Family

Family is an important theme in the novel “I Lived on Butterfly Hill” by Marjorie Agosin. Family, thematically, involves love, compassion, loyalty, encouragement, and support of others who may or may not be blood-related, but who still function and behave in the way of the traditional family unit. In the novel, Celeste’s family means everything to her, and they help her through incredibly difficult and trying times.

From the start, it is clear that Celeste loves her family deeply. She looks up with great admiration to Mama and Papa, both doctors; to her grandmother, Frida, a source of great wisdom; and to Delfina, who is more like an aunt than merely a housekeeper. Celeste spends as much time as she can with each of the members of her family, whether it is cooking with Delfina or tending to the poor with her parents. Her world...