Rachel and Lucy (V. 6, 17)

 

               Rachel and Lucy are first mentioned in vignette six as they desire to buy a bike from a boy

named Tito with the help of Esperanza (and Nenny’s money). Despite Cathy’s warnings, Esperanza assists

them in their purchase, thus forging a new bond of friendship between the girls. Esperanza is portrayed as

slightly more intelligent than Rachel and Lucy as she corrects them grammatically, similar to how I hope that

you will correct me grammatically if you find errors in these entries (15). The bike serves as a foundation for

the three-way friendship, allowing Esperanza to laugh with her friends (16). This would not be influential if it

were not for the fact that Esperanza did not laugh with Cathy, her original friend who she shed quickly in

light of this new opportunity. One of the most influential vignettes in the growth and development of

Esperanza is vignette 17 as Esperanza, Rachel, and Lucy come to the profound realization that they can

influence the people around them (specifically men) with the way they dress and act. Colored shoes handed

down to the girls spark the necessary flame that continues as a theme throughout this vignette. Despite the

warnings of Mr. Benny from the corner grocery store, the girls continue down the road in their new shoes

with a newfound sense of pride and confidence (41). When a bum offers to pay Rachel a dollar for a kiss,

the girls realize that Benjamin Parker was correct, with great power comes great responsibility. This

experience allows the girls to recognize that their actions and influence can be used for good, but often

result in bad outcomes and consequences. The doorway to the exposure of their personal sexual nature has

been slightly opened, and this will come into play in later vignettes. 

Rachel and Lucy’s childish nature mixed with their newfound abilities fit the 2014 album, 1989, extremely well. The girls begin to venture out into a more mature world while acting on their immature impulses. They dream of themselves acting in an older way, which mimics 1989 in its semi-hopeful nature. With the new shoes and newly discovered long legs they certainly never go out of Style. Is the activity of kissing boys in their Wildest Dreams or will they have to Shake it Off when a bum sexually assaults them? Their innocence can only take them so far.