Meeting Marietta marks a significant turning point in Petra’s arc, and gives her a vision of the kind of future and identity that is possible for her. When Petra first meets Marietta, she immediately takes note that Marietta wears pants and dresses as a soldier, a clear deviation from the historical and cultural norm for women in Petra’s world established by Dobbs at the opening of the novel. Marietta’s non-traditional clothing, presence, and authority catalyzes a shift in Petra’s perspective—on the war, on womanhood, and on herself. Seeing a woman like Marietta—strong, independent, respected by others, and in control of her own destiny—is deeply inspiring to Petra. Having grown up yearning to do things most girls are not permitted to do, and uninterested in the traditional life path of becoming a wife and a mother, Petra sees Marietta as living proof that the life she wants to lead is possible to achieve. Marietta and Petra have a lot in common: they both lost their fathers to the Federales; both are the eldest daughters in their families, and both desire to break new ground—Deviating From Cultural Norms and Staying True to Oneself. Both characters are strong-willed and passionate about their country, yearning for it to become a better, more peaceful place to live. Marietta and Petra function as a kind of mirror for one another. Petra, young and eager to build a solid future for herself outside of a traditionally prescribed path, gives Marietta a glimpse of her younger self. Marietta, a respected captain on the frontlines, fighting for what she believes in, provides Petra with a glimpse into the life she hopes to lead, an example of the person into which she hopes to grow.

In Chapter 13, the tension between Petra and Abuelita comes to a head, mirroring the conflict of the Mexican Revolution itself—the traditional perspective of the former century clashing with the revolutionary ambition of a new generation. However, Dobbs nuances the parallel by revealing the complexity of Abuelita’s past trauma. Abuelita’s discomfort around Marietta when the family arrives at the rebel camp initially reads to Petra as simply a stubborn adherence to traditional, antiquated values at odds with the ancestral wisdom Petra deeply treasures in Abuelita: “Her wisdom of the desert, her closeness to it, and her stories of our ancestors always left me wanting to learn more. But how could such a wise person believe it was right for a woman to be beaten?” (191). However, Dobbs makes it clear that the systemic oppression and abuse that Abuelita experienced as a result of the Spanish colonization of her Indigenous culture has self-protectively shaped her perspective, making her fear that any rebellion against systemic power will result in suffering, punishment, and loss: “Abuelita had always told us about being forced to learn Spanish, about the beatings, and about people telling her that her mother tongue was a filthy language” (188). When Abuelita hears Petra’s desire to join the rebels and fight for the same revolutionary ideas that Petra’s father valued, Abuelita reacts instinctively out of fear that she will lose Petra just as she lost her son. Once Abuelita moves through her initial fear, reckons with her own trauma and the ways in which it is shaping her perspective, she gives Petra her blessing. Petra’s feelings matter more to her than her own fears, emphasizing the Importance of Family During Times of Upheaval. Abuelita’s decision to support Petra despite her personal discomfort suggests that Abuelita’s worldview, like their relationship, has the capacity to grow and change for the better, opening the door to a revolutionary future for their family. With this interaction between Abuelita and Petra, Dobbs demonstrates a critical element of institutionalized power, exploring the ways those marginalized by an oppressive regime can begin to internalize the very values that perpetuate their own oppression, creating an internal conflict.