51 pages • 1 hour read
Natalia SylvesterBreathe and Count Back from Ten
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Verónica Rentería
Verónica Rentería is the protagonist of the story. She is a 17-year-old girl of Peruvian descent and immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was just one year old. Her sister, Dani, was born two years later. Verónica has hip dysplasia and has spent most of her life enduring surgeries, ableism, and coddling from her overprotective parents. Verónica dislikes being defined by other’s preconceptions and finds that people often compartmentalize and stereotype her:
Here, it seems everyone gets to be whole but me. They get to be seen for who they are, not for what they aren’t. They get to be defined by the things they do instead of the things they don’t. Meanwhile, I get split into all these little pieces: Peruvian. Disabled. Immigrant. Fragmented as if I couldn’t possibly be everything all at once, and more (111).
She is regularly in pain due to the hip dysplasia, but she doesn’t show it. Verónica’s version of Living with Disability is largely shaped by her rebellious nature. Verónica’s refusal to be defined by her disability or controlled by her parents is part of what inspires her to become a mermaid and gain Personal and Sexual Autonomy. Her desire to be her own person also draws her to Alex, a boy who allows her to be herself. Alex’s gift to Verónica, a portrait of her face created using collaged pieces of maps of the places she loves, signals Verónica’s connection to both her birthplace and the land she now calls home.
Verónica’s greatest passion is her love of mermaids, swimming, and the ocean. She swims every single day, and it is the time that she feels most alive, in control, and free. Because the water lifts her, the pain that she holds inside is released when she swims. Verónica identifies with mermaids because of the pain they suffer and the longing they experience; she quotes Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid when she describes her tendency to hide her pain: “Mermaids have no tears, and therefore they suffer more” (100). Verónica also happens to live in a town in Central Florida with a local mermaid culture. Because the local freshwater spring flows clear and cold from deep limestone caves, the Mermaid Cove theater was built in the 1940s and has since shaped the town and the people in it. Verónica defies her parents and auditions to be a mermaid after practicing for days. When she is accepted, it is as if all of her dreams have come true. During her time at Mermaid Cove, Verónica learns a great deal about herself and about the nature of the mermaid fantasy. She disagrees with its philosophy that “mermaids are perfection in the flesh” (307) because she has never identified with perfection. She comes to accept her scars, to prefer reality to fantasy, and to be a mermaid in her own way, in her own pool: “No more hiding, no more pretending to blend in. Just a girl in an imperfect body, refusing to swim any further in shame. Telling the stories of her ancestors on new shores and in a new home. Telling legends of her own” (318). At the same time, she learns to be honest with her parents and assert herself in a healthy, mature way.
Mami and Papi
Verónica’s parents are central figures in her life and in the novel. They are dynamic characters with layers that are slowly revealed as the story progresses. They speak a mixture of Spanish and English, and Verónica’s context clues often clarify what they are saying. Primarily, Mami and Papi are defined by the fact that they are Peruvian immigrants who recently achieved permanent residency in the United States. Traditional and strict, they are protective of their two daughters, but especially of Verónica. Mami and Papi vary in their attitudes toward mermaiding, but both agree that any dating or involvement with a boy is promiscuous and wrong at Verónica’s age, and they regularly shame her when the topic arises—and sometimes when it doesn’t. Verónica’s father calls the Mermaid Cove a kitschy tourist attraction and a glorified form of sex work, but Mami sees it as entertaining and beautiful. She tells Verónica the story of la Huacachina, a princess who became a mermaid. Mami also bought Verónica a wax mermaid statue on their one and only visit to Mermaid Cove. When Verónica’s parents find out that she lied about her job at Mermaid Cove, Mami is less concerned by the fact that Verónica is a mermaid and more concerned that she was dishonest and forged her signature. Papi, on the other hand, wants his daughter to have a typical life and career, without any of the fantasy of mermaiding. Because of her immigrant status, Verónica feels like she constantly has to live up to her parents’ expectations:
Subconsciously you’re always measuring comparing, asking, am I doing enough to justify what they gave up to come here? You carry all their dreams into your future which is somehow also theirs, wrapped up in their past and present. You fear making mistakes. You dread coming up short of their expectations. And you can think of nothing worse than disappointing them (51).
Verónica also feels as though she has little to no Personal and Sexual Autonomy; being shamed and controlled by her parents only causes her to rebel further. When she is with Alex, she cannot understand why her parents would interpret the positive, comforting feelings she experiences as negative or dangerous. Further, Mami and Papi coddle Verónica because of her disability; when they choose not to tell her that her bone is necrotizing, she is hurt and betrayed. In the end, Verónica learns to assert herself in an honest way and convince her parents that she is ready to make her own decisions.
