Nature

Many of the novel’s descriptions focus on Javier’s experience in nature as he passes through El Salvador and Mexico en route to the U.S. His necessary forays into nature for survival and migration highlight his pursuit of happiness, comfort, and family reunification from his interactions with the natural landscape.

The power of nature instills both fear and appreciation within Javier. On one hand, he is captivated by the beauty and vastness of the world around him once he feels the gravity of essentially being alone in the world as he travels from one family to another. On the other hand, the power and danger of the ocean and the elements remind him of his own mortality and youth as well as his unfamiliarity with the world around him.

Javier has a large measure of responsibility for a boy of his age, tasked with traveling as...