Houston beach

The beach Mauro and Elena visit shortly after they arrive in Houston is a symbol of their disillusionment with the United States. They expect the U.S. to be a land of great possibility, but quickly find that their opportunities are significantly limited, particularly once their visas expire and they become undocumented. Mauro promises to take Elena to the beach, but when he does, she is disappointed by its appearance: "Elena palmed the water. In her hands it was transparent, but around them it was all brown, tinted by silt and as murky as the Río Bogotá, nothing suggesting the turquoise waters Mauro had promised" (30).

Dead woman

The dead woman who is discovered in the dumpster of the motel where Mauro works is a symbol of the danger faced by the family and the other undocumented immigrants they know. Elena wonders if the dead...