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Xiomara’s baby bracelet reads “mi hija”—“my daughter”—on one side and her name on the other, and it symbolizes the complex way that Xiomara’s identity is both connected to and separate from her family, particularly Mami. Juxtaposing Xiomara’s relationship to Mami (through the phrase mi hija) with Xiomara’s individuality (her name), the bracelet is a literal form of the difficult place Xiomara is in in terms of figuring out her own individuality and breaking free from Mami’s control. That it feels like a shackle to Xiomara encapsulates her sense of feeling alone and secretive about her true desires and thoughts, while the fact that Mami thoughtfully has it resized for her also points to the loving bond that underlies their painful relationship. Later, Mami ripping the bracelet off of Xiomara’s wrist very literally removes the shackle—albeit in a devastating and hurtful way.
The Baby Bracelet Quotes in The Poet X
The The Poet X quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Baby Bracelet. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part III
Quotes
I lay it across my wrist
and cinch the clasps closed.
Her daughter on one side,
myself on the other.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Poet X LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Baby Bracelet Symbol Timeline in The Poet X
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Baby Bracelet appears in The Poet X. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part I: In the Beginning Was the World
When You’re Born to Old Parents, Continued Again. Mami had a baby bracelet engraved with Xiomara’s name and Mi Hija (my daughter) on the other side. It was...
(full context)
Part III: The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness
...plaque has her name on one side and Mi Hija on the other. It’s her baby bracelet . She doesn’t understand why Mami resized it now, but puts it on anyway. She...
(full context)
...be desperate. They fight over the notebook, but Mami slaps Xiomara back again and the baby bracelet breaks and goes flying. Xiomara recites her poems from memory as Mami recites Scripture. Both...
(full context)
...was little. In their third session with Father Sean, Mami gives Xiomara back her repaired baby bracelet . Sometimes, Twin and Papi come too. Twin is quiet, but Xiomara hopes he’ll be...
(full context)
