Lucky Broken Girl

“That’s right, Ruthie. You are a heck of a lucky girl.”

Ruthie’s Uncle Bill tells Ruthie this when she shares the news that she will graduate to the regular class on Monday, reminding her of the freedom and opportunities available to her in America. The line is notable because it establishes a running motif concerning the meaning of luckiness. While Ruthie’s accident might seem like terrible luck, she comes to see herself as lucky in comparison to others hurt in the accident. Furthermore, over the course of her bedrest, Ruthie develops deep gratitude for her family and friends, counting herself lucky to have them.

“I can’t believe that this is all happening. Yesterday I was a normal girl. I went to the bathroom by myself. Today I can’t do anything without the help of a mean nurse.” 

Ruthie reacts the prior day’s car accident in the above interior monologue. In the hospital, she inadvertently wets the bed, aggravating the nurse who told her to call for the bedpan. Ruthie here displays her characteristic bold and direct speech, calling the shots as she sees them. Next, she even asks the nurse outright if she hates “all kids” or just Ruthie. 

“My leg is fractured, but all of me broke. Who’ll put me together again?” 

Ruthie makes up a prayer to God in her head at the end of Part 1, and this line is one of her sentiments. In saying that “all of her broke,” Ruthie means that her life in America as she knew it—school, hopscotch, chores, family time—seems over, because she cannot walk or leave her bed for at least six months. Her uncertainty about healing—and, consequently, about her future—is evident in this line. Over the course of the novel, Ruthie will draw on her own strength, as well as the support of friends and family, to “put herself back together.”

“You need to lie still.” 

Bobbie, one of the ambulance attendants who takes Ruthie home and gets her settled into her bedroom, tells Ruthie this when she asks who will move her “from place to place” (60). The moment is significant because now Ruthie realizes she cannot leave the bed or the bedroom. This represents a drastic curtailment of the freedom she has come to enjoy in America.

“Tell your mother I know about guavas and mangos. That makes me a little bit Indian, don’t you think?” 

Ruthie writes this in response to a letter from Ramu where he explains that he would love to visit but is not allowed to socialize with non-Indian children. The line demonstrates that for Ruthie, the differences in their cultures are not as vast as Ramu’s mother thinks. Ruthie notes other characters’ backgrounds (like Neala, an Irish nurse, and Clay, a Black man from the South), but she accepts everyone equally.

“Being bedridden shouldn’t hold you back.”

Joy, Ruthie’s teacher while she’s homebound, tells her this when they first meet. Joy is impressed and complimentary with regard to Ruthie’s skills. The line is notable because it is the first time Ruthie hears the word “bedridden”; she thinks it belongs in a witch’s curse, and the misunderstanding provides a note of humor in a generally dark situation.

“I want her to go out. I want the world to look at her. She’s too pretty to be trapped in a cage. The only problem is, if Mami leaves me, I’ll die, and I don’t want to die.” 

Ruthie tries not to bother Mami again on the day she accidentally soils her sheets, knowing that Mami feels “cooped up” from having to take care of her. Later, Mami brings Ruthie lunch; Ruthie sees that she dressed in pretty clothes and put on lipstick. Ruthie’s feelings here in interior monologue demonstrate her worries over her own burdensomeness to her mother.

“Sometimes I feel like I am little more than my plaster cast. I have to lie here and be pitied. Where do I hide? Where do I run? I feel naked to the whole world.”

After a stream of visitors including Mami’s and Papi’s friends and an awkward Danielle, Ruthie feels that many see her as an object on display—or, to use her metaphor, a pig in a barn (i.e. something to see and then get away from as soon as possible). The lines show Ruthie’s day-to-day struggle with feeling both trapped in her cast and exposed to all by it.

 “And when I pretend Nancy is with me, it’s not so bad. I have discovered if I only have me, myself, and I for company, I might as well be amusing.”

On her long summer break, without even schoolwork to keep her occupied, Ruthie reads Nancy Drew novels aloud and pretends Nancy will solve the great mystery of Ruthie’s life: why this accident happened, forcing Ruthie to be bedridden. These lines show a developing maturity in Ruthie as her patience is endlessly tested throughout the healing process; she learns quickly she cannot rely on family or friends for enough diversion to prevent boredom, so she must find ways to prevent it herself.

“The doctor said I’m lucky because I didn’t end up paralyzed for life like the lady in the car in front of us. So that makes me a lucky broken girl.” 

Ruthie feels awful after Mami brings a hairdresser to cut her long hair; she throws a mirror and cries. Mami later tries to comfort Ruthie, apologizing for calling her a “bad girl” and explaining that she is just tired. She also tells Ruthie she is not bad but broken, prompting this reply. The line is notable because it reflects the novel’s ideas about luck; while it might not seem like there is anything “lucky” about Ruthie’s situation, she is fortunate compared to others involved in the accident—i.e. lucky for a “broken” girl.

“Being unable to walk is terrible. And losing my brother is terrible. But we will both have to go on somehow.” 

Ramu’s little brother Avik dies when he falls from the window of the Sharma apartment, prompting the family’s return to India. Ramu’s parents allow him to say goodbye to Ruthie; here, Ramu acknowledges that both he and Ruthie must endure different types of hardship. The line shows Ramu’s maturity and sincerity and marks a significant loss for Ruthie, whose one true friend must go away. Nevertheless, their shared experience of hardship creates a bond between them that persists despite physical distance from one another.

“Make up your own colors.”

