▁promise ▁of ▁opportunity ▁and ▁fortune ▁for ▁people ▁outside ▁their ▁hom eland . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁her ▁parents ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁sub ur bs , ▁an ▁improvement ▁over ▁the ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁bar rio ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁ten ement ▁she ▁had ▁grown ▁acc ustom ed ▁to . ▁But ▁Mar is ol ' s ▁mother , ▁Ram ona , ▁remains ▁separate ▁from ▁those ▁around ▁her , ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁grows ▁increasing ly ▁dependent ▁on ▁her ▁young ▁daughter ▁to ▁navigate ▁this ▁un famil iar ▁political , ▁social , ▁and ▁cultural ▁world . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end , ▁Ram ona ▁dec ides ▁to ▁return ▁briefly ▁to ▁the ▁Island . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁medium ▁of ▁stories , ▁cook ing , ▁and ▁religious ▁rit uals , ▁the ▁author ▁shows ▁how ▁all ▁the ▁characters , ▁in ▁particular ▁Gu zm án , ▁Ram ona , ▁Rafael , ▁and ▁the ▁others ▁of ▁their ▁generation , ▁keep ▁their ▁culture ▁and ▁her itage ▁alive ▁even ▁as ▁El ▁Norte , ▁the ▁North , ▁continues ▁to ▁al ien ate ▁them . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁The ▁Line ▁of ▁the ▁Sun , ▁when ▁Mar is ol ▁has ▁fully ▁taken ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁the ▁reader ▁disco vers ▁how ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁f use ▁their ▁experiences ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁with ▁their ▁native ▁culture , ▁roots , ▁and ▁practices ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁unique ▁Puerto ▁R ican - American ▁narr ative . ▁ ▁Main ▁characters ▁▁ ▁Mar is ol : ▁Te en age ▁daughter ▁of ▁Ram