Literary Techniques In Enrique's Journey

From Mexico to the United States, a very dangerous journey some take to have a better life or to reunite with their family. Even people who are as inexperienced, such as Enrique, go through this dangerous path to reunite himself with his mother. In the novel, Enrique's Journey, author Sonia Nazario uses literary devices such as theme, characterization, and POV to show us how events change a character along the way and reveals how a character truly is. Sonia Nazario uses theme to show us the drastic change in character, characterization to show us how the dangers of this journey has an impact on someone, and POV to show us how the character is someone else’s perspective.

In the novel of, Enrique’s Journey, Sonia Nazario uses theme to show

For example, “Enrique is bewildered. Who will take care of him now that his mother is gone?” (7). This quote shows us that with the use of 3rd person omniscient POV, Enrique is hurt and broken that his mother has left him. “She slides to the floor, to her knees and prays. She vows to god she will never ask him for anything for her son” (260). This shows us how Lourdes once cared for her son, but now is burdened with him for all of his actions. The point of view shows us how how Enrique once cared for his mother but now his mother is crying because of what Enrique has turned out to be. In conclusion, the POV shows us how different perspectives show us how Enrique ended up because of how he changed.

Analyzing how Nazario uses literary devices show us how Enrique has changed throughout the novel. Using theme, how he changed from an innocent child to a drug abuser. Using characterization to show us how he loved his mother to how he didn’t care how she felt. Using POV to show us Enrique’s perspective on how he missed his mother, to Lourdes’ perspective on how Enrique is a burden on her. All of these literary devices Nazario used showed us how some events can change a character and show us his real