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Andrea Martinez

English 101

Professor Batty

4 May 2017

Angel From Above

To be even considered a saint there is a lot of things that you must prove to be; loyal,

strong, kind, persistent, and fearless. Still Water Saints, written by Alex Espinoza tells a story of

many different characters who live in Agua Mansa. They all are dealing with unique problems

and essentially they all seek guidance from Perla, an elderly woman who heals and protects those

in need. Miguel Angel is a character we meet at the beginning of the story, who is seen as

trouble because when he was younger he served time in jail because of a crime he committed.

Since then, people portray him as a bad guy, but not Rosa. Rosa is portrayed to be a girl

learning how to love herself. Miguel is considered to be saint-like based on his personality of his

character throughout the novel. Being hopeful is one aspect that makes Miguel a centerpiece.

Encouraging and influencing others around him is another aspect that makes him unique. Being

true to heart allows Miguel to be a helpful person. Some may portray Miguel Angel as trouble,

but honestly he is an inspiration to us all because he portrays hope, empowerment, and

determination.

In Still Water Saints we see how Miguel implements hope in Rosa's life. Throughout the

novel, we see the struggles that Rosa goes through on a daily basis. She drinks tea everyday to

lose weight, she exercises to dancing videos at home, and she even started working at a local

market where she later meets Miguel. Now some may say these are all good experiences for a

girl trying to lose weight, however, Rosa never wanted any of this it was actually her mother who
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implemented all this upon her. Her mothers effort should not have been to try and make her

daughter lose weight rather she shouldve been helping Rosa in finding self-love. Miguel Angel

met Rosa while they were working at the market and at first; Rosa was stunned that a guy was

even talking to her. Miguel gave Rosa a sense of optimism, a way of looking at her situation

differently. He showed her how to dance cumbia and essentially it was an outlet to get her mind

of her problems, and it was then and there that Rosa gained two new loves. He constantly

reminds her that, Youve got plenty to feel good about. (Espinoza 27) Miguel gave her hope in

the sense that she was not alone, he was there for her. He liked her for who she was, and that was

a mutual feeling. Rosa did not care about what others had to say about Miguel and his past. Her

mother would say, Hes bad news, Rosa. (Espinoza 29) but Rosa would just brush it off

because she knew who he truly was. Being influential towards Rosa, Miguel was able to

empower her.

Miguel gave Rosa a sense of authority over her decisions, unlike her mother. Miguel

quickly became Rosas backbone by encouraging her to be happy with who she is. He became

her strength and her sanctuary. He gave Rosa a new outlook on life in general. He empowers her,

he gives her a chance to make her own decisions unlike her mother. When he sees Rosa drinking

this tea to help her lose weight he tells her, You dont have to. (Espinoza 27) Miguel is a

character who shows great strength. Soon, we learn that she ends up not drinking the teas

anymore. She took it upon herself to make her own choices. Just like when her mother advised

her to stop seeing Miguel, she didnt listen. She knew who Miguel truly was and didnt mind

what others had to say.

In the real world context he could be considered a statutory rapist. Statutory rape is to

be considered, sexual intercourse with a person who, under the law, is incapable of consenting
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sex (Statutory Rape). This just added more fuel to the fire. The counterargument for this essay

would be that no, Miguel Angel cannot be a saint because he raped Rosa. Now, in the novel there

is no evidence that Miguel and Rosa had sexual intercourse. It is stated however that Rosa

fanaticizes about him. In the novel Rosa is considered to be sixteen and Miguel Angel is around

his early twenties. Being at the age of sixteen, you are more than capable of making your own

decisions. Many states its different, some laws my say age fourteen is capable to consent sex

while other states say that age eighteen should be the legal age. Agua Mansa is a fictional

character but is said to depict a suburban town east of Los Angeles and west of the desert

(Espinoza) According to Shouse California Law Group, in California the age for consent is

eighteen. However, I wouldnt be so quick to call Miguel a rapist because again there is no real

evidence in the book that they had sex before she turned eighteen. Granted, at the end of the

book it says that she has a daughter and is currently pregnant with twins but how do we know if

they didnt wait until marriage or until she turned the proper age? I would say throughout this

whole novel he was determined in wining over her love and trust. He knew the consequences for

dating a minor, and yet, he didnt care. Some would say thats love but again its up for debate.

What is the true definition of a Saint? I suppose everyone's interpretation is different but

essentially what is the overall meaning? A Saint is to be considered a person of great holiness,

virtue, or benevolence. I truly feel that Miguel Angel exemplifies that in all aspects of his life.

Granted, he did commit a crime but who are we to judge. Were all human, we all make

mistakes. The novel Still Water Saints truly shows that no one really knows what is going on in

someone's life. Everyone at some point in their life needs guidance and the ones who truly care

will always be there for you. It does not matter what you have done in your past all that matters

is what you are going to accomplish in the time you have left. In my eyes, Miguel was an Angel
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sent from above for Rosa. He is exactly what she needed in her life and she is what was missing

from his world.

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Works Cited

Espinoza, Alex. Still Water Saints: A Novel. London: Picador, 2013. Print.

Ferranti, Seth. "Why Is Getting a Job After Prison Still Such a Nightmare for Ex-Cons?" Vice.

Vice, 30 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 May 2017.

Rivera, Jose. "Punishments for Breaking and Entering." Punishments for Breaking and Entering |

LegalMatch Law Library. N.p., 13 Oct. 2016. Web. 02 May 2017.

<http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/punishments-for-breaking-and-entering.html.>

"Statutory Rape." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 27 May 2017

Espinoza, Alex. "Still Water Saints." Still Water Saints | Alex Espinoza Author. N.p., n.d. Web.

27 May 2017. [Alex Espinoza Website]

"California "Statutory Rape" Laws Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Person Under 18 Penal

Code 261.5 PC." California Statutory Rape Law; Penal Code 261.5 Unlawful Sex W/a Minor.

Shouse California Law Group, n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.