How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
In halting Spanish, Yolanda reports on her sisters. When she reverts to English, she is scolded, "En español!" The more she practices, the sooner she'll be back into her native tongue, the aunts insist. (1.1.27)
It's funny the way language works. If you don't use it, you lose it! Yolanda's experience makes us think that it must be tricky for a lot of people who are bilingual to switch between one language and another.
Quote #2
That poet she met at Lucinda's party the night before argued that no matter how much of it one lost, in the midst of some profound emotion, one would revert to one's mother tongue. He put Yolanda through a series of situations. What language, he asked, looking pointedly into her eyes, did she love in? (1.1.62)
Okay, creepy dude seems to have some sort of mystical idea about native language being primal. But the fact that he's obviously trying to get into Yolanda's pants kind of ruins his argument. What do you think?