Later vignettes show Esperanza becoming aware and interested in womanhood. This is first evidenced in "Hips" when she notices this defining mark of a woman and ponders why they exist. She later comes of age in "Sire" when she begins to show interest in the opposite sex. Esperanza also faces many experiences that strip her of her innocence. No vignette is more powerful in showing this than "Red Clowns" where Esperanza is raped by a man at a carnival.