Quote 85
Maybe she was embarrassed it took so many years. The kids who wanted to be kids instead of washing dishes and ironing their papa's shirts, and the husband who wanted a wife again.
And then she died, my aunt who listened to my poems. (23.19)
Soon after the death of her Papa's father, Esperanza experiences the death of a relative that she's closer to – her Aunt Lupe.
Quote 86
Every week Edna is screaming at somebody, and every week somebody has to move away […] But Ruthie lives here and Edna can't throw her out because Ruthie is her daughter.
Edna and Ruthie's relationship illustrates the idea of familial obligation – we're not sure whether Edna would kick Ruthie out if she could.
Quote 87
Until the way Sally tells it, he just went crazy, he just forgot he was her father between the buckle and the belt.
You're not my daughter, you're not my daughter. And then he broke into his hands. (37.6)
The violence that Sally's father does to her goes along with his disavowal of their relationship.