Drug Abuse In Enrique's Journey

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Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario presents the overall themes of poverty, crime, work, and drug abuse. To society these themes are also seen as social problems. These problems affect society on a larger scale but on a smaller scale they have a huge affect on Enrique’s family. “The effect of immigration has been family disintegration. People are leaving behind the most important value: family unity.” (Page 282)
Poverty is defined as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. This is the main theme presented throughout the entire novel. Not only in Honduras but also in the United States people face poverty stricken lifestyles. In Honduras Lourdes, Enrique’s mother, has been forced to …show more content…

People have trouble finding jobs let alone finding an adequate job to support their families. Lourdes left home to travel north to the United States to find a better job in order to support her family back in Honduras. Jobs are hard to find and when you can find them they have low wages, poor working conditions, and the jobs usually don’t last long. Lourdes worked several jobs that barely allowed her to make ends meet. The jobs she had included being a nanny making $125/week, working at a pizza shop, a bar, and a refrigerated fish factory. “Immigrants like herself, she says, work hard at jobs no American wants to do, at least not for minimum wage with no health benefits or paid vacation time. “ (Page 251) Despite all her troubles to get to the United States Lourdes still faced problems finding adequate work to support her family.
Drug addiction plays a huge role in Enrique’s life. Before he chooses to go to the United States he resorts to drug use to separate him from his problems. His addiction to drugs ends up causing more problems for him. Enrique sniffs glue to get high and when he’s not high, he is drunk. His drug addiction begins to interfere with his relationship with his family. “Now even his grandmother wishes he would go to the United States. He is hurting the family and himself.” (Page

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