When Esperanza was five years old and Miguel was eight years old, they rode in a first-class train car. Contrast this first-class train ride to the current ride Esperanza experiences.

When Esperanza rode the train at the age of five, she was wearing a new dress, they were escorted by porters, and their train car had soft leather seats. The dining car, where they went to eat, had tablecloths, and they were served in dishes of crystal and silver. (page 64)

On this trip, their accomodations are very different. The trains car is dirty, they sit on hard wooden benches, and the passengers are crammed into a small space. (page 66)