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Chapter 4
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 day in April when Sonia is nine, she and Junior head straight home from school. This is unusual—they usually go to Ana’s—but Papi is home sick from work. But when Sonia and Junior come around the corner, Moncho calls to them from his window. Ana is crying. Sonia has no idea what’s happening as Ana leads her across the street to her own apartment, where Alfred opens the door to reveal relatives, all crying. Mami tells her children that God took Papi. Not knowing what to do, Sonia sobs and throws herself on her bed. Ana joins her and tells Sonia to stop crying and be a big girl for Mami. Welcoming this insight, Sonia sits up and thinks of earlier, when Papi had wanted to make a Sunday breakfast. Mami yelled at him that he’d make the children late.
Because she’s so young, Sonia doesn’t yet know how to handle grief, but what seems to confuse her even more is that she’s not sure what to do about that. Her reason for stopping crying speaks to her caring and empathetic nature—what makes her stop crying, after all, is the idea that she needs to care for Mami—and her desire to learn how to navigate different situations. Her memory that Papi wanted to cook a big breakfast speaks to just how engaged Papi tried to be, even though he often fell short as a father.
Themes
Sonia and her family spend hours at the funeral home; Abuelita and Sonia’s aunts have been here for days. It’s important to not leave the body alone, and Monsignor Hart is coming from Blessed Sacrament. Abuelita cries constantly. Sonia feels almost sadder for Abuelita than she does about Papi. Monsignor Hart stops in, as does Dr. Fisher. Finally, Titi Aurora tells Sonia to say goodbye to Papi and kiss his cheek. Sonia doesn’t want to, but she also doesn’t want to upset Abuelita, so she closes her eyes and kisses him. She’s somewhat surprised when she thinks that maybe now, things will be easier.
Sonia’s sense that things might be easier with Papi gone makes it clear just how stressful her family life was up until this point. Papi made her life miserable due to the conflicts his alcoholism caused with Mami—and now, all that conflict will be over.
Themes
The family says the rosary for Papi for seven nights at Abuelita’s. On the final night, Sonia falls asleep and wakes up to Mami gripping her arm, angrily threatening to take Sonia away from Abuelita forever. Much later, Sonia learns that she apparently spoke in a strange voice that sounded like Abuelita’s long-dead sister and said that Papi was with her and there was no need to worry. Sonia says she can’t explain it—she could’ve just spoken in her sleep—but in any case, Mami didn’t allow Abuelita to develop Sonia’s “gift.”
By not telling Sonia at the time what happened, Mami attempts to keep her away from a part of her Puerto Rican culture that Mami sees as threatening. Mami wants nothing more than to see her children receive an education, and she may see Abuelita’s brand of spirituality as being in opposition to education.
Themes
Mami and the children stay with Abuelita after Papi dies until finally, the building manager lets Mami move into a different apartment closer to school. Mami also starts working days so she can be home after school. Alfred and Sonia’s uncles help with the move and discover bottles hidden in Papi’s room. Sonia learns just how much Papi had been drinking every day; Junior already knew. Sonia knows that Papi loved his family, but it wasn’t enough to make him stop drinking. Abuelita and Sonia’s aunts blame Mami to the end, but Sonia knows it’s not Mami’s fault either—Papi did this to himself. On the day they move, Sonia remembers how, on the day that Papi died, she suddenly thought about him at recess. She wonders if Papi said goodbye.
Discovering the extent of Papi’s alcohol addiction impresses upon the entire family just how wrapped up in secrets and willful ignorance everyone was. It’s worth noting, though, that Mami and Sonia are biologically related, while Mami isn’t biologically related to these aunts. This may explain why Sonia feels some loyalty towards Mami while the rest of the family blames Mami.
Themes
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