The Distance Between Us Journal Chapter 7-10

 

Lelwala Nagitha

Dialectical Journal for The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition (Chapters 7-10)
“We rushed to my grandfather’s room to put on our pretty clothes. But our parents hadn’t realized that while they’d been gone, we had grown, as if somehow in El Otaro Lado time stood still and over there I hadn’t yet turned six, Mago ten, and Carlos almost nine. The shoes were a size too small, and so were the dresses. The sleeves of Carlos’s shirt were two inches above his wrists. The skirt of my dress didn’t even graze my knee”. (chapter 7, page 49.)	(T)Theme: This passage shows us how kids change over time, even when their parents aren’t around. After being away for a while, Reyna and her siblings still see them as the little kids they left behind. This draws attention to the distance that families feel when they are separated by migration, not just actual distance.
“Mago, Carlos, and I held hands and we started spinning around in a circle, turning and turning, blending into a blur of purple, pink, white, and blue. Then, without letting go, we ran out of the house, out into the street, laughing and crying at the same time”. (chapter 7, P 50)	(E) Epiphany: Reyna, Mago, and Carlos had a big realization. They felt many things at once. They wanted love and to feel connected, even though they were back with their mom. They felt happy, sad, and unsure all at the same time. This shows how hard it is to be separated and then come back together. It also shows that you can feel happy and sad at the same time.
“Papi had told us about his dream house in the letters he had sent to Mami from El Otaro Lado. The house would be made of brick, with a shiny concrete floor. It would have three rooms, tall wide windows to let in the sunlight, and walls painted the color of Mami’s blue eye shadows.”(Chapter: 8 P:52)	(C)Connect: This passage reminds me of how people dream of a better life, especially when faced with difficult circumstances. It’s a way to hold onto hope and motivation, even when the present is challenging.
“One night I woke up screaming, my butt hurting as if I’d been branded by a red-hot poker like the cows at the dairy farm down the road. I recognized the pain right away. “Mami! Mami!” I yelled. “Nena, what’s wrong?” Mago asked. “Scorpion,” I said.(Chapter:9 Page:55)	(E) Epiphany: This passage shows us her life was very hardship. Reyna encounters her environment. Her life was not easy without her parents. It was very challenging.
“But it wasn’t long before the workers stopped coming. By the time February came to an end and Carlos turned nine, the workers were nowhere in sight. Abuela Evila said, “Your parents have no more money, so the house has to wait.” We stood by the door every morning before going to the school, hoping to see the truck that brought the construction workers coming down the dirt road. (Chapter:8 P:53)	(T) Theme: The main idea of this passage is disappointment, which happens when one's dreams are put on hold because of things they can't change, like not having enough money. It also shows the kids' hope as they wait for the workers to come back, which stands for their wish for a better life and a change.
“I was bumming the song as we walked through the gate, and then I stopped when I saw the woman standing on the patio holding a little girl in her arms. The woman was wearing a lilac dress and golden high-heeled sandals that shone under the sun. I couldn’t see her face very well because she had big sunglasses on. Her hair was curly and dyed a bright red. She looks like a TV star.(Chaoter:10 P:61)	(T) Theme: Reyna thinks the woman looks perfect, like someone she sees on TV. The woman’s fancy clothes and appearance show Reyna’s wish for something better, something different from her own life. She looks at the woman as someone she can’t be, but dreams of being or having a better life. She was her Mami with the baby.
“I sat on my grandmother’s bed and watched her and Mami make rice, meant, and salsa Verde. Finally, we would start having real meals…I was so happy about the food, I forgot I was supposed to be mad about watching Elizabeth, or Betty, as Mami had said we should call her. My little sister. A complete stranger. She was a year and three months old.(Chap:10.P:66)	(T) Theme: The theme of this section is "family and change," and it shows how Reyna feels about both. She's excited about the food, but she's also thinking about how she feels about her new sister Elizabeth, who seems strange to her. It makes me remember how hard it can be for a family to deal with changes, especially when new people join the group.