It took me a little while to get into the book. I was very lost with what was going on and it was hard to keep the characters straight in my mind. As the novel progressed, however, the overall story line began to unfold. As the story and character relationships revealed themselves, an overwhelming theme of dehumanization became very apparent.
Most of the migrant workers speak a choppy mix of spanish and english, heavier on the spanish. They are Spaniards who have come to America with that same idea all the characters in the other books we have read have shared as well. The idea that America will give them the opportunity they desire to earn money and create a life for themselves. Once here, however, these migrant workers find the only jobs they can get are in fields picking whatever happens to be ripe at the time. The conditions these families are forced to live in are horrendous. Small quarters, and unsanitary conditions are the norm for these families. "The mother was disgusted at how the Devridges had no shame sun-drying the peed mattress in full view every morning" (29). These workers are left with little choice but to accept this life style if they want to be able to eat. One part in particular stuck out to me in the first half of the novel.
When out in the fields the crop sprayers began making their rounds on the pants. "Alejo slid through the bushy branches, the tangled twigs scratching his face, and he was ready to jump when he felt the mist. He shut his eyes tight to the mist of black afternoon. At first it was just a slight moisture until the poison rolled down his face in deep sticky streaks" (77). People are out in the field trying to do their work. There is no way that the crop dusters cant see them because the way they describe the deafening noise of the motor the small play must be close to the ground. They spray this poison on the plants to kill insects, by not waiting for the workers to leave the field they are treating them like insects by equally spraying them. This can cause serious damage and even death to the workers but the crop owners have no regard for the workers well being and treat them like insects.
These theme of insects continues throughout the book, always having them being below the humans. Even the lowest of the humans look down on insects and squish them when they aren't even doing anything to them. It's not like killing a bug that's trying to bite/harm you; it's like hurting something innocent and watching it suffer. I'm not sure if that's what you were getting at, but that's definitely something I picked up on throughout this book.
ReplyDeleteI too felt I had to force myself into the book and there are still parts that are very dry or require me to go back with a second look and read it again. I agree with the theme of the subhuman feel to the workers. Especially how heavily that system depends on them to do such cheap labor than a considered well off American would not stoop to doing. Even when Estrella tries to better herself with education, her "educators" act as if she is inferior to them. I put educators in quotes because she ends up learning her knowledge and real life experiences from other workers, her mother, Perfecto and from what little reading she does.
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