American Dirt Sparknotes

The Challenges of Mexican Immigrants:

A Thematic Analysis of Jeanine Cummins’ American Dirt

Jeanine Cummins’ novel American Dirt (2018) is a story that talks about the migration of Lydia and her 8-year-old son Luca as they travel from Acapulco to El Norte while facing numerous challenges such as the cartels. In Cummins’ novel, the term fear is a frequent motif that pushes the plot forward as the author involves the readers in a world marked by fear, unpredictability, and violence. In American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins uses Lydia’s characterization and tactile and kinesthetic imagery to illustrate that fear is the defining emotion for migrants immigrating illegally to the United States.

The author utilizes characterization to demonstrate the

Even the term dangerous appeared to be absurd with her current circumstance (Cummins 68). Lydia lives in a violent environment where the cartels pursue migrants with deadly purposes and yet she travels on a risky trip to El Norte, fearing for her and her son's lives. Her primary concentration as a mourning mother is to protect her child from the dangers that lie around everywhere. However, her mental and emotional well-being suffers as a result of the ongoing chase and observation, as well as the guilt of being the only surviving adult in her family. The horrible events she experienced, such as the constant fear of violence, weapons, border patrols, and other issues she had to face, weigh heavily on her mind and put her endurance to the test. As a result, the word dangerous does not begin to describe what she is going through. Lydia's characterization as a survivor highlights the difficult choices and sacrifices that migrants must make in order to secure a better life for themselves and

As fear is the defining emotion experienced by migrants, it motivates them to move faster and steadier while their survival mode is activated. In certain situations, nonetheless, fear might be a terrible sensation, such as encountering someone powerful enough to bring them back to Acapulco and prevent their journey to the United States. Although they pretend they are not migrants and are simply on holiday, “they can all taste their hearts in their throats" (Cummins 217). As a result of the adrenaline and fear, the author depicts their feelings using kinesthetic imagery as an illustration of how frightening and nerve-racking the situation is. As such, the author depicts that migrants simply want to find a home and be at ease in the United States, despite the reality that they are doing so illegally. Individuals who are not emotionally prepared for it may stumble and get caught as well. If one's concerns and fears are not managed, they may become the next cartel victim, which explains why they are feeling this way. Lydia's emotions became more intense at the possibility of identifying someone who may cause them harm. As “Her arm and legs feel like they’ve turned to liquid, but the fingers of one hand stay tightly curled around the grating. The other hand goes automatically to the