Cristian Henríquez’s novel The Book of Unknown Americans explores a variety of topics throughout her first three chapters. The theme of family most often comes up when revisiting the opening chapters; whether that being in the form of parental care or in sibling pressure. Through the perspective of Alma, Mayor, and Rafael, all Hispanic Americans, the author present these “unknown” people and their lives in the opening chapters. The first of the chapters is Alma, the name of the mother of the Rivera trio (Alma, husband Arturo, and daughter Maribel) along with this chapter comes the theme of expectation versus reality and a parent’s compassion for their children. The chapter opens up with the Rivera family arriving in Delaware from Mexico.
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Mayor lives with his Panamanian family as well as Enrique’s (his brother) shadow. In the beginning of the chapter Mayor reveal his new neighbors, the Riviera family. Quisqueya, some sort of a family friend of Mayor, also makes reference to the mysterious ailment over Maribel. Mayor then goes on talking about his school experiences of bullying and failing to meet his brother skills. Mayor gets made fun of by Julius Olsen and Garrett Miller, the boy in the first chapter with the neck tattoo, and a coach eventual save small Mayor form an altercation with Garrett by yelling at them to go to their other classes. The chapter wraps up with Mayor failing to execute at a soccer drill and failing at impressing girls. The shadow that Mayor resides with his brother a collegiate athlete and his father, “ ‘You (Enrique) were meant to do this! The next Pelé! And this one’ he’d said, pointing at me, ‘the next Maradona!’ ”(Henríquez, 16). Rafael, Mayor’s father, has pressured his two boys to play soccer and stated they were meant for greatness like the players he mentions above. With his brother playing at the University of Maryland on a full ride scholarship having achieve a great deal of “greatness” it can only add to possible embarrassment he must face with his athletic ability along side him repeatedly lack in soccer, to the point he was pulled out of practice. Enrique’s and Mayor’s relationship …show more content…
Rafael recites his history of his Panamá past. Born in Los Santos, Panamá Rafael loses his father first and then his mother inating igniting his life a homeless wayward orphan. Lucky for him, he was able to stay with some friends in the absence of his family. As a young man he mostly spent his money on leisure, mainly alcohol, until the day he met his wife. Because he could not provide for her, he started to. Eventual he buys a ring, they marry, and then a civil war breaks out. After three years of debating to leave or not the family transcends to the United States. Rafael notes something interesting about “home” at the end of the chapter, “Because a place can do many things against you, and if it’s your home or if it was your home at one time, you still love it. That’s how it works”(Henríquez, 23). Rafael had earlier stated his home was the “Estados Unidos” (United States). The statements answer what “home” is, it is a place you love, but there is more to it. The whole reasoning behind the move to the United States was to better raise his family. After the war the Toro family felt unsafe to live in the environment that was ravished in horrors of violence, so to better protect his family Rafael moved. “Home” is not where someone is simple form it is where they feel it is safe for themselves and their family. Parallel to the
Mayor lives with his Panamanian family as well as Enrique’s (his brother) shadow. In the beginning of the chapter Mayor reveal his new neighbors, the Riviera family. Quisqueya, some sort of a family friend of Mayor, also makes reference to the mysterious ailment over Maribel. Mayor then goes on talking about his school experiences of bullying and failing to meet his brother skills. Mayor gets made fun of by Julius Olsen and Garrett Miller, the boy in the first chapter with the neck tattoo, and a coach eventual save small Mayor form an altercation with Garrett by yelling at them to go to their other classes. The chapter wraps up with Mayor failing to execute at a soccer drill and failing at impressing girls. The shadow that Mayor resides with his brother a collegiate athlete and his father, “ ‘You (Enrique) were meant to do this! The next Pelé! And this one’ he’d said, pointing at me, ‘the next Maradona!’ ”(Henríquez, 16). Rafael, Mayor’s father, has pressured his two boys to play soccer and stated they were meant for greatness like the players he mentions above. With his brother playing at the University of Maryland on a full ride scholarship having achieve a great deal of “greatness” it can only add to possible embarrassment he must face with his athletic ability along side him repeatedly lack in soccer, to the point he was pulled out of practice. Enrique’s and Mayor’s relationship …show more content…
Rafael recites his history of his Panamá past. Born in Los Santos, Panamá Rafael loses his father first and then his mother inating igniting his life a homeless wayward orphan. Lucky for him, he was able to stay with some friends in the absence of his family. As a young man he mostly spent his money on leisure, mainly alcohol, until the day he met his wife. Because he could not provide for her, he started to. Eventual he buys a ring, they marry, and then a civil war breaks out. After three years of debating to leave or not the family transcends to the United States. Rafael notes something interesting about “home” at the end of the chapter, “Because a place can do many things against you, and if it’s your home or if it was your home at one time, you still love it. That’s how it works”(Henríquez, 23). Rafael had earlier stated his home was the “Estados Unidos” (United States). The statements answer what “home” is, it is a place you love, but there is more to it. The whole reasoning behind the move to the United States was to better raise his family. After the war the Toro family felt unsafe to live in the environment that was ravished in horrors of violence, so to better protect his family Rafael moved. “Home” is not where someone is simple form it is where they feel it is safe for themselves and their family. Parallel to the