In the chapter, "Alicia Who Sees Mice," Esperanza says Alicia functioned as the main caregiver in her household ever since her mother passed away. Alicia's father expects Alicia to do all of the chores and errands her mother once did. Esperanza mentions that she "inherited her mama's rolling pin and sleepiness" and must get up very early every day to make the tortillas for everyone's lunch. But Alicia is also trying to get an education.

Alicia attends a university and is the first in her family to go to college. She takes "two trains and a bus" to get there. The thought of working in a factory or being a housewife is her motivation to attend school. She wants to make something of herself; she wants a real job and a real future.

The final lines of the chapter reinforce this information about Alicia. The title of the chapter connects to Alicia's fear of mice, which is reinforced at the end when Esperanza says Alicia "is afraid of nothing except four-legged fur. And fathers." The mice serve as a symbol of the family's poverty. Alicia will travel for hours to get to the university if it means breaking out of her inherited role and forced responsibilities. But the last line illuminates the very real expectations at home and reinforces why Alicia has to take on her mother's role. She can't stop taking care of the family.

These closing sentences reinforce why Alicia is willing to work so hard to break out of her mother's role. She may be afraid of continuing the cycle of poverty and her cultural expectations, but these fears serve to motivate Alicia to better herself and her future.