Were Free

The Before We Were Free quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Brown or refer to Mrs. Brown. 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:
Coming of Age and Political Consciousness Theme Icon
).
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.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Lucinda (speaker), Papi, Trujillo/El Jefe/Mr. Smith, Tío Toni, Mrs. Brown
Page Number: 16-17
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Three Quotes

“You know how your parents will sometimes ground your brother or sister? It’s not because they don’t love him or her, now, is it? It’s because they’re concerned and want to make him or her a better person.”

The more I think about it, an embargo sounds an awful lot like the punishment chair at home whenever we misbehave.

“So how has the Dominican Republic misbehaved?” one of the Dominican students wants to know.

But that is a question Mrs. Brown won’t answer.

Related Characters: Mrs. Brown (speaker), Anita
Page Number: 34
Explanation and Analysis:
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.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Mrs. Brown (speaker), Sam Washburn, Lucinda, Charlie Price
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eleven Quotes

I guess I finally understand what [Chucha] and Papi meant by wanting me to fly. It was like the metaphors Mrs. Brown was always talking about. To be free inside, like an uncaged bird. Then nothing, not even a dictatorship, can take away your liberty.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Papi, Chucha, Oscar Mancini, Mrs. Brown
Related Symbols: Butterflies and Flight
Page Number: 160
Explanation and Analysis:
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Before We Were Free PDF

Mrs. Brown Quotes in Before We Were Free

The Before We Were Free quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Brown or refer to Mrs. Brown. 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:
Coming of Age and Political Consciousness Theme Icon
).
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.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Lucinda (speaker), Papi, Trujillo/El Jefe/Mr. Smith, Tío Toni, Mrs. Brown
Page Number: 16-17
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Three Quotes

“You know how your parents will sometimes ground your brother or sister? It’s not because they don’t love him or her, now, is it? It’s because they’re concerned and want to make him or her a better person.”

The more I think about it, an embargo sounds an awful lot like the punishment chair at home whenever we misbehave.

“So how has the Dominican Republic misbehaved?” one of the Dominican students wants to know.

But that is a question Mrs. Brown won’t answer.

Related Characters: Mrs. Brown (speaker), Anita
Page Number: 34
Explanation and Analysis:
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.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Mrs. Brown (speaker), Sam Washburn, Lucinda, Charlie Price
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eleven Quotes

I guess I finally understand what [Chucha] and Papi meant by wanting me to fly. It was like the metaphors Mrs. Brown was always talking about. To be free inside, like an uncaged bird. Then nothing, not even a dictatorship, can take away your liberty.

Related Characters: Anita (speaker), Papi, Chucha, Oscar Mancini, Mrs. Brown
Related Symbols: Butterflies and Flight
Page Number: 160
Explanation and Analysis: