Before We Were Free

Mami appears to be a high-strung, overworked mother, but in fact she was one of the founders of the current manifestation of the rebel group The Butterflies. Mami worries about her children and their safety, but with the added tension of knowing that their house is most likely bugged with recording devices placed there by SIM. What appears to be her anxiety over the normal demands of life is eventually shown to be a result of her bravery as she helps write and disseminate tracts for The Butterflies.

Many of the characters in Before We Were Free make sacrifices, but Papi and his brother Tony are the only two major characters who give their lives for the cause. Papi is a dutiful, doting father who wants his children to understand the nature (and value) of true freedom. He is willing to put himself and his family at great risk to continue working on behalf of his country’s independence. He is Anita’s greatest role model, after Joan of Arc. He helps assassinate El Jefe and is ultimately executed for his involvement in the plot.

Oscar is a childhood friend of Anita’s who becomes her first real love interest, after her initial infatuation with Sam dwindles. Oscar is a representation of curiosity in the novel. Initially, this is a source of annoyance for Anita. Oscar’s constant stream of questions slows down their classes and exasperates most of the other children. But gradually Anita sees that Oscar’s questions are the key to some of her own answers. Oscar’s relentless questioning of his country and world lead him to read voraciously, and eventually to be a source of knowledge that inspires Anita to ask more of her own questions. He, too, goes into hiding, and encourages Anita after her father and uncle are killed.

Chucha is not a family member, but has been involved in raising the family in the compound. She is from Haiti, believes in magic, omens, and visions, and represents a counterpoint to the Catholicism of Anita’s family.