Information Tool

Character Role Analysis

Luz; Herminia

Both Luz Villaverde (Felicia's daughter) and Herminia Delgado (Felicia's BFF) really only exist to report on the life, madness, and death of Felicia. Because Felicia's experiences are so hallucinatory, and Celia only witnesses a fraction of them, it's important to have peripheral narrators who can fill in the blanks. Luz does this well when she speaks of Felicia's burning of Hugo and her coconut obsession. She also helps us to understand Ivanito's uniqueness, and why he will probably never thrive in Cuba.

Herminia gives us a window into Felicia's pain and conversion experience. Even though she can offer valuable insight into her involvement with santería, she can't penetrate every secret. Herminia does share with us an important detail: Felicia's failure to thrive seems to stem from familial rejection. It's possible that the gods also have something to do with it, but it's impossible to walk away from Herminia's narrative without feeling the weight of Celia's disapproval of Felicia's choices.