How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. (1)
Faced with what might be an obscure landmark, the Ebro River, some readers become disoriented and have trouble putting the story in context.
Quote #2
The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. (1)
If the narrator didn’t tell us, would we think the man a foreigner? Jig’s lack of knowledge of the language pegs her as a non-native of Spain, which is perhaps why the narrator doesn’t need to tell us where she’s from.
Quote #3
The girl looked at the bead curtain. "They've painted something on it," she said. "What does it say?" (13)
We think Jig can read the words Anis del Toro and put together that this is some kind of alcoholic beverage, whether she speaks Spanish or not. Since she says this right after the argument about who is a bigger world traveler, she might be flattering him, or indulging his love of translation to try to smooth things over.