Separation In Enrique's Journey

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She must go. She can’t seem to support her daughter otherwise. With tears in her eyes, she bids goodbye and departs for the United States. Now, every Sunday, he daughter runs to the payphone, anxious to hear her mother’s comforting voice. But despite the weekly phone calls and toys she gets in the mail, she knows something is missing - her mother’s presence. Parental separation in this example, clearly is harmful to their relationship. Similarly, separation of parent to child, as shown in the nonfiction novel Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario ruins the relationship between Enrique and his mother, Lourdes. After reading the novel, one can conclude that parental separation does great damage even if the separation is to provide financial support.
First of all, the theme is developed at the beginning of the story after his mother first leaves him. This is shown when the author states, “He feels he would rather be with his mother then get the …show more content…

Enrique gets along with his half sister very well. This is shown in the text when it says “He gives her money, drives her to the store, plays piggyback with her, and gives her hugs … She is happy to have a big brother” (Nazario 166). But, Nazario juxtaposes this when she shows the tension between mother and son: “When he is with his mother, he is on edge. Their fights are often sparked by Lourdes’ scolding” (Nazario 166). This demonstrates how during their separation, Enrique was never disciplined. So, as Lourdes tries to discipline him after the fact, he refuses. He is still seethed with anger and blame toward his mother, causing damage to their relationship, even after they are reunited. It may seem that as soon as separation ends, so will the damage. But from this quote it is evident that the damage from separation may take years to recover from, showing how parental separation can cause great

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