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Chapter 19
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Beloved World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Optimism, Determination, and Adversity
Family and Friendship
Education and Learning
Puerto Rican Identity and Culture
Morality, Justice, and Giving Back
Summary
Analysis
One evening, as Sonia makes the long trek to the restroom, she passes a presentation in a conference room and steps in—there’s free cheese and wine, and the speakers are public-interest lawyers. A speaker begins who seems wildly uncomfortable speaking. He piques Sonia’s interest when he says that his crew of several hundred assistants all try cases, even in their first year on the job. The job offers new graduates more courtroom experience than they’ll get anywhere else. Sonia remembers an associate at her summer job who immersed himself in a case, only for a senior partner to shine in court. After the presentation, Sonia approaches the speaker, the New York district attorney Robert M. Morgenthau. He offers to speak to her about a job the next day.
Given Sonia’s desire to give back, hearing public interest lawyers speak is likely very exciting. These are the people who are actually doing the work to give back to their communities and make people’s lives better. Plus, under Robert Morgenthau, Sonia won’t have to toil under senior partners for years before she herself can shine. And while Sonia doesn’t necessarily want glory for the sake of it, she does want to work in a collaborative environment where her work is valued, which essentially means not working at a large firm.
Themes
The DA’s Office isn’t a popular place to work, but Bob Morgenthau already has Sonia’s resume and has spoken to José when Sonia arrives for her appointment. Rudy notes the poor pay, but Sonia will still make more than Mami and doesn’t mind. She follows her instincts and takes the job, against the advice of most people at Yale. She wonders if Bob Morgenthau and the DA’s office stirred up her latent love of Perry Mason and his desire for justice.
Given Sonia’s humble beginnings, it’s far easier for her to accept the poor pay of the DA’s Office since it’ll still mean she’s doing well compared to Mami. And more importantly, she believes that there, she’ll be able to make a tangible difference in others’ lives.
Themes
