The Surrender Tree Monologue

Margarita Engle grew up in Los Angeles. She developed a attachment for her mother's country. She visited her family in Cuba during the summers. She now lives in Central California. Margarita Engle shined light on complicated Cuban history through her poetry book The Surrender Tree. Margarita Engle’s text The Surrender Tree part 1 “The Names of the Flowers” gave a perspective on how bad slaves were treated. Rosa the main character heals run away slaves and people wounded in the war for Cuban independence. There are slave hunters that catch slaves and cut their ears off, earning money for the ears. ”When the slave hunter brings back runaways he captures, he receives seventeen pesos per cimacarrón, unless the runaway is dead. Four pesos is the price of an ear, shown as proof that the runaway slave died fighting, resisting capture”(Engle 5). The quote is explaining what a slave hunter does. They catch runaway slaves and get paid for returning them or if they bring back the slave's ear. The text The Surrender Tree part 1 “The Names of the Flowers” was written to enhance people's understanding of how difficult it was to be a slave. Also it showed how difficult it was to live in that time in Cuba. They were fighting for their independence.

Slave owners rebelled against Spain, so the slaves were now free. Spain didn't accept this so all the slaves went into hiding and houses and farms were burned down by the rebels and the Spanish. “Slavery all day, and then, suddenly, by nightfall- freedom!”(Engle 26). When the slave owners suddenly decided to rebel against Spain the slaves were set free. It was very sudden and not expected. The text The Surrender Tree part 2 “The Ten Years’ War” was written to give a perspective of Cuban people fighting for their