Caridad Character Analysis

Caridad is Xiomara’s best friend. Caridad is kind, generous, and extremely devout. She’s been friends with Xiomara and Twin since they were babies, so Caridad is a sort of honorary family member. She knows her Bible inside and out and doesn’t have questions like Xiomara does. In this sense, Caridad is the opposite of Xiomara—she wants to wait until marriage to have sex and genuinely respects her parents’ authority. Xiomara doesn’t think that she and Caridad should be friends because of their many differences, but Caridad isn’t offended and doesn’t feel personally attacked by Xiomara’s questions and shaky beliefs—she makes a point to be there for Xiomara, no matter what. In this way, Caridad acts as Xiomara’s sometimes unwelcome voice of reason, as when she suggests that Xiomara should stop breaking rules and needs to make sure she doesn’t get pregnant. She demonstrates her love for Xiomara by sending cat memes and, on Xiomara’s birthday, calling and leaving voicemails of her singing “Happy Birthday.” Caridad is one of the earliest supporters of Xiomara’s poetry and even arranges for Xiomara’s first public performance at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. She later attends Xiomara’s slam competition and even befriends Isabelle.