La Linea

“The words were like little drops of water to a person dying of thirst—enough to give hope; not enough to make a difference.”

Although Elena treasures Mamá’s letters, they are not a substitute for Mamá’s presence. Elena misses her mother desperately enough to risk everything to join her in California, illustrating another aspect of family—reunification—as a motivating factor to go north.

“Wouldn’t a father sacrifice whatever it took to bring his only son to his side?”

After almost seven years apart, Miguel doubts Papá’s love for him. Miguel’s anxiety reveals a sense of insecurity and hurt, which are feelings Miguel has trouble resolving. Miguel’s fraught separation from his father is an important aspect of the novel’s emphasis on family.

“Sometimes they felt like the same things, hate and envy.”

Juanito enjoys all the material benefits of wealth, including Don Clemente’s influence. Miguel both covets Juanito’s luxuries and despises him for abusing his privilege. Miguel’s observation highlights the economic disparity in San Jacinto.

“It especially hurt to know that it was Papá’s pride that kept us apart, more than the money. Orgullo, puro orgullo.”

Miguel’s feeling of abandonment increases when he learns Papá refused Don Clemente’s offer to help them go north. Miguel’s comment reveals his judgmental nature: He is critical of Papá without knowing the reasons behind Papá’s actions even though Abuelita cautions him not to be so hard on others.

“I could already feel my feet moving me away.”

Miguel feels he never quite belonged in San Jacinto, and now on the cusp of adulthood he is eager to begin a new life and find out who he truly is. His journey is one of self-discovery, reflecting the novel’s coming of age theme.

“To Abuelita, both my strengths and weaknesses were facts, as true as the rising sun or the drought that the sun caused.”

Abuelita loves Miguel unconditionally like a son, accepting his flaws and his talents. Elena even feels that Abuelita favors Miguel, saying their grandmother thought Miguel “could do no wrong” (79). Miguel often characterizes Abuelita using connections to the land. Here he also alludes to Abuelita’s poverty, referring to the drought that decimates her rancho.

“They told these tales with a purpose, to comfort each other, and to comfort me. The crazier the stories got, the less we needed to believe them.”

Friends and family tell unbelievable tales about the journey north to avoid talking about the real horrors that migrants encounter. Jaramillo includes both the far-fetched and horrifically true stories to help readers empathize with the immigrants’ lives.

“My friends still believed they would somehow remember everything about me. I knew they would forget.”

As part of his transition to adulthood, Miguel leaves his friends behind, knowing that their close friendship will change and fade over time. This understanding reveals the start of Miguel’s development from child to young adult.

“You don’t care about me, Miguel. You only care about you, and your plans.”

Elena accuses Miguel of being selfish, and at the start of his journey Miguel is egoistic and immature. He blames Elena for ruining his plans and is unforgiving and judgmental. He wishes he did not have a sister. Elena is correct in that Miguel initially does not value his familial connection to her but instead sees her as a burden.

“Abuelita believed in La Virgen’s powers of protection and guidance. I just believed in Abuelita.”

Miguel does not share Abuelita’s faith but loves and respects the older woman as a mother. Miguel treasures the medallion because it represents Abuelita’s love and protection.

“¡Si se puede! We will, Elena!”

After surviving Colmillo’s attack, Miguel recognizes he and Elena are a team, and he realizes he no longer wants to bully or antagonize her. Instead, he encourages her optimism. His attitude shows his increasing self-knowledge.

“And how could I protect Elena when I didn’t have a clue about all the things I was supposed to protect her from?”

Miguel accepts his protective role of big brother and reveals his youthful naivete. Learning about the train gang helps him recognize how much he does not know. This loss of innocence is a part of Miguel’s coming-of-age.

“Then it wasn’t Javi I saw. Instead it was Papá.”

Miguel’s feelings of abandonment increase while watching Javi’s emotions as townspeople bless the train-riding niños. Javi, like Papá, leaves his family behind. Miguel’s anger toward Papá grows until he feels “a big black hole of emptiness” (72).

“I won’t let anything happen to you […] You’ll make it across la línea, all the way north. I swear to you on my life. Lo juro.”

Javi and Elena share a relationship that is more like father and daughter. Javi feels Elena closely resembles his daughter, so he feels protective toward her. Elena in turn values the older man’s care and wisdom. Javi promises Elena she will make it north—a promise he keeps at the probable expense of his life.

“She’d hurt me as much as she could. I’d just hurt her back because I could, because I was tired of her, of Javi, of everything—because I was tired of carrying the big load Don Clemente had dumped on me about Papá.”

Miguel’s fight with Elena about paying for a ride north again reveals his childish desire for payback and his insecurities about Papá. Miguel chafes under his new sense of responsibility, showing that though he is growing up he still has moments of immaturity. 

“Mamá was her savior, just as I’d always thought Papá was mine.”

This comment emphasizes the different relationships Miguel and Elena have with their same-sex parent. While Elena bonded more closely to their mother, Miguel attached to his father—until he began to doubt Papá’s love. Elena quickly forgives Mamá, but Miguel holds onto his resentment of Papá for years.

“I realized I no longer thought about it as my trip north.”

Miguel ultimately affirms his family bond with Elena, realizing that as brother and sister they are a team. Miguel does not want Elena to be by herself, and he recognizes that he no longer wants to be alone, so he lets go of his anger toward his sister. 

“You’re like everyone else […] Everyone believes they’ll make it. And, of course, you must have faith, mustn’t you? It’s the only way to enter the wilderness.”

Elena, Miguel, and Javi show their determination when they turn down Moisés’s offer to change their minds and go home. The three have the grit, or faith, Moises’ mentions: the passion in their goal and the perseverance to achieve it.

“Had I come this far to feel just like I did in San Jacinto? To be somewhere and nowhere at the same time? To belong and be lost at the same time?”

Certain he would intrinsically know when they crossed the border, Miguel is surprised he feels no different. He achieved the milestone he sought but does not yet have a sense of belonging or a strong sense of self. These are qualities he will continue to search for and build on throughout his life.

“I saw now that it was my job to not let us give up.”

At the height of their distress in the desert, Miguel realizes he is truly in charge and responsible for their lives. He rises to the challenge, leading them, staying positive, and showing that he has matured over the course of the journey.

“Javi left with a purpose, and left his water behind with a purpose.”

Miguel believes that Javi, knowing he was holding them back and knowing all three of them could not make it across the desert on the water they had, conserved his water for them and gave them the gift of survival and reuniting with their families. Javi shows his willpower, grit, and his passion for family in this act.

“It took me years to accept that Papá did what he did out of love, not pride.”

Miguel reveals he was able to resolve his issues of abandonment and forgive Papá. Miguel’s understanding of Papá’s motivation shows he has reached an adult sensibility and can have a healthy father-son relationship.

“Elena chose his names, and the sequence. She says it is the correct order.” 

Elena names her son Miguel Javier Moisés, which reflects her love of the three men and acknowledges the sacrifices each made for her. Miguel seems skeptical that the order of precedence is correct, but Elena shows she values him most, her family, by placing his name first.