María Isabel’s copy of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Les Misérables symbolizes inner strength. María Isabel writes the “We are force”, a phrase lifted from a letter from Victor Hugo to the women of Cuba. The mantra and the book are passed down through the family, rediscovered by Jeanette when she visits her grandmother in Camagüey and finds the valuable edition. Jeanette adds her own message, reflective of the complexity of the women we encounter in the novel: “We are more than we think we are” (204). At the end of the novel, Carmen gives the copy of ‘Les Misérables’ to Ana, cementing the link between the two separate lineages.

The caged panther

The caged panther in Carmen’s neighbor’s house represents the inner resentment felt by Carmen and other women like her. Both the panther and Carmen are restrained...