Rain of Gold

“Ever since Lupe could remember, men—perfect strangers—had been stopping her and touching her hair and telling her how beautiful she was. It angered her. She was no dog to stop and pet.” 

This fact about Lupe is revealed after she is “pet” by an American miner. This quote sets the stage for how Lupe will be treated both as a woman and as a Mexican throughout the book. Many of the men in her life objectify her body, and her beauty is often a burden, causing much unwanted attention. Additionally, Lupe’s insistence that she is not a dog is often challenged later in the book when she works in America and is subjected to more American men.

“Gold is only for people that are poor of heart!” 

Lupe says this to the miner Old Man Benito when he tells her he wants to make her family rich. Her comment functions as a forewarning to Old Man Benito, who happens to be so “poor of heart” that he ends up getting killed in a greedy rush for gold. This comparison between internal and external riches remains prevalent throughout the book, with many other characters also falling for the false shine of gold.

“[H]e’d chosen the right home for his young wife. The child’s mother was the power of her home.” 

The humble and respected Colonel Manuel Maytorena has this thought after Lupe tells him that her mother, Doña Guadalupe, does not allow soldiers in her home when he is trying to find a place for his wife to stay. This quote champions the idea that successful homes are run like matriarchies, an idea that recurs throughout the text. The colonel’s belief is reflected not only in Doña Guadalupe, whom he is referring to, but also in Doña Margarita.

“Lupe became frightened. She’d never met an American before. Quickly, she closed her eyes, asking God to please help her not get impregnated.” 

Lupe has these feelings after her close friend Manuelita offers to introduce Lupe to the wife of the American mine owner, Señora Jones. The quote demonstrates Lupe’s ignorance about the world. Having no sexual education, she doesn’t understand the basics of reproduction and thus lives in fear. Additionally, it shows how wide the gulf is between the Americans and the Mexicans though they inhabit the same town, as Lupe knows so little about them that she reacts with fear.

“[A] woman, above all else […] must keep both of her eyes open when it comes to matters of the heart or she will come to ruin.” 

Doña Guadalupe gives Lupe this advice when she realizes that Lupe is lovesick for the older and unobtainable colonel. The quote reveals two things about Lupe’s world: that women have to be more vigilant than men in manners of the heart and body, and that seeing involves effort but is often worth the strain.

“Gold, I swear, robs men of their minds.” 

Old Man Benito makes this comment to Victoriano when they are discussing how to keep their discovery of gold a secret. It foreshadows Old Man Benito’s future behavior, as he does lose his mind when he believes he can buy love with gold. The menace caused by money does not stop with Old Man Benito, but haunts several people throughout the book.

“Sex wasn’t a thing that was normally mentioned in front of young people like himself. But he also knew that the men were talking like this in front of him because they finally considered him to be one of them.” 

Victoriano has this reflection after listening to Manos and Old Man Benito joke about the size of Old Man Benito’s penis now that he has found gold. The quote reveals some of Victoriano’s deep-seated issues regarding his father and his masculinity. Manos and Old Man Benito’s acceptance is especially important to him because he has no father figure at home to validate him. Even though Victoriano is unsure about the off-color content of their conversation, he is more concerned with his ability to prove his masculinity. Additionally, this quote touches on another major theme—the pull between loyalty to family and loyalty to society. Victoriano, like many other characters in the book, is faced with whether to look macho among men or stay true to his family’s values.

“Work was the third miracle of each day. Work was a deliberately chosen duty by the people. Work was a job done with the hands, the greatest tools given to man by the Almighty.” 

Lupe has this thought as she and Victoriano create the altar for and bury the colonel’s jacket after his death. This quote sets the family’s attitude about work for the rest of the book. Lupe’s family views work as rewarding and necessary, not as something abhorrent. Since work is often scarce, given the volatility in Mexico at this time and the changing seasons in California later on, it is something the family is sincerely and outwardly grateful for.

“I want you to know that you have a great future in your studies. I hope you will never forsake them, as so many young girls do.”

Señora Muñoz, Lupe’s kind teacher in La Lluvia de Oro, says this to Lupe when she confesses that she may have to stop teaching at the school and move out of the box canyon. This quote draws attention to and proves Lupe’s exceptional intelligence, a quality that helps her survive many difficult situations. This quote also draws attention to the importance of education, a theme that grows in prominence throughout the book. Señora Muñoz is one of the first people to tell Lupe how important education is to freedom and future success. It also calls attention to the oppressive circumstances Lupe lives in, wherein most female students are forced to forego school to help their families on the farms.

“[H]e suddenly realized what a new day really was; it was a fresh start in la vida for mankind.” 

Don Pío, Juan’s highly respected grandfather, has this epiphany after what he takes to be God turns out to be the coming of a new day. Both Juan and Lupe’s families are hyperaware of each day, with Doña Guadalupe and Doña Margarita constantly reminding their children that if they made it to the end alive, then it was a good day. Additionally, as the book points out, many Mexicans at the turn of the century had fairly short life spans; each day is a highly prized gift when death is so prevalent.

“[A]t any moment, Juan expected to see God coming across the heavens, mounted on a great stallion with a star-studded sombrero and a lariat in His hand.” 

Juan has this thought after Doña Margarita prays out loud with him and his relatives, thanking God for giving them this day and their lives. This quote demonstrates Juan’s unreal expectations for God. Later on, when God can’t deliver, Juan abandons him, an act that is easy once you have already reduced to him to something human, as Juan does in this quote. It also reveals the intimate relationship that Doña Margarita has with God; her persistent faith is what allows Juan to imagine in him in this heroic manner. Additionally, it shows how Juan’s connection to his religion and to his nation are intertwined. He sees God as Mexican, a concept he wrestles with throughout the book.

