The Red Umbrella

“The sound of gunfire splintered the air. Frankie froze. Our eyes met. Neither of us made a move to see what had just happened, and a forced silence fell over the area. Not even the birds made a sound. For what seemed to be a lifetime, but was really a split second, I could only hear the soft sound of the breeze blowing through the palm trees.”

There are several examples of descriptive imagery in this quote, which describes a pivotal moment in which Lucia and Frankie realize they are near the danger that has previously eluded them in Cuba. The event terrifies both children and marks a point in the story where they become more aware of the risks they can encounter outside their home.

“Sonia, don’t you see? This revolution is all about control. They’re watching me, you, everybody. […] They’re going after anyone they think is a threat.”

This quote reveals Papa’s true feelings about the revolution and what is happening in Cuba. He feels very strongly that Castro desires control above all else, and he thinks anyone who opposes Castro will be considered a threat.

“The next thing I knew, I was running. I didn’t know where I was heading until I saw Papa’s bank in front of me. I wanted to run inside and have him hold me in his arms, but something made me pause. I inched toward the large front window and peered inside. Papa sat at his desk, calmly talking with a few soldiers. Turned and leaned against the glass. A group of young brigadistas walked by, laughing. There seemed to be soldiers, or kids pretending to be soldiers, everywhere. I took a deep breath, got my bearings, took off running again. This time, I didn’t stop until I was home.”

This is an important moment in the novel: Lucia runs to her father’s bank after discovering Doc Machado’s body. She follows her intuition not to go in and see her father, sensing that it would be dangerous or would reflect poorly on her father. She steadies herself and makes the smart choice to run home.