Theme Of We Are Not From Here By Jenney Alvarez

Amira Mohamed Ms. Versaguis Language arts 9, hour 3 13 April 2024 John Scalzi once said, “When you lose someone you love, you die too, and you wait around for your body to catch up”. Scalzi explains when people lose someone they have a deep affection for, they lose themselves in the process, which is a major theme in the novel We Are Not from Here by Jenney Torres Sanchez. In the novel, Torrez writes a story about Pulga, Pequena, and Chico, three teenagers from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala who go on a journey to the United States due to the rough life they have experienced in their homeland. The hopes and dreams they each hold thrive through their journey. Chico, Pulga’s brother and Pequena’s cousin lost their lives in the process of their trip.

Not only does Pulgas's dementor change regarding losing hope and determination, but it further evokes someone who is physically there but emotionally disconnected. Then, in the desert, Pequena and Pulga walk with people they meet at the shelter trying to get into the States. Pulga, portrays “I walk because I am already dead” (297). Pulga does not care if he makes it through the trip or not. The fact that Pulga is not walking along with the others hoping he would make it to the States, but rather because he already felt dead, shows how hopeless he is. Finally, in the cave, as Pequena encourages Pulga telling him they are going make it to the States, Pulga narrates, “Because now I know those dreams were never meant for us” (310). Pulga realizes that his aspiration was never something they could achieve. This establishes a shift in perspective, that Pulga’s hopes and dreams can not be a reality, expressing a feeling of hopelessness. To conclude, the author conveys that grief can diminish an individual's sense of hope. The theme of losing someone dear resulting in losing hope and having a different insight into the world is shown through an article on HelpGuide and a Ted

Similarly, in a Ted talk video, Zoe Donaldson, a neuroscientist, describes grief when she says, “Greif is simply a frustration of our desires”. When the reality of loss averts individual desires, it often causes a feeling of hopelessness. The novel illustrates how the loss of a loved one can evolve into a loss of hope and a shifted perspective. Initially, characters in the novel experience loss, which results in grief. Throughout the story, the author teaches that grief causes a person to lose hope. The theme of HelpGuide.org and Ted proclaims that losing someone dear can result in losing hope and having a different insight into the world. We Are Not From Here illustrates how grief from loss can destroy hope, as seen through Pulga's emotional journey. Pulga's exhaustion and emotional detachment on the train, his despair in the desert, and his realization of unachievable dreams in the cave all reflect the profundity of grief. This theme echoes real-world insights from HelpGuide.org and neuroscientist Zoe Donaldson, highlighting the impact of grief on both emotional and physical well-being, leading to a sense of