1 Answers
Log in to answer

"The Girls" is a short section about how the gang violence in El Salvador impacts women and girls specifically. In Chapter 8, Ernesto struggled with his mental health, turning to alcohol to deal with the traumas of migrating. At the same time, the twins and their family back home were becoming increasingly burdened by the debt that the twins owed their guide. The interest was causing the debt to grow faster than the twins could pay it. In September, the twins found out that they had officially been granted green cards. "The Failed" is a section about the many migrants who do not succeed in crossing the border to the United States but who are nevertheless determined to try again. In Chapter 9, Ernesto and Raul worked hard in restaurant jobs to both support themselves and pay off the debt back home, all while still trying to learn English and get through high school. Their grades suffered, and they still could not save enough money to pay down their debt.

Source(s)

BookRags