Marin Summary

Marin has a boyfriend waiting for her in Puerto Rico who she plans to marry when she returns, she claims. She writes him letters and dreams of being carried away into a nice big house with a boy who loves her. She claims that if she stays on Mango Street a bit longer, she will want to get a job downtown where she can dress pretty and meet men on the subway. Esperanza looks at Marin with hungry eyes and understands that she knows how to act around men. She is always painting her eyes, smoking a cigarette, or singing the same old song, thinking of her boyfriend back in Puerto Rico. Esperanza sees her as a fearless woman in the face of boys.

Marin Analysis

Again, Esperanza looks to Marin as the teacher, the sister, and the mother all combined into one...