Searching for a Family

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In Nazario’s, Enrique’s Journey, we can follow a boy on a mission to find his mother. They are both Hispanic and his mother struggles with finding ways to provide for her son because of their situation. This is where the mother has to make an incredibly hard decision to leave her son so he can have a better life or keep him with her so they can both struggle. She ultimately decides its better if they are both separated so her son can have a chance at having a life she never had. While this is such an unselfish opinion it leaves Enrique wanting to know more, and wondering where his mother could be at this moment in his life. This also raises questions on who he is, what is his purpose in life is, and why his mother truly left him.
From the very beginning of this novel we can see Enrique is questioning everything that has happened to his mother up unto this point. He doesn’t know why she would separate them, but he does know she lives in the same state as him currently. With these two things combined he has set out on his Journey. Here it states, “Enrique was determined to find his mother. Would he make it?” (prologue). Here we can see from the prologue that this boy desperately wants to find his mother no matter what it takes. He is tired of living in the darkness of why his life as turned out this way, and he wants to find his mother so she can answer all of his unanswered questions.
Another example of Enrique being so determined to find his mother, is when he has some dangerous encounters throughout his journey. He doesn’t let this affect his focus on finding his mother. He somehow finds it within himself to keep pushing no matter what happens along the way. His mother is his motivation even though the toughest of times. This is a powerful quote that doesn’t only show him trying to get back to his mother, but motivation everyone can use in everyday life. Here it states, “All of this is nothing, however, against Enrique’s longing for his mother, who left him behind eleven years ago. Although his efforts to survive often force her out of his mind, at times he thinks of her with a loneliness this is overwhelming” (68-69). This is such a powerful quote because it shows the reader that nothing in this world that Enrique faces, he won’t let that stand in the way of fulling his goal.
Overall, this book has been a great read and at times can be extremely relatable to my life. This novel is amazing for young adolescent readers because it shows them no matter what happens you can still find the will power in your mind to keep going and pushing till you get to your goal. His is to find his mother no matter what life throws out at him, and he keeps her in the back of his mind while he goes through these things which ultimately makes him stronger.


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