“Broken Strand” by Mayra Santos-Febres blurs the consciousness of Miss Kety, Yetsaida, and ultimately, reader and writer. Santos-Febres’ tactful melding of the multiple consciousnesses further exposes the theme prevalent through the story that gendered violence is a shared experience. They all have a broken nose; they have all bled from a “ripening womb” (4). The short story opens with, “ a little girl and a father and a dream and a memory broken like a nose,” and it immediately switches into the second person, “there are days when you have to walk languid out on the street to forget” (1). There is no specific “little girl”; instead, it is Miss Kety, Yetsaida, Yetsaida’s mother, and every other woman. Every woman was this little girl; furthermore, Santos-Febres notes that you, as the reader, were this little girl. The prevalent use of the second person through the story calls the reader to attention. However, not in a way to expose the reader, but in a way to create solidarity with the reader. In this way, Santos-Febres creates a connection with a reader closer than most author-reader relationships; she wants to speak to you. 

Santos-Febres explores what is in this shared consciousness. There is always a father, a dream, and physically broken body parts that bring with it the broken memories. There are memories of children at four years old already with knowledge of “alcoholic breath and dried-out condoms” (2). Santos-Febres is alluding to the memory of violence, and the physical manifestation of this violence is everyone’s broken nose. There is also the dream in this shared consciousness. The dream is to be able to “remake yourself” physically and metaphorically (7). The strive for beauty is not superficial, and Santos-Febres expresses it in saying “Miss Kety, the saviour, the true emissary of true beauty” (3). Miss Kety’s role as the saviour reveals a divine link between physical beauty and inward beauty. Perhaps in this world where women are both physically and psychologically scarred, one must attempt to build themselves up from the outside in.