Although she’s only thirty-five, Petra is prematurely aged from years of harsh fieldwork. Already the mother of five children, over the course of the novel she discovers that she has conceived another child with Perfecto.
What happened to Petra when she became pregnant with Estrella?
She remembers how her mother kicked her out of the house when she became pregnant with Estrella. Petra both takes pride in and deplores Estrella’s strength and determination; it seems to her that in their harsh circumstances, even her daughter’s best qualities can and will be used against her.
How many kids does Petra have in under the feet of Jesus?
Petra, looking under the feet of a Jesus statue, sees the birth certificates of her five children, and the marriage certificate from when she married her husband in Santa Ana.
Who is Petra in under the feet of Jesus?
Their most prized possessions—birth certificates, a social-security card, other important papers—are kept under a statue of Jesus in a makeshift shrine they set up wherever they go.
When was under the feet of Jesus written?
Published in 1995, Helena Maria Viramontes’s Under the Feet of Jesus, a coming-of-age story about a young girl in a family of migrant laborers, is a classic novel of Chicano/a Literature.
How does under the feet of Jesus end?
At the end of Under the Feet of Jesus, Alejo is taken to the hospital by Estrella because he has been sprayed with insecticide while he was picking apples to sell. As a result of this (or perhaps I should say “in addition to this”), Alejo’s sickness gets so much worse!
What does the barn symbolize in under the feet of Jesus?
In this sense, the barn represents the importance of Estrella’s inner life and the need to carve out some solitude in the midst of her crowded life. At the same time, the barn is under threat from Perfecto, who wants to tear it down and sell the materials.
What is the significance of the title under the feet of Jesus?
The title of the book refers to birth certificates and other important documents kept in a portable statue of Jesus that moves with the family to each new location along the agricultural production cycle.
Where is Alejo from under the feet of Jesus?
Estrella’s love interest, a teenager from Texas working in the fields for the summer. Alejo first catches sight of Estrella while illicitly picking peaches from the orchards and becomes entranced by her and her family.
What kind of person is Estrella?
Personality. Estrella has a personality that is similar to her daughter, however, she is much more outspoken than Rosalina. She is very wise, mature, kind, motherly, regal, and a very elegant character.
Why did Estrella’s family have to leave their last labor camp?
Because the family has no money to buy gasoline to transport Alejo to the hospital 20 miles away, Estrella threatens the nurse with a crowbar and takes back their money. They bring Alejo to the hospital and leave him there to be cared for by the doctors. Discussion Questions: 1.
Where does Estella go after they return from the hospital?
After leaving Alejo in the hospital waiting room, Estrella sadly returns to the station wagon, but when she reaches the automatic doors, she makes a show of walking through them in order to amuse Cookie and Perla.