Alex
Alex is Verónica’s boyfriend. He is a dynamic character who reveals more about himself the closer he and Verónica become and the more they trust one another. He moved to Palmview Lakes from Texas with his mother after his parents divorced. He is shaped by his parents’ constant arguments before the divorce. His father was always out of town for work, and his parents’ eventual split left Alex feeling responsible for the mess left behind. Alex’s mother is the new manager of the apartment complex, and she rarely appears except to tell Alex what to do from time to time. Alex admits to Verónica that he has depression. His parents initially responded poorly by providing self-help books and a family trip, but now they understand how to provide effective care. Unlike other boys Verónica has met, Alex is understanding, empathetic, and patient. He doesn’t pressure Verónica into a physical relationship, instead letting her take the lead and maintain total Personal and Sexual Autonomy. Verónica finds it refreshing that Alex doesn’t focus on her scars and feels comfortable telling him about them as a result. Alex is also direct in what he wants, telling Verónica that he would like to be her boyfriend, and Verónica appreciates his honesty. Alex is unconditionally supportive of Verónica and is always there to watch her practice or perform. The relationship that develops between them is only just beginning when the novel concludes.
Leslie
Leslie is Verónica’s best friend. She is a static character defined mainly by her best friend status and the fact that she is unconditionally supportive of Verónica and her dreams. Leslie is strong and bold, someone Verónica’s parents call “Leslie la atrevida” (30), or Leslie the Daring and Audacious. She has been present through Verónica’s surgeries and never judges or coddles Verónica: “The only person who’s ever treated my surgeries as the least interesting thing about me” (54). She and Verónica share a passion for mermaids, but Leslie considers herself a land spectator while Verónica wants to be one. Leslie is always present when Verónica is practicing for a show, and she steps in to help make Verónica’s costume for her showcase when Dani is too immersed in her new relationship. When Verónica performs, she can always look out and see Leslie waiting in the audience. Leslie is also the most excited for Verónica when she experiences a victory, such as being accepted to the team or pulling off a beautiful showcase piece.
Dani
Dani is Verónica’s 14-year-old sister. Somewhat rebellious and aloof, Dani is also deeply supportive of her sister and her dream of becoming a mermaid. Dani is a dynamic character who shows herself to have depth and maturity beyond her years. Verónica marvels at Dani’s energy and constant need for movement. Dani cartwheels everywhere she goes, and Verónica theorizes the cartwheels are due to Dani’s fear of being disabled like Verónica is. Since Dani is 14, she is easily embarrassed when Verónica tells stories about her, and she lashes out when Verónica tries to lecture and mother her the way Mami does. Dani makes Verónica a beaded top for her tryouts, comes with her to practices, and helps her get access to a pool on when theirs is closed. Verónica remembers Dani as always being passionate and easy to anger ever since they were small children. Dani ends up dating Jeremy’s stepbrother. Verónica struggles with the relationship at first, but the two eventually resolve their conflict after a heated argument allows them to vent their frustrations. Dani often feels like Verónica takes all of their parents’ attention. Verónica, on the other hand, often feels like Dani doesn’t truly understand what she goes through.
The Mermaid Crew
The mermaid crew is made up of Lila, Geoff, Tanya, Hallie, and Val. Barb is the director of the performances as well as the head manager of the cove itself. Each is a flat character defined by a single trait. Each brings their own unique personality and has their own reasons for wanting to be a mermaid. Lila, the leader, says she was born to be a mermaid. Geoff appreciates the limitless fluidity of mermaids and the fact that they can be “both and none of those things” (252) (fish and mermaid) at the same time. Tanya, Leslie’s sister, was inspired by Verónica’s and Leslie’s love of mermaids, and Val was inspired by The Little Mermaid movie. Unlike the others, Hallie is less accepting of Verónica and focuses on her scars and why she has them. She singles out Verónica when everyone is in the sauna, embarrassing Verónica and herself in the process. Verónica ends up becoming closest to Geoff, and they create and perform a Huacachina show together. Geoff’s main conflict with the cove is that they refuse to let him (as a male) wear a tail. He and Verónica integrated this detail into the show as a form of rebellion when he transforms into a mermaid during its finale. Barb is not only is sexist but also reveals herself to be ableist when she erases Verónica’s scars from an image. Rumors circulate that she is also racist and refused for years to hire people of color.
