My Beloved World

by

Sonia Sotomayor

My Beloved World Characters

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor is the author and protagonist of the memoir. Sonia is raised speaking Spanish in a tight-knit Puerto Rican community in the Bronx. At seven years old, she’s diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This… read analysis of Sonia Sotomayor

Mami / Celina Sotomayor

Celina Sotomayor is Sonia’s mother. Throughout Sonia’s youth and young adulthood, she and Mami have a tense and cold relationship. Sonia learns much later in life that this is because Mami had no model… read analysis of Mami / Celina Sotomayor

Titi Aurora

Titi Aurora is Mami’s eldest sister; she’s about 13 or 14 years older. Titi Aurora marries an older man at age 16 to escape their mother’s household and their mother’s failing health. However, Titi… read analysis of Titi Aurora

Abuelita

Abuelita is Sonia’s paternal grandmother. Abuelita is the life of every party and the center of her large Puerto Rican family’s universe in the Bronx. She’s extremely devoted to blood family, but in-laws and… read analysis of Abuelita

Nelson

Nelson is Sonia’s same-age cousin and Tío Benny’s son. As kids, Nelson and Sonia are extremely close. Nelson is up for anything that Sonia comes up with, and they often get into trouble… read analysis of Nelson
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Junior

Junior is Sonia’s little brother who is three years younger than her. When they’re kids, Sonia finds Junior extremely obnoxious, though adults like him. Where Sonia is belligerent and difficult, Junior is easygoing and… read analysis of Junior

Papi / Juli Sotomayor

Juli Sotomayor is Sonia’s father. During Sonia’s lifetime, Papi struggles with alcoholism and alcoholic neuropathy. He and Mami fight constantly, which makes Sonia anxious and watchful from a young age. She understands that Papi’s… read analysis of Papi / Juli Sotomayor

Kevin Noonan

Kevin is Sonia’s husband for seven years. They meet in high school and Kevin’s compliments, unlike most of the others she receives, seem genuine and make her feel seen. From the moment that Sonia… read analysis of Kevin Noonan

Judge Rothwax

Judge Rothwax is a New York City judge with a reputation for being difficult, cantankerous, and exacting. Sonia wins him over by promising to be ready for trial on a short timeline, so she doesn’t… read analysis of Judge Rothwax

Kenny Moy

Kenny Moy is the student coach for the girls’ team of the Forensics Club at Sonia’s high school. He’s extremely intelligent and is one of only a handful of Chinese students at the school… read analysis of Kenny Moy

José Cabranes

José Cabranes is Sonia’s first mentor. They meet at Yale, thanks to an introduction from one of Sonia’s younger friends. José is an expert on Puerto Rico and issues of citizenship, served as special… read analysis of José Cabranes

Dawn Cardi

Dawn Cardi is a public defender at the New York City DA’s office. She’s a natural defense attorney, as she distrusts authority and wants to stick up for the underdog whenever possible. Though the stereotype… read analysis of Dawn Cardi

Fran Bernstein

Fran Bernstein is a lawyer at Pavia & Harcourt; she soon becomes Sonia’s friend and mentor. She distinguished herself in law school at Columbia and only works part-time when Sonia knows her. Unlike Sonia… read analysis of Fran Bernstein

Robert “Bob” Morgenthau

Robert Morgenthau is a New York district attorney when Sonia starts at the DA’s office. He’s not much of a talker, but he’s very good at his job and takes an interest in Sonia. Despite… read analysis of Robert “Bob” Morgenthau

Dr. Fisher

Dr. Fisher is the beloved local doctor in the Bronx. He manages to form close connections with all of his patients and treats most of Sonia’s family. He’s the one who diagnoses Sonia’s diabetes… read analysis of Dr. Fisher

Marguerite Gudewicz

Marguerite Gudewicz is Sonia’s best friend in high school. Marguerite is Jewish; her father is German and her mother is Polish, so although Marguerite’s father is still prejudiced against Puerto Ricans, he still understands… read analysis of Marguerite Gudewicz

