Artifact 2:

Chapter 7 of The Madonnas of Echo Park Journal

"Why spend money we didn't have to brag about the fact I was 'a woman' in a
neighborhood full of women-abusing men?"Pg.131 I thought this quote was significant
because it was the way she thought about quinceaeras In Mexican Culture its an honor
to have a quinceaera its a way to show that you've become a woman and thank god for
allowing you to live to be a woman not to brag about it. Her way of thinking is really
shocking to me, I had a quinceaera but cousins of mine didn't I just figured it was
because some of them were Americanized and didn't want to celebrate it how they would
in Mexican culture. When she said in a woman-abusing neighborhood it really made me
feel like theses men really take a toll in their lives. Quinceaeras are expensive and some
people do go all out and do exclusive things but in my opinion the importance of one is
the significance it has.
"When you act like your friend you no longer feel alone"pg.135 a lot of the reason why
she's trying to act and be more like Duches is because of the fact that she feels like people
respect her more and people think she's cool and like her. She starts to loose her self and
become more like her, but now she feels like she has someone like her she feels no longer
alone and safer. Her self-esteem seems to be growing and she's slowly "surrendering a
piece of which she is to become someone else." I understand that because I know after
hanging put with your friend all the time you start to say similar things you guys have
jokes no one else would understand its as if you two are becoming one.