How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
But in dreams, he went back to those awful days and long nights, and his wife's screams confirmed his secret fear: they had not gotten away after all; the SIM had come for them at last. (2.2.29)
Papi seems to be traumatized by what he experienced living under Trujillo's dictatorship. It sounds like it was really awful. The SIM, by the way, were Trujillo's secret police. You did not want them knocking on your door in the middle of the night.
Quote #8
Now she knows guns are illegal. Only guardias in uniform can carry them, so either these men are criminals or some kind of secret police in plain clothes Mami has told her about who could be anywhere at anytime like guardian angels, except they don't keep you from doing bad but wait to catch you doing it. (3.1.11)
For a little kid, Yoyo is pretty perceptive. Guns are illegal; therefore, anyone carrying a gun must be a bad guy.
Quote #9
At the first sign of trouble, Victor said, get in touch, code phrase is tennis shoes. [...] It wasn't his fault the State Department chickened out of the plot they had him organize. And he has promised to get the men out safely. All but Fernando, of course. Pobrecito ending up the way he did, hanging himself by his belt in his cell to keep from giving out the others' names under the tortures Trujillo's henchmen were administering. (3.1.31)
Wow, there is a lot of information hidden in this little paragraph. First of all, we learn that Victor works for the U.S. State Department, and that he had been organizing a plot to overthrow Trujillo, but had to abort when the State Department backed out. Secondly, we get a glimpse of how bad Trujillo and his secret police really are; so bad that this guy Fernando would rather hang himself than let them interrogate him.