The Theme of Family in the Migration Story of a 17-Year-Old Boy in “Enrique’s Journey”

"Enrique's Journey," a nationwide bestseller, is an engaging narrative by Sonia Nazario concerning a 17-year-old boy from Honduras. Nazario shares the true story of Enrique's immigration to the United States as he embarks on a search for his mother. The theme of the book revolves around family; with Enrique's story as the linchpin, Nazario uncovers the myriad ways immigration impacts families. In "Enrique's Journey," Sonia Nazario utilizes diction and imagery to provide a deeper understanding of the narrative.

"Enrique's Journey" is a story of a boy who embarks on an arduous journey to America in search of his mother.

His voyage begins in Honduras and is set during the 1990s. This narrative resonates with me personally, as my mother also resides in Central America. Despite glimmers of hope, the narrative predominantly evokes despair and pain for the readers.

Enrique, a 17-year-old boy, had an earlier involvement with drugs before he decided to venture out. A quiet and timid lad, he was determined to find his mother. "In spite of everything, Enrique fails yet again–he will not reach the United States this time either. He reassures himself repeatedly that he will have to try again." His major challenge was not just finding his mother but also successfully reaching America. He had to confront numerous hurdles en route, such as gangs, violent officers, rapists, and drug lords.

Nazario leverages Enrique's detailed narrative to create the backbone of the story. Nazario paints a vivid picture through lines like, "This had been his first home, the little stucco house where he and Lourdes lived until Lourdes stepped off the front porch and left. His second home was the wooden shack where he and his father lived with his grandmother until his father found a new wife and left." The author uses the imagery of Enrique's home by describing it as a "stucco house," a common construction material in Central American homes, and portrays his second dwelling as a "wooden shack", implying the family's move to a cheaper house after his mother's departure. Enrique's transitions between homes, coupled with the exits of his mother and father, illustrate the theme of family, highlighting the dysfunctional environment he had to grow up in.

Moreover, Nazario applies imagery to help readers visualize what his mother looks like. As Enrique traverses through the United States, he contemplates, "Somewhere there, lives his mother. She has become a mystery, too. He was so young when she left that he can barely remember what she looks like: curly hair, eyes like chocolate. Her voice is a distant sound over the phone." The author enables the reader to visualize Lourdes by describing her as having "curly hair and chocolate-like eyes." This encapsulates how long Enrique's mother has been away, as he mentions that he barely remembers what she looks like, highlighting that their family has been shattered due to her absence.

The author emphasizes the occurrence of migration officers assaulting and killing immigrants. In the quote, "We are human. We should treat individuals gently. It's okay to repatriate people. However, they shouldn't shoot them or beat them," negative diction is noted. Nazario uses unfavorable words such as 'humane,' 'shoot,' and 'beat.' These words are associated with killing and violence. Such phrasing illustrates the struggles immigrants moving from Central America encounter. Enrique is enduring these brutal obstacles just to reconnect with his mother, which showcases his intense devotion.

In her description of Enrique during his determined search for his mother, Nazario also employs negative diction. "He was five years old when his mother left him. Now he has transformed into a different person. In the window glass, he sees a battered young man, scrawny and disfigured. It unsettles him, yet it strengthens his determination to push northward." Words like 'scrawny' and 'disfigured' are used to depict Enrique. This description, associated with sickness and weakness, portrays him as beleaguered.

In 'Enrique's Journey', the author uses diction and imagery to help the audience understand the book more deeply. The story, themed around the importance of family, uses negative diction and imagery to convey the feeling of loneliness and survival against threats like bias, illicit gangs, abusive officers, failing relationships, and the struggle to mend old bonds. Sonia Nazario captivates the reader with her detailed accounts of immigration into America.

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