51 pages • 1 hour read
The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition
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Symbols & Motifs
Umbilical Cord
Reyna’s umbilical cord is a symbol of attachment and longing in the memoir. When Reyna is a little girl, Mago tells her the story of her birth, informing her that the midwife buried her umbilical cord in the dirt floor of the shack where she was born. The location of the cord is meant to represent Reyna’s connection to Iguala, the place of her birth. Indeed, the midwife is fabled to have told Mami that “no matter where life takes her, [Reyna] won’t ever forget where she came from” (14) because of where her umbilical cord is located. For this reason, Reyna remains attached to Iguala even after she immigrates to the United States. She often finds herself thinking of the umbilical cord to remember where she came from and the life and people she left behind.
The umbilical cord gains new meaning after Reyna’s mother leaves Mexico for the United States. Mago tells her that the cord is “like a ribbon that connect[s] [her] to Mami” (14) no matter where she is. Reyna often touches her belly button when she misses Mami, because this habit reminds her of her mother and quells her longing. The repeated images of the umbilical cord therefore illustrate Reyna’s attachment to both her mother and her homeland.
El Otro Lado, or the United States
El Otro Lado (Spanish for “the other side”), or the United States, embodies a motif of newness and possibility in the memoir. Whenever Reyna hears her neighbors, family, and friends talking about this distant place, she sees it as a magical, far away land. To Reyna and her siblings, the States is a place where anything can happen and where anything is possible. Papi sees the States this way too and therefore demands that his children appreciate their new opportunities after they leave Mexico with him. Throughout Reyna’s childhood and adolescence, she tries to appreciate all of the good things about her new home and to take advantage of everything that coming to America has offered her.
The Man Behind the Glass
Reyna’s framed photograph of her father, or the Man Behind the Glass, is symbolic of loss and absence. Reyna is attached to the photograph when she is a little girl, because she doesn’t have any early memories of her father. She often talks to the photograph because she hopes that her father will hear her and come to rescue her when she’s feeling sad or lonely.
Ultimately, the Man Behind the Glass proves to be a better father than the real Papi. The picture therefore symbolizes the man Reyna wants to love and care for her. The photograph is a constant reminder of the father who is thus missing from Reyna’s life, either physically or emotionally.
Quinceañera
Reyna’s Quinceañera is a symbol of growth and change. The event is a traditional celebration in Latin American cultures meant to mark a young girl's transition from girlhood into adulthood. For years, Reyna has dreamed of her own Quinceañera, longing for the day when she’ll get to wear a beautiful dress like the other girls she’s seen and dance with her father. Her parents don’t throw her the party, but her sister Mago plans the event for her. Doing so is Mago’s way of celebrating her sister and giving her the traditions she’s always wanted.
The event also marks important shifts in Reyna’s internal experience and personal development. She is both becoming a young woman and her perspective on her family is beginning to change around this time. When she ends up dancing with her father at her Quinceañera, she doesn’t feel as honored as she thought she’d feel years prior. Instead, she wishes she were dancing with Mago, whom she has come to see as her primary support system. These complex internal experiences therefore illustrate how Reyna is maturing.
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