Geraldo Fernandez Character Analysis in Refugee

Isabel’s father and Teresa’s husband. Prior to the beginning of the novel, Geraldo tried several times to escape Cuba and take a boat to Miami. But when he was caught, he was jailed for a year due to Castro’s policies. At the beginning of the story, Geraldo becomes involved with riots in Havana and a policeman threatens to find him and jail him. After Castro announces that he is lifting the ban on people leaving Cuba, Geraldo is adamant that he must leave the very next day. This resolution is what prompts Isabel to assemble the Castillos and the Fernandezes and take a boat to Miami together. Geraldo often gets into arguments with Isabel’s grandfather Lito, who believes that Geraldo is prioritizing himself over his family. But Geraldo proves his devotion to Teresa and Isabel by refusing to leave her side, even when a Coast Guard boat threatens to take them back to Cuba. Ultimately, they are able to make it to Miami together and start a new life as a family.

Geraldo Fernandez Quotes in Refugee

The Refugee quotes below are all either spoken by Geraldo Fernandez or refer to Geraldo Fernandez. 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:

Isabel was listening for the clave underneath the music, the mysterious hidden beat inside Cuban music that everybody seemed to hear except her. An irregular rhythm that lay over the top of the regular beat, like a heartbeat beneath the skin. Try as she might, she had never heard it, never felt it. She listened now, intently, trying to hear the heartbeat of Cuba in her own music.

Related Characters: Isabel Fernandez, Geraldo Fernandez, Lito/Mariano Padron

Related Symbols: Isabel’s Trumpet

Page Number and Citation: 11

Explanation and Analysis:

At the beginning of Isabel’s story, she accompanies her father, Geraldo, and her grandfather, Lito, into Havana to wait in line for food. She brings her trumpet, her most prized possession, to play on the street corner, and laments the fact that she still can’t hear the Cuban clave rhythm, which she explains here. Isabel’s frustration with not being able to hear the clave becomes a central tension in the book when she and her family flee Cuba to go to Miami. Isabel’s trumpet, and music in general, serve as stand-ins for Isabel’s connection to her heritage, because it is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qu

Geraldo Fernandez Character Timeline in Refugee

The timeline below shows where the character Geraldo Fernandez appears in Refugee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...the country, or else they are thrown in jail. She knows this, because her father Geraldo, whom she calls Geraldo, had tried to leave and had been thrown in jail for... (full context)

Family, Displacement, and Culture Theme Icon

Isabel notices Geraldo and her grandfather, whom she calls Lito, heading down the road to stand in line... (full context)

...break out in the street, and people chanting against Castro. Isabel goes to search for Geraldo and Lito. She knows that if her father is caught by the police, he’d be... (full context)

...the first policeman turns back to threaten Isabel. He tells Isabel that he will find Geraldo and make sure he is arrested and sent away “for good.” As Isabel watches the... (full context)

Isabel, Geraldo, and Lito return to their home following the riots. Isabel’s mother, Teresa, is pregnant and... (full context)

Lito tells Geraldo that he should just lie low for a while because of the danger of trying... (full context)

Geraldo and Lito start to fight until Isabel proposes that the whole family travel to the... (full context)

Isabel, Iván, Señor Castillo, Señora Castillo, Geraldo, and Lito are carrying the boat to the beach, packed with water, food, and medicine.... (full context)

...turns to look at the beach once more, she sees two policemen running toward them. Geraldo panics and tells them to start the engine as Isabel is lifted into the boat.... (full context)

...motor and the boat lurches forward and away from the shore. As they pull away, Geraldo yells at Señor Castillo for letting Luis and Amara come, saying that they’re putting everyone... (full context)

...that at the bottom of the boat is a billboard with Castro’s face on it. Geraldo and the other adults joke about Castro and the failures of the Cuban Revolution. Isabel... (full context)

...Isabel wants is “a place where she and her family c[an] be together, and happy.” Geraldo says that he’s looking forward to not being thrown in jail for criticizing the government. (full context)

Geraldo, Señor Castillo, Luis, and Amara try to figure out why the boat’s motor won’t start,... (full context)

Lito says that they should have waited to leave Cuba, but Isabel is adamant that Geraldo would have been arrested. Lito counters, accusing Geraldo of risking his life and the lives... (full context)

Injustice and Cruelty vs. Empathy and Social Responsibility Theme Icon

Geraldo and Lito continue to get the water out of the bottom of the boat. They... (full context)

Isabel continues to bail water out of the boat, alongside Teresa, Geraldo, Lito, Luis, Iván, and Señora Castillo. They work feverishly, but the boat fills as quickly... (full context)

...become sick with a fever. Lito and Señora Castillo try to help keep Teresa cool. Geraldo and Luis are able to get the engine restarted, while Amara continues to steer the... (full context)

...she will be deported to Cuba. Lito says that he will go with Teresa, but Geraldo refuses to be sent back to Cuba. Isabel grows upset—all she wants is for her... (full context)

Señor Castillo, who is lying down, instructs them to keep bailing. Geraldo suggests that he help. Señor Castillo responds that he is recovering, and points out that... (full context)

...before the baby is born. Iván asks what they’ll name the baby, but Teresa and Geraldo haven’t decided yet. (full context)

...that his right leg is a bloody mess. Lito cries out for a tourniquet, and Geraldo tries to tie his belt around Iván’s leg, but the blood continues to gush, and... (full context)

...them. Amara dives into the water to swim the rest of the way, but Isabel, Geraldo, and Señor Castillo row as hard as they can. Teresa tries to tell Geraldo to... (full context)

...water is now only at Isabel’s waist. Isabel then looks up and sees Teresa and Geraldo with the newborn baby, who is crying. She knows instantly that she will do anything... (full context)

...of the water and staggers onto U.S. soil. She turns and sees that Teresa and Geraldo have also made it to the shallow water, and the Coast Guard boat can no... (full context)

...a month after arriving in Miami. After they arrived on the beach, Guillermo took Isabel, Geraldo, Teresa, and baby Mariano into his home until they found an apartment of their own. (full context)

Teresa is running a day care in her home, Geraldo had gotten a job driving a taxi, and the Castillos find new jobs as well... (full context)

Geraldo Fernandez Character Analysis

Geraldo Fernandez Quotes in Refugee

Isabel: Outside Havana, Cuba – 1994 (1) Quotes

Geraldo Fernandez Character Timeline in Refugee