Security In American Dirt, By Jeanne Cummins

Security is a must when it comes to choosing where to live. Nevertheless, few people live in acceptable living conditions. Moreover, many countries are dangerous for their citizens due to high criminal activity or government corruption. In her novel American Dirt, Jeanne Cummins tells the story of a mother, Lydia and her son, Luca, trying to immigrate to the United States to escape Javier’s cartel. After the death of her entire family, Luca and his mom leave everything behind for their survival. During immigration, Lydia and her son face many challenges, frequently putting their lives in danger. Cummins shows the parent’s love for their infant in her book through Lydia’s characterization and the plot conflict behind Javier’s threat. Cummins

She knows how dangerous it is to trust anyone on La Bestia” (Cummins 183). Lydia stays watchful, she can’t trust anyone because Javier’s men can be everywhere Lydia’s love for her son is indescribable. For example, Lydia’s thoughts reveal the caring nature of her love for Luca. In the middle of the story, when she is in a dorm for migrants, Lydia “stands, her bare feet cool against the tile floor, and reaches for [Luca] rumpled covers. Luca is not there. Panic rises in her throat” (Cummins 117). This quote demonstrates how dedicated Lydia is to her son. She panicked, even in a safe environment, due to her caring nature. In addition, Lydia feels that “the panic is gone now, replaced by a fierce determination. She will do whatever it takes to keep her son alive” (Cummins 10). After the death of her entire family, the only thing that keeps Lydia connected with reality is the presence of her son. She becomes goal-oriented toward Luca’s safety over her safety. Lydia’s determination shows that a mother is driven by love and goodwill. Moreover, the protective nature of her love for Luca is also

Javier’s daughter killed herself after discovering her father’s criminal activity in Lydia’s husband’s newspaper article. Motivated by revenge, he begins a manhunt to find and kill Lydia and her son. This is demonstrated through Javier’s motivation to kill Lydia and Luca after the suicide of Martha. Javier can do anything to get revenge for his daughter. He describes his little girl as his “only live” (Cummins 40). This causes enormous conflict for the antagonist because Javier’s world is his daughter. As the quote suggests, she was the only person that Javier cared one hundred percent about. Javier feels a deep void from the loss of his daughter. He loses what brings him happiness. She was “[his] sky, [his moon] and all [his] stars” and enabled him to keep a form of humanity that is the basis of paternity (Cummins 40). This quotation is a metaphor to make the reader understands that Javier’s love for Martha was immense as the universe is. He can do whatever he can to prove that he loves his daughter. Javier’s feelings toward his daughter are indescribable, a common point he held with Lydia. He kept his activity secret because he wanted to keep his daughter safe. He states, “Martha’s death changed everything” (Cummins 199). Even if Martha death is a turning point in the story, he notices how losing a loved one affects his behaviour. He needs to find