Esperanza Rising Chapters 8 - 11
Chapter 8, Las Ciruelas
On her first day of tending to Miguel’s young cousins, Esperanza purees ripe plums for them before they nap, but their waking hours turn out to be disastrous. She struggles to come to terms with the messy aftermath of their overindulgence in their diapers. She recalls Hortensia's remedy of rice water during her childhood sickness, and Esperanza swiftly prepares the elixir. She administers it cautiously until Isabel's return. When she returns, she acknowledges Esperanza's well-intentioned effort, but she cautions Esperanza against the harsh impact of raw plums on infant stomachs. Esperanza finds a budding companionship with Irene and Melina, and their talk swirls around the impending strike. However, the strike is disrupted by the arrival of an ominous hot wind that is soon followed by a predicted raging dust storm. Seeking refuge in the cabin, the women shelter the children as the tempest rages outside. After the storm abates, Irene and Melina depart, leaving Esperanza anxiously awaiting Isabel and the others' return.
Upon their arrival, the family, grappling with the aftermath, takes turns cleansing themselves of the dust. Mama's aggravated cough, stemming from the storm's repercussions, alarms everyone. Their conversation centers on the failed strike due to the storm's intervention, which has also rendered cotton picking unfeasible. Despite this setback, the laborers are prepared to resume work, with their aim trained on the ripened state of the grapes.
A month elapsed, yet Mama's condition continued to deteriorate with persistent coughing, weakness, and fever. The arrival of a trusted doctor reveals Valley Fever, a consequence of inhaling dust spores from the storm. Despite treatment, the prognosis remains grim, possibly stretching to a prolonged convalescence, but he doesn’t quite seem optimistic about her survival either.
Chapter 9: Las Papas
Esperanza cares for her ailing mother as Irene and Melina tend to the babies. Mama's condition remains unchanged; she longs for Abuelita and requests the half-finished crocheted blanket Abuelita began in Aguascalientes. With her mother resting, Esperanza endeavors to complete the blanket. As winter sets in, Mama's breathing worsens. The doctor diagnoses her as weak and despondent and advises hospitalization. Hortensia shares the doctor’s hard words with Esperanza about her mother's physical and emotional depletion. Joining Hortensia and Josefina, Esperanza spends three weeks cutting potato eyes, hoping for extended work. She observes the older women's work strategies and sheltering methods in the shed. Marta's aunt happens to be one of the women Esperanza often works with and she frets about the impending spring strike. She is worried that the strike will lead to their eviction from the migrant camp and a forced return to Mexico. She warns against the potential harm of the strike for the workers who want to continue work. Marta's uncle has cautioned her against striking because he doesn’t want to lose his job because of her.
As Christmas approaches, Isabel queries Esperanza about their Aguascalientes holiday traditions. Esperanza reminisces, yearning for Mama's recovery and their traditional holiday food. On Christmas Day, Esperanza visits her mother in the hospital, leaving a symbolic gift, a small pebble much like Abeulita carried and pledged to shoulder the responsibility of their troubles.
Chapter 10: Las Aguacates
Esperanza's routine involves an intense session of labor during the day, taking care of Miguel’s cousins during the night, and visiting her terminally sick Mama on the weekends. She makes little money for her efforts, but every second week she ensures that she sets aside a little money. She covertly obtains money orders at the market to set aside the funds necessary for Abeulita’s much-awaited.
The doctors halted visitors for Mama because of the continued worsening of her pneumonia. Esperanza is deeply affected by her mother’s worsening health, and her inability to spend enough time with her. She speaks with the doctors and gains permission for a brief visit, she tenderly braids Mama's hair and expresses her love. Restricted from further visits, Esperanza's melancholy persists. She gains a little respite from her sadness in Miguel. He encourages her, and they go to a welcoming Japanese market, where she purchases another money order for Abeulita and a piñata for Mama.
On their return, they encounter Marta and her mother, Ada, who informs her that the community is holding prayers for Esperanza's mother. Marta pleads for a ride to the farm where Esperanza and the others live in their chaotic tents and vehicles that shelter numerous families. On their way, a distressed family asks them for help, their predicament lies in the fact that their father lost his job after the strike. Esperanza offers them some beans and the piñata that she had purchased for her mother, while Marta warns them that the strikes will only escalate during the asparagus season. She warms them that non-participation in the strikes could have dire consequences. Later, Miguel happily shares with them the news of his securing a job in the railroad's machine shop. He is buoyed by Alfonso's confidence in his proficiency and believes that it could potentially lead to a permanent position.
Chapter 11: Las Espárragos
During the asparagus season, tensions rise as strikers intimidate workers who refuse to protest, they wield threats of violence and provocation for abandoning their duty to their community. Alfonso and Juan share that they too have suffered distressing occurrences in the fields, including traps set in their workplace involving vermin in their crates along with hazardous items like razor blades and glass pieces. As chaos ensues, Esperanza and Hortensia notice the strikers' sudden departure, replaced by law enforcement vehicles heading towards the shed. Immigration officers arrive, targeting all the striking workers irrespective of their citizenship status, targeting them for disrupting the work. Esperanza encounters Marta as she is seeking refuge from the law enforcement people in a shed. Esperanza wrestles with conflicting emotions but she decides to aid her and helps Marta camouflage among the workers to avoid detection. After the threat has passed, Marta is deeply thankful for Esperanza’s help and she apologizes for her past hostility.
Later, after Marta has been gone for a while, Esperanza grows concerned about Marta’s situation. She visits the farm and learns that the immigration officers have detained all the workers who were involved in the strike. As she is leaving, she finds a mangled and broken piñata, the very piñata that she had shared with a distressed and starving family.
Analysis
Esperanza starts caring for her sick parent, becoming a strong female figure much like her mother, who has been leading Esperanza with her example. They both find solace in a crocheted blanket, reminding Esperanza of earlier times when she used to crochet out of love and worry as her mother’s health declined. Her concern for her family motivates her to work in the fields, giving the readers a glimpse of her growing maturity. She learns quickly from strong female role models and starts moving on from her past life in Aguascalientes. Her only wish is for her mother’s health, showing her understanding that health and family are more important than luxury. Her conversation with Isabel also displays her maturity and this maturity leads her to promise her mother to stay strong on Christmas Day as she begins to take responsibility for her actions.
Despite setbacks and increased responsibilities, Esperanza remains optimistic. She accepts her role as a pillar of strength while dealing with her mother’s illness. Her determination is evident in her work, showing her transformation from a girl who couldn’t sweep to a responsible young woman who works in the fields, cares for the children of her community, and spends her hard-earned money on her loved ones. Yet, Esperanza is not immune to melancholy due to her changed role in the world, and the pain of being separated from her loved ones.
Esperanza and Miguel visit a Japanese market which highlights their immigrant experience. Miguel takes her there because the Japanese are kind to Mexicans, unlike other market owners. Esperanza realizes that all migrant workers share one thing: poverty. When she gives food to the needy and sacrifices her gift for her mother, she understands the joy of giving despite having little herself. This is a big change from the girl who thought Carmen was foolish for giving her food to the needy.
The dirty migrant workers’ camp where Marta and her mother live highlights the social and economic disparities even among the poor. Esperanza first saw such conditions on her journey to the U.S., and she then began to understand the social structure among the workers.
