Refugee (Alan Gratz)

Explain how Lito’s point of view about leaving Cuba is different from papi’s

Isabel story

Asked by
Last updated by Cat
1 Answers
Log in to answer

Lito is conflicted and says dirrerent things. Lito’s character shows how torn refugees can feel about their home countries. He shows how complex these decisions can be, and the challenging decisions refugees face. Lito, while understanding his son-in-laws anger at Castro is also furious with him for starting a fight with the police. Later when they argue about leaving Cuba, he tells Papi (Isabel’s father) everything will be fine, just to lie low. He also insists they have too much at stake in Cuba. Later, once on the boat, he complains to Isabel about her father, that he has no plan. He tells Isabel that they should have stayed in Cuba because the “US has no soul” (102). He suggests turning the boat around to go back, but the rest of the boat insists they move forward. Lito’s character shows the reader that the decision to leave one’s home country is not necessarily straightforward, neither is the path out of the country into another one.