Friday, August 1, 2014

How The Influence of Community Impacts Enrique's Journey

 Though initially Enrique ventures off towards America as an individual, he receives much needed aid and information from the communities around him, especially from the people of Las Anonas. Near the beginning of Enrique’s journey, a gang beats the young Honduran boy, leaving him to die on the side of the railroad tracks. Luckily, Enrique is spotted by a field hand in Las Anonas who informs the city of the migrant’s critical condition. Many members of the community join in to assist Enrique without thought. “The mayor’s mother puts a pot of water on to boil and sprinkles in salt and herbs to clean his wounds. She brings Enrique a bowl of hot broth, filled with bits of meat and potatoes” (Nazario 46). The community proceeds to nurse Enrique back to health though they do not know him. Without the help of the people in Las Anonas, Enrique would have died and never found his mother. This situation proves that no matter how confident or skilled one is, the support of others is essential for success.


Going into high school last year, I had no idea what to expect or what was “acceptable” for a new freshman. I joined the volleyball team, however, and became very close with a lot of the upperclassmen. They supported me when I was completely helpless by giving advice and information that would prepare me for my first year of high school. For that support, I was grateful and much more comfortable with high school. Have you ever gone about something alone and realized you needed others to help you? How did the influence of others impact what you were trying to learn or accomplish at the time?

1 comment:

  1. I really enjoyed reading this, Helen Riley. I had a similar experience as you this year. In the spring, I joined the crew team. I had no idea what crew even was, and I was going into it completely blind. I didn't even know if any other freshmen were joining. However, I soon realized that crew was much more than just rowing a boat. It is all about teamwork, and our season would not have gone well at all if every single person was not working towards a single goal: to succeed. I met so many girls from other grades who helped me and the other freshman get accustomed to the sport. Because of them, I plan on doing it for the rest of high school and even in college. Going into something as simple as trying a new activity or as big as moving countries alone is not possible without the help from others.

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