Character Development: Lupe

Lupe Algarin is a hispanic teenager in high school. She has many insecurities about not being loved because all her sisters are married and even her mom has a step-husband.  On page 35 she says, "So it's just me now, with Mami and her husband, Berto. Besides her factory job all she cares about is him." Another part of that is because her father left her when she was 5 years old. On page 36 she says, "Why Papi? There's nobody here to love me now." Her mom doesn't stand up for her or shows affection and when anything about her father pops up her mom goes on the offensive. That's why she wants a baby to give her affection to, she's even jealous of Gloria who is knocked up and still goes to school struggling each day. Lupe also mentions, on page 36, that, "Raul's been giving me the eye lately, but he can forget it." She says this because she is "dating" Marco.

In the middle of the book we can start to see some changes as she opens up because of her situation. On page 65 she says, "I broke up with Marco and I was a mess." She had broken up with him on the phone. She goes to her friend Leslie for help and she assures her that she isn't alone because she has friends and that she went through the same thing when her mom died. After getting support from friends she finishes her section on page 67 with, "Maybe we can all be alone together." This shows that she is starting to accept her situation and the fact that she is not alone no matter what she thinks. In her poem, "El Noche, she talks about her loneliness and then notes that, "and you come - a pale skinned surprise, a friend." She is starting to realize she is not alone.

At the end of the book Lupe stops mentioning her insecurities about being alone. She doesn't mention a baby except on page 147 where she says she wants to work in something with kids and starts dating again. On page 146 she's questioned about how her date with Raul went. She says, "Him and me had our first date over the weekend-" Her poem, "Imagine", ends with, "I'm still learning to imagine" This means that she is starting to accept herself and plan for her future life. Tyrone also comments that she is starting to look up at people in the eyes and is gaining confidence and intelligence. At the end of the book Lupe is way more confident and self-assured of herself and her worth. She realizes she still has a grand future ahead of her.