What Is The Theme Of We Were Here By Matt De La Pena

We Were Here is a novel written by Matt De La Pena. A book filled with adventure, escape, and most importantly… character development throughout their journey. I will be highlighting the characters' bonds regarding the main characters and how Pena crafted the theme to cycle around them. This will Focus on the three main characters Miguel, Rondell, and Mong. Doing so I will be using quotes and messages the characters use throughout the book. De La Pena inserts a quote at the beginning of the book from Denis Johnson that goes:
“One changes so much from moment to moment that when one hugs oneself against the chill air at the inception of spring, at night knees drawn to chin, he finds himself in the arms of a total stranger, the arms of one he

Next Why Miguel acts the way he does at the beginning of the novel transitioning into how he developed towards the end. Third we will highlight how Rondell bonds with Miguel throughout the story from stomping on Miguel in the group home to journeying to Mexico. Last is the tragic but important role Mong fills in the threes adventure.
Breaking down the message at the beginning of the story is complicated and can be portrayed many different ways. I believe the beginning stanza describing how one can change so quickly is a relation to Miguel's mental development. After Miguel killed his brother he was angry, lost, and even sad. These emotions changed not only him but how he treated others.
I don't blame him for how he acted, of course he never intended to kill Diego. But nonetheless he still had a problem with most if not everyone entering the group home. “Miguel writes in his journal ‘I laughed at their sorry asses and said under my breath: Bitches’” (De La Pena 20). Referring to all the kids he had just met. Miguel most definitely did not want to be there and this statement shows how much he did not care about any of the other

Rondell in a way fills a void in Miguel's heart that might have been left due to the death of diego. Looking back to the bottom of the poem, the knees drawn to the chin, he finds himself in the arms of a complete stranger. I believe this is how Miguel would feel looking back to the beginning of his journal compared to the end of it. How he changed from fighting and insulting the people around him to showing his appreciation and even going back to the group home to do things right. The poem at the start of the book really can be connected to multiple scenarios throughout the