Summary

Jiménez furthers her thematic examination of family when Jessica and Lou talk about Ruthy, in Chapter 15. When her boyfriend suggests that Ruthy had a boyfriend that no one knew about, Jessica feels a familiar angry surface. While she feels bad for snapping at Lou, Jessica is also tired of feeling “like [she must] defend [her] family against other people’s opinions. All those nosy ass folks who tried to get in [their] business, as if [they] were some type of Unsolved Mystery they could click on and turn off when it was time for dinner” (166). While Jessica has frustrations with Nina and Dolores, she also comes to their defense when others attempt to probe and critique their relationships. The author enacts this moment to examine the contradictions in familial relationships. Jessica is willing to examine the fallibility in her family however...