Efrén Divided

The motif of food in the novel serves several purposes. As readers learn more about Efrén’s household, daily life, and likes and dislikes through food details, the motif serves to characterize and humanize him. Mentions of food also help to remind the reader consistently throughout the story of the conflict Efrén has with money; once Amá is gone, Efrén sees how worrying it is to have to choose between the cash for the laundromat and clean clothes (always important to Amá) and having money to use for food and snacks. Most importantly, though, the motif of food serves to support the theme of “Personal Sacrifice for Family.” In the first chapter, Amá makes sopes for her children but does not partake of even one for herself. Mentions of preparing the corn dough on the skillet and flipping tortillas with her fingers suggest taking risks of pain and burns for the sake of efficient and expertly cooked meals.

Without Amá, Efrén tries his best to concoct a recipe for “donut ‘thingies’” on his first morning alone with the twins—a cooking session that results in actual burns for him and reliance on the fallback plan of the school breakfast program to ensure the twins eat something. Efrén sacrifices three dollars, a small fortune in the face of his troubling circumstances, to feed the twins tacos that he redesigns from three to six. Later, as his worries about food increase, he risks humiliation and consequences if caught when he steals food from the trash (untouched and prepackaged) to augment dinner for the twins, calling it a buffet. Efrén discovers the struggle to provide food when it is his responsibility to do so.

Apá brings a pizza late one night to reheat for dinner the next day; he takes only a slice for himself before heading back to work. He sacrifices a bit of cash on the pancake breakfast fundraiser the morning Amá is expected home, serving the church’s fundraiser and supplying a hot breakfast to the children. Neighbors offer dishes to the Navas when they hear that Amá is on her way, sacrificing their own resources to help celebrate her homecoming; when Amá cannot come, Efrén comments that the food is a “waste” because they could not fit it into the fridge. Food becomes a symbol for not only the comfort of Amá, but the personal sacrifice family members make for one another.