“There is strength in numbers” said by Mark Shields, an American politician, is one of my favorite quotes of all time and has a strong connection to the novel. We see many different connections and how important they are in very difficult circumstances. Infinite Country by Patricia Engel goes over different points of view of a family trying to reunite after being separated by immigration from Colombia to the United States after 14 years. Talia is one of the main characters as we see her travel all through Colombia to reach the airport in Bogotá and fly over to the United States to be with her mother and other siblings. We also see Elena and Mauro, Talia’s parents, similarly have to survive in the United States undocumented. Survival is one …show more content…
Similar to what Mark Shields said, we see many instances of the characters having to make choices for their survival, whether it be for their lives or for them to be able to stay in the United States and many of these we see them go through this struggle with important people around them receiving their help in any way possible.
Talia during her time trying to reach Bogotá we see many instances of her trying her best to survive. This is important to Talia’s character as we see her motivated by the recent death of her grandmother and her desire to be with her family in America. This loss gives the reader the sense of ambition in Talia to be able to see the last part of Perla in her mother Elena. In the first chapter of the book, we see Talia plan out and escape the correctional facility she is in as she only has one week to get to Bogotá and leave for the United states. Engel writes, "The plan originated with Talia. Or maybe her father deserved the credit...Sister Susana appeared in the doorway. Talia waited to catch her from behind with the pillowcase over the head" (2). This passage demonstrates how Talia is willing to do
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The documentary Happy by Roko Belic goes over many life experiences from many different people all over the world. It brings to light what makes people truly happy and how this may benefit the people around them. During the documentary, a small group village in Denmark is interviewed and asked why they think it is beneficial for multiple families to live in one enclosed village made up of multiple small houses. They mentioned how living in this enclosed village brings all of them closer, seeing their neighbors more like family members who even eat together at dinner. This close bond often leads to people building trust and a family-like bond which is beneficial for survival as we see people who truly care for each other be able to support each other through difficult times that come in people’s lives. Similarly, in the novel we see this with Talia and her relationship with her grandmother Perla. At first, Elena sent Talia to live with Perla in Colombia for her first couple of years. This later led to Talia having to take care of Perla as she became sick and could not leave her alone in this difficult time. Engel writes, “When her grandmother lost control of her body, forgetting how to speak, to eat, and everything else, Talia was the one who changed the liners of her underpants and washed her clothes when she soiled them. It didn’t bother Talia. Her father said it was a gift to take care
She really wanted to join the movement against Trujillo which shows how badly she wanted to follow her sisters’ leads. In the end, she lived on and continued the legacy of her sisters which shows her role in bringing down
This story is exactly what Julia Alvarez went through. It’s her life story. In the book Yolanda plays Julia’s role. The story relates accurately to how the family struggled having to adapt to the American culture. “As the only immigrant in my class, I was put in a special seat in the front row by the window, apart from the other children so that sister Zoe could tutor me without disturbing them” (“How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” 166).
When talking to a student at Roosevelt Elementary in Hanford, CA he explained the reason his family moved to California. He said, “My father wanted me and my brother to have a better life than him.” This book can help immigrant children make a connection because they see their families, working hard, trying to achieve this better life for
From it all, we learn that the relationship between success and happiness are tied to community, opportunity & practice, and communication. A sense of belonging is an important human necessity
Staying happy is a difficult thing for many Americans but all it takes is some time with family or friends every day. The Indians show this in the story When Grizzlies Walked Upright by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz tell past stories of adventure and dance by the fire with their loved ones. Like the Indians, I find adventure and happiness by spending time with friends and family. People are happier when they gather in celebration or learn from stories of great adventure.
This warning feared the sisters because they would not want to get murdered, even though they still ended up fighting for
Family as the environment that people
“The Red Umbrella” by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and “Band-Aid for 800 children” both portray the subject of immigration in many similar and different ways. A common subject found in both of the texts is immigration. Immigration is a big topic showed through these texts and both “The Red Umbrella” and “Band-Aid for 800 children” show how immigration can be difficult and tough. Similar and different techniques are used to present the overall subject of immigration. There are many similarities about how immigration is portrayed in “The Red Umbrella” and “Band-Aid for 800 children”.
In Reyna Grande’s compelling memoir, The Distance Between Us, she vividly recounts her life and journey from Mexico to the ‘El Otro Lado,’ the United States. Grande grew up in Iguala, Guerroro, a small town in the heart of Mexico. She and her family were brought up in extreme poverty and thus, her parents left for the United States in order to support them. Grande and her siblings were forced to live with their stern, disapproving grandmother and often faced difficulties because of their abusive and impoverished environment. Abandoned by both parent, the three siblings endure various hardships with the hope of a window of opportunity opening for their family.
Krakauer ultimately pointed to an underlined passage in Tolstoy’s Family Happiness that stated, “He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others” (Krakauer 169). This passage truly shows what Chris found in the wild and his
People miss the fact that happiness comes from within. In an attempt to find joy – we must also be cautious about over excessive desire to acquire material objects and wealth. There is a delicate balance that must be reached between the pursuit of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment. While there are many conditions that fulfill ones emotional wellbeing, happiness and how we acquired it, depends upon the
In the book " Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner, he is set off to a journey to find the happiest country around the globe including Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, and Iceland to search and discover how happiness is define and what are the things that make people happy in that country. He discovered that happiness cannot just only find inside yourself, but it is a function of place. Cultural values and traits have an effect and influence on the degree of happiness. According to Weiner, in Switzerland, "Swiss go to great lengths not to provoke envy in others" (Page 31) in one of their way that makes people in their country happy.
What happiness is? “Are you happy?” is the question I used to ask my friends and colleges What announced me is that no matter what answer people gave at last, almost all of them looked puzzling and been offended at first time. It seems that for most people do not know what happiness is, or they cannot express what they feel the happiness is. Urban happiness is a concept which can be defined through the observation both of many tangible and intangible aspects of a place and the activities carried out by the people who live and use it.
On the other hand, for some people who may not possess so much money or social recognition, they cherish the close relationship among their family and friends and usually experience greater happiness. The affiliation with these important communities encourage people to face challenges in their life and are inevitably the key reason for most individuals to achieve success. Therefore, the existence of positive relationships is essential for human to gain life satisfaction as well as emotional