“In Mythology, I am still reading about Medea and the quest for the Golden Fleece. Here is someone that I recognize. When Medea falls in love with Jason, it grabs me by the throat. I can see her. Medea sneaks Jason things to help him: ointments to make him invincible, secrets in rocks. She has magic, could bend the natural to the unnatural. But even with all her power, Jason bends her like a young pine in a hard wind; he makes her double in two. I know her.” (Ward, 38)

In this passage there is a very clear connection between Medea and Esch because of the common theme of Jason and Manny. Medea and Esch are both in love with Jason and Manny so much that they will help them in whatever way they can; however, Jason and Manny do not feel the same way about them. The boys in both of these stories use the women for what they want sexually and for other non sexual favors. In this passage Esch also states that Medea is very strong, but still feels powerless when it comes to Jason which is how Esch feels. Esch relates to Medea and connects to her situation which shows us that Esch knows that she is helpless when it comes to Manny but still does nothing about it. Medea and Esch are clearly both extremely strong and independent women, but for some reason they feel so weak when it comes to Jason and Manny that they allow themselves to be mistreated.

This picture, photographed by Michael Brosilow, is a modern version of Jason and Medea in a play at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre. The two actors photographed are mexican immigrants trying to make a better life for themselves and their son in Chicago. This photograph was taken in 2013. 

These dirty work boots symbolize Esch by the end of the novel because they show all of the struggle she has been through. The scratches on the boots symbolize how even before the book starts  Esch has already lost her mother and has to take care of her family because her father is a drunk. Later, she gets pregnant and has even more worries and struggles which symbolizes the extra dirt on the boots. These boots have scratches and are very dirty; however, they are supposed to be like that because they are work boots. Also these boots are probably not very old and have been through a lot just like Esch who is just a teenager. These boots are made for hard work and struggles and just like esch they get through the muddy times,