Top 4 Esperanza Rising quotes
“Abuelita smiled, reached over, and pulled the yarn, unraveling all of Esperanza’s rows. ‘Do not be afraid to start over,’ she said.”
Chapter 1
Esperanza’s grandmother unravels her uneven crochet stitches and patiently advises her not to be afraid of starting over in the face of difficulties or mistakes. Abeulita’s words have a profound impact on Esperanza as she struggles to come to terms with her father’s death, forced exile from her homeland, and having to start over in a foreign land that appears almost hostile at first. She goes back to these words from her grandmother often, and by the end of the novel, she has understood them well enough to even pass them on to Isabel.
“I hear that in the United States, you do not need una palanca [a lever]. That even the poorest man can become rich if he works hard enough.”
Miguel, Chapter 4.
Miguel’s loss is perhaps just as significant as that of Esperanza’s although he hasn’t lost his father, Miguel’s lost his mentor, his employer, and the individual who would have helped him succeed in Mexico. Yet, he tries to imbue himself with optimism for his future as he hangs on to someone else’s words that connections are less important than hard work in America. He tries to inspire Esperanza with this optimism as well but she’s not quite receptive to the idea.
“The rich take care of the rich, and the poor take care of those who have less than they have.”
Miguel, Chapter 4
Esperanza and Miguel watch as the impoverished egg vendor doles out whatever little money she has to spare to those who are poorer than her. Esperanza thinks that this is foolishness, but Miguel explains that the poor have learned to rely on one another in a way that the rich quite haven’t figured out yet.
“Here, we have two choices. To be together and miserable or to be together and happy. Mija, we have each other and Abuelita will come. How would she want you to behave? I choose to be happy. So which will you choose?”
Mama, Chapter 6
Esperanza’s mother serves as a crucial role model for Esperanza, as she witnesses how her mother makes peace with her new station in life and attempts to find goodness in it. She teaches Esperanza about the importance of sticking together with your family in times of trouble. Esperanza takes her mother’s lessons to heart and truly begins to live them when her mother becomes terminally ill with Hay fever.
