Your mother did not die from her imagination,’ she whispered. ‘It was a fever. And look at me. I am small and many say much too thin. I may not appear big and strong on the outside, but I am perfectly capable on the inside...just like you.’”
-- Mamadre (Rain )

Importance: This quote from Mamadre engages with the concepts of internal and external power. Mamadre’s feminine voice invites a softer, more flexible view of strength. Her voice counterbalances that of Father, who insists that boys and men show strength physically. Mamadre offers Neftalí the perspective of internal strength through capability, revealing truth that casts out Father’s lies intended to sow fear. Neftalí carries this perspective with him for the rest of his life, measuring his worth through capability rather than expectation, necessity, status quo, or physical demands.

What lies beneath the bravado of a black and shiny armor?”
-- Voice of Poetry (Forest)

Importance: This quote prompts...