As American lights illuminate the stunning skyline of opportunity, we, as Americans, don't always bask in the glory of this powerful glow. Within the nonfiction novel Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario, a teenage boy, Enrique, sums up the courage of a thousand men to travel through treacherous trials to find his mother in America. Showing more bravery than I ever will muster in my entire lifetime, Enrique has made a deep impression upon me about perseverance; however, with his determination to reach his mother, I was surprised with how many times he was forced to begin his perilous journey again. In modern day American society, we witness hardship and a struggle to start again on the movie screens, but we are comforted by the distance that is …show more content…
For instance, when he was beaten and “his right shin is gashed. His upper lip is split. The left side of his face is swollen. His eyes are red, filled with blood. He is crying. He dabs at open wounds on his face with a filthy sweater he has found on the tracks,”(53). And, I was appalled by the lack of compassion many people, principally la migra, displayed towards Enrique and other migrants, for migrants are also people who want to find where they belong and to be accepted. Wounded physically and emotionally by many Mexicans, Enrique was constantly turned away, but the migrant Mexicans expect to be accepted in America; Latin Americans want the American dream just as Mexicans do, but Mexicans cannot find room in their country for Central Americans. As Enrique’s Journey shed light upon how lucky I am, I also wonder where Enrique is today after his deportation, but I know, with faith and love, Enrique will always be bound to his family. After riding the trains with Enrique, I felt genuine pain for him as he faced the shadows of strain and suffering and rode the rails toward a hopefully brighter future where he can celebrate the beauty of each day and absorb life’s subtle glories after quenching a long thirst