New neighbor Chicho offers his paints and supplies to Ruthie so that she can paint while in bed. She asks him to teach her to paint, but Chicho says he can only show her how to use the supplies, meaning that she should allow her own unique style and talent to evolve naturally. In this line Chicho tells Ruthie to experiment with color creation rather than “limiting” herself to the paints as they are. Chicho’s demeanor and the prospect of a new pastime greatly cheers Ruthie and aids in her recovery.

“Frida is the guardian angel of all wounded artists and she’ll always be with you.” 

Chicho tells Ruthie about Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist who painted while bedridden for a back injury sustained in a bus accident. Ruthie enjoys hearing about Kahlo until Chicho mentions how she was permanently affected by both the accident and childhood polio, eventually losing a leg to infection. Chicho reassures Ruthie that her outcome will be better. This moment shows Ruthie’s hope and faith, which sometimes falter but return stronger than ever; by the end of the chapter, she is praying for Frida’s help.

“They’re so beautiful when Papi is not upset and Mami is not sad or bored.” 

Ruthie convinces her parents to dance the cha-cha-cha in her room after clapping its beat for physical activity. The line is notable because it shows Ruthie’s always-present concern for her parents’ happiness. One of Ruthie’s great strengths is her ability to empathize with others, especially those to whom she is close.

“I believe we should accept all actions that are carried out in good faith and with a loving heart.” 

This is Mami’s response to Ruthie’s question about receiving the help of a Catholic saint while being Jewish. The line is notable because it suggests that Ruthie’s love and acceptance of other cultures and backgrounds flows partly from her mother’s influence, thus offering readers a new perspective on Mami, who up until this point has often been short-tempered and impatient. Ruthie’s capacity to appreciate what others have to offer deepens over the course of the novel as she meets new people.

“You see, life is about putting things in perspective.” 

Chicho tells this to Ruthie when he and Mark turn her bed around to face the window so that she can see outside. The changed view and the now-visible reminder of the outside world greatly improve Ruthie’s spirits. The line also reflects the theme of open-mindedness and seeing beyond limitations and barriers—not just the literal barriers between Ruthie and the outside world, but also the emotional barriers that result from those limitations.

“Or like José Martí, who’d give a white rose to his friend and his enemy.” 

Joy and Ruthie here discuss the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement. Ruthie connects his spirit and desire for peace and equality to Spanish poet José Martí, whose poem about a white rose suggests treating one’s friends and enemies with equal kindness and acceptance. This underscores not only the novel’s message about showing tolerance and compassion to people from other cultures or religions, but also Ruthie’s more personal journey towards forgiving the driver who caused the crash. 

“Most of all, let’s hope Ruthie will get out of bed and walk again. I want to see her playing hopscotch like she used to!” 

Papi expresses this wish at the family’s get-together for New Year’s Eve. The line reminds the reader that Ruthie’s injury impacted Papi, Baba, and the whole family directly or indirectly; Papi and Baba still feel a measure of guilt, and Mami is eager for Ruthie’s healing so both she and Ruthie can regain a measure of independence. This line also foreshadows the question central to the last few chapters: whether Ruthie will recover fully and return to her old self or not.

“We all have scars, Ruthie. Some of us have scars you see and some of us have scars that we hide deep inside, hoping that no one will ever ask about them.”

Ruthie asks Amara about the scar on Amara’s face, which Amara initially says she received in a street fight; later, she reveals that when she was young, a man cut her when she fended off his unwanted kiss. Amara is a tough and wise mentor for Ruthie whose line here underscores the importance of controlling and overcoming fear. She implies that some people are afraid to deal directly with their conflicts or injuries and try to bury the consequences instead.

“Whenever you want them, they’re yours.”

Danielle tells Ruthie that she intends to give Ruthie her black go-go boots; she planned to do so when she heard that Ruthie got hurt in the accident. Ruthie realizes that just because Danielle could not come to visit her, it does not mean that Danielle is not a good friend. Ruthie has not only learned that different people deal with difficulty in different ways, but she has also become more tolerant and forgiving of those differences.

“I’m sure the wall is very grateful for your friendship.”

Chicho makes this funny remark that causes Ruthie to laugh even as she is trying to clutch the wall outside his apartment for support. Amara removed her crutch in an attempt to get Ruthie to walk unsupported, but Ruthie faltered, full of fear, and insisted on using the wall as a replacement “crutch.” However, Ruthie ultimately works through her fear in Chicho’s apartment and dances the tango—first with him, and then alone on her own two feet. The episode illustrates the different kinds of fear that people can experience; as frightening as Ruthie’s injury itself was, the process of moving beyond something that has been so central to her life for so long is also frightening.

“I know you’ll make it to the finish line.” 

Dr. Friendlich tells Ruthie he has faith in her progress and knows she will work hard at physical therapy. This scene—the final one with the doctor—marks the beginning of the last stage of Ruthie’s healing. Ruthie later says in her prayer that she wants to heal so that Dr. Friendlich is not disappointed, once again demonstrating her empathetic nature.

“I’ve been through a metamorphosis […] I can’t go back anymore and be the old Ruthie. That Ruthie is gone forever.”

Near the end of the novel, Ruthie tells Danielle she will probably never play hopscotch again because of her limp. Her words, however, summarize the extent to which she has come of age throughout her healing process. Now, Ruthie is someone who likes stillness and quiet, who thinks and dreams about future professions, and who accepts people without question regardless of background or situation. However, while Ruthie is right that she cannot be the “old Ruthie,” she’s wrong about the long-term effects of her injury; she will overcome the limp and walk without it by the end of the novel.