Elena By Pat Mora: How do lines 17-19 contribute to the development of the poem’s theme? * The speaker owns only one English book, and she needs to hide it from her husband. The speaker hides in the bathroom because she worries that someone will discover her secret. The speaker lives in a small house, and she can only find privacy if she locks herself in the family’s bathroom, The speaker practices alone in her bathroom because she is embarrassed and wants to understand English.