Letters from Cuba

The ceiba tree is an important symbol in the text. To Ma Felipa and those who practice her religion, the tall ceiba tree in her yard represents ancestral suffering and loss: the pain of those who experienced the torment of enslavement. Manuela tells Esther that the tree contains the suffering of enslaved people, and when their agony overcomes the tree, tears, or lágrimas, slide down its trunk. Worshippers place offerings in the chain of a formerly enslaved person that circles the ceiba’s trunk and leave flowers and candles by its roots. The ceiba tree is a religious and historical symbol in Ma Felipa’s culture.

To Esther, the ceiba tree represents a belief system that is different from her own faith but equally valid. The tree illustrates the novel’s theme of The Benefits of Cross-Cultural Understanding. On Yemayá’s birthday, the ceremony, the drums, and the tree elicit powerful emotions in Esther, and when she cries uncontrollably, she sees the tree cry with her (158). Malka also finds solace in the tree. The ceiba tree confirms Esther’s open-hearted understanding that learning about other cultures removes fear and uncovers commonalities: One can accept, respect, and celebrate others’ beliefs and traditions while maintaining one’s own.