Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Behold the Dreamers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Sustainability of the American Dream
The Modern Immigrant Experience
Class and Interdependency
Parental Expectations vs. Personal Ambitions
Family and Belonging
Summary
Analysis
Cindy Eliza Edwards dies on a cold afternoon in March 2009, five days after Neni walked out of her apartment. She was alone in bed because Clark was in London on a business trip, Vince was still in India, and Mighty was studying at the Dalton School, “being groomed to be a man like his father.” Neni can’t believe it when Winston tells her the news, based on the story Frank told him that evening, a day after her death from asphyxiation due to vomit. High levels of opioid and alcohol were found in her blood, leading the examiner to believe that she swallowed multiple Vicodin pills, drank around two bottles of wine, fell asleep, and accidentally drowned in her vomit. Anna found her, lying on the bed with dried vomit crusted on her chin, neck, and the neckline of her silk nightgown.
Cindy died alone, realizing a fate that she feared deeply—that is, being bereft of those whom she loved and depended on the most during a time of need. Anna realizes the fate that Neni once feared when she discovers Cindy dead. The excess of alcohol and pills in Cindy’s system make it unclear if her death was accidental or if it was a suicide. With Vince gone, Clark having betrayed her, and Mighty increasingly drawn to the warmth that the Jongas provided, Cindy probably felt useless to her family. Neni’s getting the best of her may have been the final straw in her feeling of defeat.
Themes
