The border is a crazy place. It is sad to see many families split up because of immigration. In Gabo's case, he loses his father to the border. He really has nobody other than Regina. Losing relatives to the border is damaging to the soul, especially when trying to come to a place where life can be lived better. I could not make a direct connection to the novel but immigration is something my family has gone through. My family never knew what would happen. They just came because it created a better life. Fortunately, my family wasn't lost and they made it safely. That was before immigration policies were strict as they are now.
Looking for Rafa would be the risk I would take as well. If my father was crossing, I would want to know his whereabouts and if he made it safely across. Unfortunately, that is not the case for Gabo. He loses his father and he takes great risks to find out what happened to him. However, losing a family member is a risk when trying to cross "La Frontera". I would hope that people who would try to cross would make it safely but that isn't the case. Gabo is in America now which gives him the opportunity to create a better life.
Gabo is a character of faith as well. I am glad to see that through his despair, he has chosen God. He wants to become a priest and that is his way to get away from the bad that has happened. Through tough times I always find myself getting close to God. Gabo does that when he is convinced that his life has changed through christ. This was my theme. Religious identity can influence people's lives and make them make decisions based off the identity. In Gabo's case, he is willing to become a priest. Becoming a priest will be his identity as that takes control of his entire life.
I agree, the border is a crazy place. I was so unaware of the wall and other aspects of the border until I went to Mexico. I think I was young and naive to believe that there actually is a wall. It is such a separating factor. And then, because of that wall and the harsh laws, people who see the United States as their only way to a better life go through something I can never imagine doing: walking through the desert. Then, on top of that, I don't know how I would handle coming at a different time than others in my family, not knowing if they are ok, if they have made it, if they are back home... I cannot imagine what people go through.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate how Gabo turns to God to get away from the bad that has happened. However, I also wonder how much that will carry over to his life once the bad is in the past. I believe it should affect every aspect of your life, not just when you are struggling.
Tavo, your post suggests several things which add a further dimension to our conversation about the border. In fact millions of people have crossed the border from Mexico to the USA, and there have been many times in the past century that it has been much easier to cross than now. It sounds like once the family has crossed the border, they leave this experience and go on to develop identities through their work and live in the USA. Although you say you cannot make a direct connection to the novel, your sympathy with Gabo's search for his father shows that your imagination helps you to connect. You're absolutely right that, if given a chance to assume his priestly vocation, this role would become Gabo's identity. This brings up the question of how much is given to us and how much we can choose in the development of our own identity.
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