“He knew he wasn’t home, and all was safe.” 

Juan feels this way when he wakes in the night briefly filled with fear, thinking he is still at home rather than en route to safety, tucked in his mother’s arms. This quote reveals the extent to which violence has permeated Juan’s life. Rather than associating home with safety, home is the repository of evil and a generator of fear.

“God’s gifts always fit us perfectly, if only we have eyes to see.” 

Doña Margarita says this when the family arrives in the downtrodden basin of El Paso expecting to find a lush valley and Juan finds a pair of discarded huaraches to wear. This quote demonstrates the importance of perspective, a major narrative theme. Both mothers constantly look for the good in negative situations and insist that faith allows them to see positives where initially nothing but negativity appears. The idea of “opening your eyes” is a common metaphor used throughout the book to urge Juan and Lupe to be more aware and appreciative of the world around them.

“[A]bove all else we survive because of love.” 

Doña Margarita says this to Juan when he is going mad with hunger and starts raving. Through a radical show of love and empathy, she convinces him to experience love as a kind of nourishment. This theory is proven again and again, most notably toward the end when Juan is literally saved by Lupe’s love, as he decides to try to start his business again, being ambitious instead of giving into physical and financial defeat.

“Oh, to disappear, I tell you, is the only way to survive a war!” 

Don Victor, Lupe’s father, says this to his family and Sophia’s fiancé, Don Tiburcio, the night he returns from years in absentia. He justifies his absence by explaining that it was the only way they could all eventually survive. This theory rings true throughout the novel, such as when Juan escapes prison with some Indians and they hold perfectly still every time a predator catches up with them, essentially disappearing in order to survive. It also proves true when Juan wants to escape the law and he disappears to Mexico for a while.

“[N]o man or woman is anything without a dream

Doña Margarita says this to Juan when he comes to California from Montana with no wife. This advice is especially prescient not only because Doña Margarita has correctly deduced that her son is being self-destructive because he is aimless, but because later on, when Lupe decides to marry him, it his emphasis on having dreams that wins her over. In a book where so much is dictated by gender, this quote is important because it shows that neither gender can be happy without hope.

“Money isn’t everything […] Our family, our blood, our dreams, these are the reasons we have been struggling.” 

Juan’s sister Luisa says this when she is trying to convince Juan not to leave his family for his flashy life back in Montana. This quote shows that Juan is divided between family and money and doesn’t see the two as coinciding. It also reveals that he sees money as being disproportionately powerful, a misconception that costs others in the book, like Old Man Benito, greatly in the end.

“I shouldn’t have pushed so much.” 

Juan says this to the other Mexican workers at the rock quarry after losing his job as a powder man for outperforming the white men the previous day. This quote is important because moderation plays a key role throughout the book. In this instance, Juan realizes that working in moderation, instead of showing off his skills, may have kept him from upsetting the power dynamic and allowed him to keep his elite job. Juan applies this reflection to later instances in which he realizes that spending too much money or drinking too much might tip someone off to his illegal activities. Juan continually experiments to find the right balance of “push.”

“After all, wasn’t it love, and only love, that a parent could pass on?” 

Doña Guadalupe asks this question of herself after she realizes she can’t give Lupe her life experiences, that Lupe will have to have some negative experiences herself in order to truly learn from them. While Doña Guadalupe may feel limited to love here, this question resonates later when it becomes very clear that parents can pass on more than love, as Domingo, Juan, and their nephews often act out of blind rage, a trait passed down by their father.

“Raising children among the gringos was very different from raising kids in Mexico.” 

Juan has this thought when he thinks about how his and Lupe’s children might turn out, especially in light of his nephews’ confession that they don’t entirely believe in his family’s heroic legacy. This draws attention to the vast and often unacknowledged differences that exist between life for Mexicans in Mexico and life for Mexicans in America. Given the constant degrading treatment and policies enacted against Mexicans in the States at this time, it was hard to maintain a sense of dignity in front of one’s children, which often caused traumatic reverberations within the family structure.

“[T]he seed didn’t fall far from the plant.” 

Juan has this thought when he thinks about Lupe eventually being like her mother, Doña Guadalupe. Both Doña Guadalupe and Doña Margarita advise their children to meet a possible spouse’s parents before making a decision, insisting that they will be able to see into their futures, like visiting a fortune teller. This metaphor proves true throughout the book as the children often resemble at least one of their parents in looks and in actions.

“Lupe truly wondered about this world of sex. Was it really so powerful that it could destroy a woman?” 

Lupe has this thought after María refuses to stop having sex with her former husband, Esabel, in front of the children. Sex is a mysterious, powerful force in Lupe’s life. She is highly shaken when she hears her parents make love and is scandalized when she finds out her older sisters engage in sexual acts before marriage. Having seen it change almost all of her female relatives, even her rocksteady mother, Lupe can do nothing but gape in awe at sex’s potential power, something she never experiences herself in the pages of this book.

“The word is our sword to fight off evil.” 

Doña Margarita says this to Salvador when she tells him he needs to cleanse the hate and guilt from his heart before marrying Lupe. While in one context the “word” represents God and his ability to cleanse Juan of his past wrongs, it can also represent the book’s power as a whole, reminding us of the author’s intentions to record a history that will benefit future generations.