“He was ten and the only one to sleep outside under the stars, because he was a boy.” 

This comment is made by the narrator about Victoriano, the only son in a family of four girls that currently has no present father. This line predicts both Victoriano’s importance within the family and the importance of gender within the book. Victoriano’s role as the only boy in a fatherless family dictates much of what he does, as he feels an immense pressure to live up to what is expected of boys in their community. Additionally, much of what is said and done throughout the book is dictated by gender.

“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.