Richard Maddicko / The Tarzan Murderer

Maddicko becomes known as the Tarzan Murderer due to his practice of acrobatically swinging into upper-story apartments through windows, stealing whatever he can (usually, not much; his targets tend to be low-income individuals and families)… read analysis of Richard Maddicko / The Tarzan Murderer

Mami’s Father

Mami’s father is a cold man whom Mami and Sonia meet once at the same time, when he’s ill in the hospital as an elderly man. He left Mami’s mother when Mami was born… read analysis of Mami’s Father

Miss Katz

Miss Katz is Sonia’s history teacher for her junior year of high school. She’s the first to ask Sonia to synthesize information into compelling arguments rather than just regurgitate facts, and Sonia remembers her… read analysis of Miss Katz

Miriam

Miriam is Sonia’s cousin and Nelson’s younger sister. Miriam is timid, shy, and disinterested in stepping even a toe out of line as a child, which makes Nelson Sonia’s partner in crime. Miriam… read analysis of Miriam

The Partner

The partner is a man at Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge, a firm that recruits at Yale. During a recruitment dinner with Sonia, the partner makes the racist insinuation that Sonia and other students… read analysis of The Partner

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty is Sonia’s friend at Princeton who, after a summer job as an associate at Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge, encourages Sonia to attend a recruiting dinner with one of the firm’s partnersread analysis of Scott Rafferty

Tío Mayo

Tío Mayo is one of Mami’s older brothers who was put in charge of caring for his much younger sister after Titi Aurora married. He was a violent and exacting caregiver and often beat… read analysis of Tío Mayo

John Fried

John Fried is the bureau chief at the New York DA’s office and Sonia’s mentor. She goes to him when she doesn’t feel she can, in good conscience, prosecute a case, as he’s committed… read analysis of John Fried

Warren Murray

Warren Murray is the bureau chief after John Fried. Sonia initially worries about working under him, as he has a reputation for being soft-spoken but tough. Sonia’s first experience with him is on a… read analysis of Warren Murray

Tío Benny

Tío Benny is one of Sonia’s paternal uncles and Nelson, Miriam, and Eddie’s father. He cares often for Sonia and Junior, especially while Papi is still alive, and he’s one of… read analysis of Tío Benny

Alessandro

Alessandro is a young Italian lawyer and an in-law of the Fendi family. He acts as the interpreter when Fendi works with Pavia & Harcourt. Sonia and Alessandro—along with his wife, Fe—become close friends. Alessandro… read analysis of Alessandro

Dolores Chavez

Dolores Chaves is Sonia’s freshman year roommate at Princeton. Dolores is Hispanic and from New Mexico, and Sonia initially sees her as an innocent, shy country girl. However, as the girls get to know… read analysis of Dolores Chavez

Dave Botwinik

Dave Botwinik is a senior partner whom Sonia turns to for advice and mentorship. He’s honorable and professional, and Sonia admires him. He also teaches her about grain markets and asks her to help in… read analysis of Dave Botwinik

Theresa Bartenope

Theresa Bartenope is a secretary at Pavia & Harcourt whom Sonia convinces to work for her as a paralegal. Though Theresa is initially terrified of Sonia, the two eventually become close friends. Sonia says that… read analysis of Theresa Bartenope

Nancy Gray

Nancy Gray is Sonia’s friend from the DA’s Office. She’s instrumental in helping Sonia after her divorce, offering her a place to sleep, a listening ear, and shopping trips. She also encourages Sonia to… read analysis of Nancy Gray

