Infinite Country Quotes

“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

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

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