Rebecca- thanks for pointing that out about Cecilia. She is actually pretty complex. When I first read Cecilia Valdes, I didn't notice a lot of things about her character.
Specifically, I didn't understand that Villaverde was ultimately portraying her as sinful and deceitful. Obviously I could tell by her actions that she was mischievous and didn't like to listen to authority. However, I took this to be a more natural thing that children without parents might be inclined to to. I did not really think Cecilia had actual malice.It was not until the second part of our reading, when Villaverde talked of her "voluptuousness rather than strength of character" that I realized Cecilia was bad news. And of course, your analysis of Cecilia's eagerness to dismiss her own race, and willingness to place her own interests before her friend's and grandmother's may be the best evidence of that. But then again, Cecilia was thrust into some tough circumstances, without real parents, in a pretty messed-up society. I think it would be a pretty good debate whether or not some of the things she does are justified.
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