Letters from Cuba

“You are very wise for such a young girl. And I see you have no bitterness in your heart.”

Hershel, the elderly first-class passenger, praises Esther for her kindness and her understanding about the importance of family and the need for family to be together to make a home. His generous gift of the pocket watch both rewards Esther and symbolizes selflessness and hope for the future (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“Dear Malka, I fell in love with Cuba at that moment.”

Esther immediately feels accepted in Cuba when a fruit peddler welcomes her with generosity, joy, and a big hug. The woman cheerfully calls Esther “una polaquita linda,” and Esther is enchanted by her openness and friendliness even though Esther is from a different culture (24). The woman mirrors Esther’s own openheartedness, introducing the theme of The Benefits of Cross-Cultural Understanding.

“Cubans didn’t look at me with hatred in their eyes.”

Esther is happy that Cubans welcome Jewish immigrants, in contrast to Poland, where growing discrimination and prejudice against Jews make things increasingly difficult for her family. Esther’s diverse friends support Esther and Papa’s right to make Cuba their home.

“It was nice to work slowly at my own pace, without Mama looking over my shoulder. Was I doing it all correctly? I didn’t know. But I felt grown-up and free.”

Esther relishes her new independence and reveals more about her relationship with her mother. Esther shows that though she is not yet fully confident in what she is doing, she is excited to be her own person. Esther did not have this autonomy in Poland, where Mama critically supervised her actions. Esther’s comment shows self-awareness in her understanding that she is starting a new, more adult chapter of her life.

“Yo vengo de todas partes / Y hacia todas partes voy.”

José Martí’s words illustrate the novel’s theme of The Difficulties of the Immigrant Experience. Esther identifies with Martí’s sentiment that one’s home can change. Like Martí, Esther has lived in several places and speaks more than one language: Her letters are peppered with words and phrases in both Spanish and Yiddish. Martí’s poetry forms an important motif in the novel (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“I will put even more effort into learning Spanish if I have a friend.”

Manuela tells Esther they are “amigas,” and Esther is thrilled to have a friend her age. Esther’s comment shows her innate openheartedness: She sees beyond any cultural differences between her and Manuela. The prospect of having a good friend makes Esther more eager to become fluent in her second language and grow their connection, tying into The Benefits of Cross-Cultural Understanding.

“Papa should then have asked Mario José about his family, but Papa was not one to ask questions.”

Papa reveals both his shyness and an unwillingness to grow close to others in Agramonte—something he cautions Esther about because he knows they will ultimately move to Havana to be amongst the Jewish population. Papa is initially more reticent than Esther about accepting other cultures, reflecting his own painful past experiences of antisemitism and The Difficulties of the Immigrant Experience that he has faced.

“But in times of emergency, a child must rise up and act older than her years, don’t you think?”

When Papa doubts Esther’s ability to complete Rifka’s dress order, Esther is indignant, as Esther’s talent will earn them money faster than Papa’s peddling. Esther shows her determination, self-confidence, and growing maturity in her response to the “emergency” of reuniting her family as quickly as possible. She willingly takes on adult responsibility. Her query to Malka assumes Malka’s agreement and illustrates the theme of Developing Self-Knowledge Through Writing.

“Papa, I do it with my heart, my entire heart.”

Esther sews out of love, to unify the family. Her sincere comment reveals how much her family means to her and how important it is that they have a home together.

“I brought you here and I must make sure you don’t get swept away and forget you are a Jewish girl.”

Papa warns Esther to “[r]emember [she is] Jewish” when Juan Chang gifts her sour cherry tea for the first time (96). Papa worries that Esther, experiencing the diversity of customs and people in Cuba, will lose her faith. His concern is fear-based and groundless: Esther is secure in her faith. Esther is, however, also more willing than Papa to learn about and accept others’ beliefs.

“I will make a bridge of dresses so that you can cross the ocean, and you know I will be waiting here on the other side.”

Esther vows to surmount physical distance between her and Malka through her tireless work. Her colorful visual image is fanciful, but the money from her literal dressmaking will allow Malka and the family to come to Cuba. Esther shows her devotion to Malka and defiance of the ocean that literally and symbolically separates them (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“Remember how emotional Papa would get when he spoke of our ancestors in Egypt? He would talk about the suffering of all those who came before us as if he’d been there and gone through it himself.”

