By the end of this chapter, it is clear that Cisneros' novel will be an episodic one, a collection of short sketches of people and events. Why does Cisneros choose this technique, and what is the effect of this narrative organization?

 Cisneros' novel is full of sincerity. I never got the feeling that any of her characters or events were contrived. Her straightforward episodic style has an organic sense to them. Although separate from each other, her vignettes share the same fertile soil. They work as stories on their own yet share the same roots as each other. Reading her narrative is very easy on the brain!