The Poet X Characters

Xiomara

Xiomara (Cee ō mara) Batista, also known as “X” or “Xio,” is the novel’s protagonist. She is a sophomore in high school and lives with her parents and brother in Harlem. Xiomara is a first-generation Dominican American and loves writing, specifically poetry. She is physically big and develops curves early, which attracts attention she doesn’t want and makes her feel both uncomfortable and guilty. These feelings are heightened by her devout Catholic family’s belief that a woman should not attract men’s attention so as not to tempt them. Xiomara is in confirmation class, though she questions much about her faith and is often at odds with her mother; Mami forces her to attend church and confirmation and holds Xiomara to a nearly impossible standard of perfection. As Xiomara begins to push back against Mami’s control, the two women experience conflict.

Xiomara meets Aman in biology class and quickly becomes infatuated, though she knows she is not allowed to date. Aman brings up conflicting feelings of guilt and freedom in Xiomara. She also discovers poetry as a means of expressing herself and begins to write more and more, inspired and encouraged by her teacher—Ms. Galiano—and Aman. Xiomara discovers that poetry gives her independence and a vehicle for exploring themes of love, family, and belief.

Twin

Twin is Xiomara’s twin brother. He is named Xavier, but Xiomara only ever calls him Twin, signifying the relationship that only the two of them can share. Twin is small and quiet, studious, and diligent. He follows all his parents’ rules, is devout, and is, according to Xiomara, “a genius.” He skipped a grade and attends a special school for gifted students. He is the opposite of Xiomara in nearly every way. While she attracts attention, he shirks from it. Where she fights with words and fists, he is peaceful and shy. Xiomara and Twin are close, and at one point she says she’s determined he’s the only boy she’ll ever love.

Twin supports Xiomara’s writing, giving her the notebooks in which she writes her poems. However, for much of the book, he doesn’t stand up for her when she’s harassed—in fact, it’s often Xiomara standing up for Twin. Twin’s homosexuality, hinted at as the novel progresses, is eventually revealed when Xiomara sees him holding hands with another boy. Twin knows his parents will not accept a boyfriend, so he keeps it a secret. As Twin develops his own sense of identity, he begins to become closer to Xiomara emotionally and even stands up for her to Mami.

Mami

Mami is Xiomara’s mother. She works hard as a cleaner and has rough skin that shows a life of difficulty. She is married to Xiomara’s father, though she previously wanted to become a nun. Mami was born in the Dominican Republic and was forced to marry Papi to be able to immigrate to the United States. She appears to be unhappy with Papi and tells Xiomara that men are inattentive and abusive. Mami once believed that Xiomara and Twin were her rewards for her dedication to Jesus, but as Xiomara develops into a woman and starts to question her faith, Mami is increasingly controlling of and disappointed in her daughter.

Mami uses religion to control and discipline her daughter, making her attend daily Mass when she gets in trouble. After Mami witnesses Xiomara kissing a boy on the train, she makes her daughter kneel on rice and stare at an image of the Virgin Mary. She forces Xiomara to attend confirmation and takes her to confession. Later, when Xiomara leaves her poetry notebook on the table, Mami is horrified by her daughter’s thoughts about boys, religion, and family. She burns the book. Only when Xiomara returns home with Father Sean as an intermediary does Mami begin to listen to her daughter. She eventually supports Xiomara in the poetry slam competition, and their relationship becomes more loving and sympathetic.

Papi

Papi, Xiomara’s father, is a former ladies’ man who once spent his time at bodegas and cheated on Mami before his children were born. Xiomara has heard that her father thought he was infertile, so he didn’t worry about getting women pregnant. However, when Papi learned that he would be a father, he changed. He stopped hanging around in bodegas and dedicated himself to his family. However, Papi doesn’t really talk to anyone in the family, never plays music anymore, and generally seems miserable. At home, he spends his time watching TV.

Papi calls Xiomara a “cuero,” or whore, when Mami tells him she kissed a boy on the train. He doesn’t do much to support Mami’s punishments, nor does he argue against them. When Mami burns Xiomara’s notebook, he half-heartedly tries to stop her by telling her she’ll get ashes on the floor. Papi opens up, however, in counseling with Father Sean. He listens with an open heart to the family tell him the ways in which he has hurt them. Eventually, Papi supports Xiomara at the poetry slam and appears to be proud of her, telling everyone, “That’s my daughter.” At the after-party, Papi asks Xiomara to dance, explaining that dance is a way to tell someone they love them.

Aman

Aman is assigned as Xiomara’s lab partner in biology. He’s quiet and a bit small, and Xiomara feels a nearly instant connection with him. Aman lives with only his father; he shares that he was born in Trinidad and his mom chose not to immigrate with their family. He loves winter sports. Aman and Xiomara first bond over their love of hip-hop music, which they listen to together in the smoke park after school. Aman encourages Xiomara’s writing by asking her to read or recite her poems to him.

Throughout The Poet X , Aman pushes Xiomara out of her comfort zone but is considerate and doesn’t pressure her. Aman invites Xiomara ice skating on a day off from school, and afterward the two are caught kissing on the train by Mami. Xiomara stops talking to Aman when he doesn’t stop a group of boys from bothering her. After Mami burns Xiomara’s notebook, however, Xiomara goes to Aman’s house. When she stops him from moving farther physically, she expects him to tell her to leave, but he doesn’t. Aman writes Xiomara a poem before the poetry slam and encourages her at her performance. 

Caridad

Caridad has been Xiomara and Twin’s best friend since the three of them were babies. She is a devout Catholic and a kind friend who looks out for Xiomara’s well-being. Though Caridad is Xiomara’s opposite in nearly every way, the girls have a strong friendship that isn’t threatened by Xiomara’s doubts about her faith or her episodes of challenging her parents’ authority. Caridad is also one of Xiomara’s biggest cheerleaders when it comes to her poetry. She covers for Xiomara when the latter chooses to attend poetry club instead of confirmation and submits Xiomara’s name for the open mic at the café.

Ms. Galiano

Ms. Galiano is Xiomara’s strict English teacher who becomes her mentor. Ms. Galiano is the first teacher to be able to pronounce Xiomara’s name correctly on the first try, and Xiomara seems to feel a nearly instant connection to her. Ms. Galiano is a young Latina woman who wears bright colors. Though she’s tiny, Xiomara says she “carries herself big.” Ms. Galiano encourages Xiomara’s development as a writer; she is also the leader of the poetry club, which she encourages Xiomara to join.

Ms. Galiano goes above and beyond as a teacher, concerned about the well-being of her students. She calls Xiomara’s parents to check on her after Xiomara confesses that Mami burned her notebook, and she leaves Xiomara a note with her phone number in case she needs her. Ms. Galiano is central to Xiomara’s participation in the citywide youth poetry slam.

Father Sean

Father Sean is the priest at Xiomara’s church. He is Jamaican, and Xiomara describes his “funky” West Indian accent when he preaches in Spanish. Father Sean teaches Xiomara’s confirmation class, where she discovers he isn’t as relaxed as she thought when she challenges him with questions about the literal meaning of the Bible. Father Sean has patriarchal beliefs, which Xiomara also begins to challenge.

Father Sean is also a supporter of Xiomara as the novel progresses. He often serves as an intermediary between Xiomara and Mami, and Xiomara even seeks him out to help her face Mami after her notebook is burned. Father Sean counsels Xiomara’s family and even attends her poetry slam competition.