Papa is a devout Jew. His faith forms the framework for his life, and he lives by its guidelines. Esther’s comment about Papa reveals the depth of his religiosity. Papa’s faith connects him to other Jews who came before him, regardless of how long ago. Papa and his ancestors share the same religious practices. Papa later comes to understand—and respect—that religions of other cultures are as deeply grounded as his own.

“I am glad we are all free people. May slavery never exist again.”

Ma Felipa’s prayer is greeted with “amens” from each of Esther’s religiously diverse friends at their seder observance: Juan Chang, Papa, Esther, Señora Graciela, Doctor Pablo, Francisco, Mario José, and Manuela. Despite their differences, the group recognize shared values. The word “amen” stems from the Hebrew word “āmēn,” which means truth and certainty, or “so be it.” The group’s “amens” signify solidarity in their belief in tolerance and their commitment to fight prejudice.

“Everything is different in Cuba.”

Francisco confirms that Cuba is much different from his home in China—just as it is different from Esther’s Polish village. Both Francisco and Esther realize that they are different now: Though parts of their old selves remain, they have “become other people” in Cuba (119). Francisco’s comment illustrates the novel’s theme of The Difficulties of the Immigrant Experience.

“We cry because there are people in the world we love so much that it hurts when they are far away.”

Esther empathizes with Francisco’s sadness about missing his mother in China: She misses her family too. Both young people reveal the pain of being apart from their families in a new land. Family separation plays a significant role in the experience of many immigrants as they try to make a new home in a new land while striving to support family back home or finance their reunification.

“But today I learned that when people band together, they can make things better for everyone.”

The workers’ strike at the sugar mill shows Esther the power of unified protest. Although Señor Eduardo is the boss of the mill, he needs the workers. Their refusal to continue working under his unfair treatment forces Eduardo to concede to their demands. Esther sees that injustice can be successfully overcome when people transcend differences and work together.

“His hatred is like a shard of glass in his eye that distorts his vision.”

Esther describes Señor Eduardo with a pointed simile. Eduardo, like the Nazis, does not want to understand or learn about other cultures. His ignorance and fear fuel his prejudice, making him unable to see the common humanity between himself and Esther and Papa. Eduardo believes that Jewish people are inferior. Eduardo illustrates a dangerous opposite to the theme of The Benefits of Cross-Cultural Understanding.

“We don’t have any poisonous snakes on this beautiful island. And we’re not going to allow that Nazi venom to take root here.”

After learning about the devastating Night of Broken Glass, Doctor Pablo leaps into action to support the Jews. Just as José Martí fought to make Cuba a haven for all people, Doctor Pablo vows to fight against Nazi ideology and loss of freedom. His comparison of the Nazis to poisonous snakes emphasizes the insidious nature of their threat.

“We must help one another in every way we can.”

Zvi Mandelbaum, inspired by Esther’s drive to reunite her family and galvanized by the increasing atrocities committed by the Nazis, gives Esther the money she lacks for the family’s steamship ticket. Zvi’s gift shows his generosity and his belief that the Jewish community must stand together and support one another in the face of hatred.

“Just as we have carried the religion of our ancestors wherever we have gone, so have they whose ancestors came from Africa.”

Witnessing Ma Felipa’s “beautiful” celebration for San Lázaro, Papa shows that he has expanded his understanding and respect for other cultures and beliefs. He now recognizes that other religions, like his own, have long, venerable histories. Esther notes that “Cuba has changed him, too” (200), signaling an important turning point in his character arc.

“Finally you will be with your own people. Won’t that be good?”

Rifka Rubenstein believes, as Papa originally did, that Jews should stay together and not go out of their way to mingle with people of other cultures. She is well-meaning, but Esther recognizes the value of learning about and experiencing other’s traditions.

“You looked, but you couldn’t see yet.”

Malka’s arrival brings Esther joy and pain: Malka’s depression creates a new distance between them that Esther struggles to bridge. Esther attempts to get Malka interested in the beauty of Cuba, but it cannot penetrate Malka’s sadness. Esther’s comment shows a mature understanding between observing something visually and truly internalizing an experience.

“I felt like I was talking to you across the distance and preserving new memories.”

Writing her letters to Malka comforts Esther, and she soon realizes it is vital to her life. Writing helps Esther express and evaluate her feelings and helps her feel close to Malka. This quote reflects the novel’s theme of Developing Self-Knowledge Through Writing.