Alfred

Titi Aurora’s son and Sonia’s cousin, though since he’s 16 years her senior, he’s more of an uncle figure to her. He’s one of the few family members who visits the house when… read analysis of Alfred
Minor Characters
Gallego
Gallego is Abuelita’s husband, but not the father of her children; they married in Puerto Rico when Papi was a young teenager. He’s a musical man and runs the record player at Abuelita’s Saturday night parties. He dies of Parkinson’s disease several years after Papi’s death, which devastates Abuelita.
Mami’s Mother
Mami’s mother was unwell, though it’s unclear what affliction plagued her. By the time Mami, her last child, was born, she was mentally unwell in addition to physically unwell. Mami’s father also leaves her around this time. She dies when Mami is still very young.
Father Gigante
Father Gigante is the priest at St. Athanasius, where Sonia attends church with Titi Aurora as a young person. Sonia discovers in high school that Father Gigante is more than just a priest; he’s an activist for tenants’ rights, and Miss Katz describes him as a freedom fighter.
Carmelo
Carmelo is a cute boy at Sonia’s middle school. He befriends Sonia and keeps other kids from bullying her. She helps him with his schoolwork, though she never lets him cheat off of her.
Titi Carmen
Titi Carmen is Sonia’s aunt, Tío Benny’s wife and Nelson’s mother. She gets Sonia a job at a women’s clothing store when Sonia is in high school, around the time that she and Tío Benny divorce.
Professor Weiss
Professor Weiss is a professor of history at Princeton and the first female head of the department. She continues Miss Katz’s project of asking Sonia to analyze history, not just regurgitate facts, and she calls out Sonia’s poor English grammar.
Felix Lopez
Felix Lopez is one of Sonia’s closest friends at Yale. He’s Puerto Rican and from East Harlem. Sonia describes him as having a big heart and as a person committed to helping others.
Rudy Aragon
Rudy Aragon is one of Sonia’s closest friends at Yale. He and Sonia co-chair the minority student group YALA, and his goal after law school is to become a high profile and high-earning lawyer.
Drew Ryce
Drew Ryce is one of Sonia’s closest friends at Yale. He runs the bar for grad students and grudgingly promotes Sonia from bouncer to bartender to avoid arguing with her about sex discrimination.
Margarita Rosa
Margarita Rosa is Sonia’s friend at Princeton. She’s also Puerto Rican and grew up in the Bronx, which is in part why she and Sonia get along immediately. She encourages Sonia to join Acción Puertorriqueña.
Clemente D’Alessio and Scott Hyman
Clemente D’Alessio and Scott Hyman are the defendants in the series of child pornography cases that Sonia prosecutes in her final months at the New York City DA’s office. Despite the heinousness of their crimes, they only go to prison for a few years each.
Titi Maria
Titi Maria is Mayo’s first wife. She helped to raise Mami, so after she and Mayo split up, Mami maintains her relationship with Titi Maria. Mami, Sonia, and Junior often stay with her when they visit Puerto Rico.
Bisabuelita Ciriata
Bisabuelita Ciriata is Sonia’s paternal great-grandmother, whom she meets in Puerto Rico on one of her summer trips to the island. Bisabuelita had 10 children, including Abuelita.
Senator Moynihan
Senator Moynihan is the New York Democratic senator who appoints Sonia to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Kiley
Kiley is Junior and Tracey’s oldest daughter, and Sonia’s first niece. Born prematurely at less than two pounds, her birth is a stressful time for the entire family.
Omar
Omar is Mami’s second husband. As her first act as a judge of the Court of Appeals, Sonia marries Mami and Omar. The couple then promptly moves to Florida.
Gilmar
Gilmar is Sonia’s best friend in elementary school. He and his family move to California.
Donna Renella
Donna Renella is one of the smartest girls in Sonia’s fifth grade class; Sonia asks her how to study.
Professor Winn
Professor Winn is the professor at Princeton who facilitates the course on Puerto Rican history.
Ana
Ana is Mami’s best friend and Moncho’s wife. She often cares for Sonia and Junior after school.
Moncho
Moncho is the husband of Mami’s best friend, Ana. Junior idolizes him when he’s a child.
Monsignor Hart
Monsignor Hart is the head of Blessed Sacrament.
Carmin
Carmin is Mami’s first friend in the Women’s Army Corps.
George Pavia
George Pavia is the managing partner at Pavia & Harcourt.
Tracey
Tracey is Junior’s wife and Kiley’s mother. She’s Polish.