Summary

Upon arriving in Guadalajara, Magda was taken to a boarding house run by Doña Mercedes, who promptly labelled Magda “señorita,” thus giving her a fresh start after the end of her marriage. Doña Mercedes also labelled Magda a student, despite Magda not being formally enrolled in the University of Guadalajara. Magda decided to undertake independent study of the murals of José Clemente Orozco and the history of Mexico. She studied the habits and mannerisms of the actual college students and followed tour guides to learn both English and the history of Guadalajara, with an eye to undertake similar work himself.

Magda bought a clay statue of the Virgin de Guadalupe, and after she took the statue to Doña Mercedes’ house, they...