How we cite our quotes: ("Abbreviated chapter name," page)
Quote #10
"It's not just our personal history that gets mangled. Mom filters other people's lives through her distorting lens. Maybe it's that wandering eye of hers. It makes her see only what she wants to see instead of what's really there." ("Matrix," 177)
Pilar really has a problem with other people "making up" the important information of the past. She's really interested in getting at the things and events that are true or real. The difficulty is that all the characters have a "lens," distorted or otherwise, through which they view and interpret the world.
Quote #11
"The war that killed my grandfather and great-uncles and thousands of other blacks is only a footnote in our history books. Why, then, should I trust anything I read? I trust only what I see, what I know with my heart, nothing more." ("God's Will," 185, Herminia)
Here is another echo of the anger and dissatisfaction with being at the mercy of those in power, who make decisions about cultural memory and history. In this case, Herminia addresses the racial tensions that are so powerful (and yet ignored) in Cuba.
Quote #12
"As I listen, I feel my grandmother's life passing to me through her hands. It's a steady electricity, humming and true." ("Six Days," 222)
The relationship between Pilar and Celia has always been a special one, and we know that Celia believes her future is in Pilar's hands. That seems reasonable, as Pilar is the next generation. But it's more complicated than that. Pilar is Celia's future because she is the receiver of her memories, feelings and experiences of the past.