First Part Of The Story example essay topic

The film, El Norte, is a believable portrayal of a Guatemalan family's struggles in the 1980's. The story is divided into three parts. The first part of the story takes place in a village in Guatemala. The Xuncax family is in danger when the father, an activist leader, helps organize the local workers. Because of the father's activism and his attempt to preserve what rightfully belongs to them, he is murdered. The mother is then taken away by the army, never to be seen again.

The brother, Enrique, and the sister, Rosa, are left behind in the village. They fear for their lives and share the hope of a better life in "the north". They recall the stories told to them by their godmother. They viewed pictures and stories in an American magazine, Good Housekeeping, portraying images of the "American Dream".

So often, this image is presented in such a manner that many readers in the U.S. and in other countries get the message that this dream is easily attainable and close at hand. Rosa and Enrique are also seduced by this false presentation of the U.S. They believed this myth about life in the north, so they fled from their violent situation, only to trade their present set of problems for another kind of intensified conflict as undocumented immigrants. The director was careful to present a fictional story based on the real life struggles of undocumented immigrants. The authentic portrayal of the people and their story is powerful. The characters are not the typical super human Hollywood type, but rather they are humble, vulnerable, yet strong individuals who are determined to make it in a new land, yet remain faithful to their own culture. Magical Realism can be seen throughout the first part of the movie and then again at the end.

This is a literary concept that is new to me. This artist perspective reflects the traditions of the indigenous culture in such a natural way. In fact, the fantasy appears to be quite symbolic and adds another dimension to the story. The second part of the film follows Rosa and Enrique on their journey through Mexico.

They are confronted with the cultural differences between life in Guatemala and life in Mexico. Language is one obstacle, while who to trust turns out to be a bigger issue for them. The difficult task of finding a trustworthy "coyote" proves to be one of the many problems an undocumented worker has to face. All the components make the journey north a very risky venture. It takes something close to a miracle to make it happen. This is the part of a story that we as Americans rarely think about.

People who choose to cross the border have taken a huge risk. In the case of Enrique and Rosa, they experienced political persecution. Often, out of desperation people are willing to leave everything that is familiar in order to attain a better life in America. Isn't this the reason European immigrants came to this country so many years ago? Our country was built on this concept. And yet, those who want to illegally cross the border are denied that privilege.