Enrique's Journey-- Symbolism

Enrique's Journey-- Symbolism

Ms. Emerson

Objectives

I will be able to tell what a symbol is.

I will find symbols in Enrique's Journey.

I will write about and discuss these symbols with peers.

Open Ended

How are you today? Any news to share? Big plans for the weekend?

Open Ended

What questions do you have about Enrique's Journey right now?

*Spoiler Alert*

• Veracruz was full of kind people who were willing to give food and clothes to the migrants and offer them stays in churches

• Mexico City is not as kind, but he finds someone willing to give him work for a place to sleep

• At the end of the chapter, he makes it to the Rio Grande, close enough to see the US

Multiple Choice

What is symbolism?

• When the author uses an object or reference to add deeper meaning to the story

• A reference to another literary work

• The tone of the story

• The events of the story

Multiple Choice

In a story, what could a storm symbolize?

• Love

• Happiness

• Danger

• Luck

Multiple Choice

"Families throw sweaters, tortillas, bread, and plastic bottles filled with lemonade. A baker...throws his extra loaves. A seamstress throws bags filled with sandwiches."

What does this symbolize?

• Waste

• Survival

• Charity

• Fairness

Open Ended

What is a symbol that you've seen in Enrique's Journey? Think of anything non-living that appears often.

Catholicism

• The majority of people in this region are Christian, specifically Catholic.

• The migrants in the book are very religious, and we get a look at that early on in this chapter as we see the work of people in Veracruz.

Poll

What is your religion?

• Catholic

• Muslim

• Christian

• Other

Open Ended

What does religion mean to you? How does it make you feel? Why is it important to you?

Symbols

• The first line of the chapter: "From the top of his rolling freight car, Enrique sees a figure of Christ."

• This is a symbol of hope after the hard time that the migrants have had passing through Chiapas.

• It foreshadows that things are going to get better here in Veracruz.

Open Ended

What have you seen in the book that relates back to religion?

Symbolism

• Veracruz is a city of giving people

• The Church is a symbol of faith, charity, and generosity

• The food and gifts are symbols of hope and well wishes for the future

Open Ended

What do you think the train symbolizes in Enrique's Journey?

Train + Symbolism

• "Enrique is struck by the magic of the train--its power and its ability to take him to his mother. To him, it is El Cabello de Hierro. The Iron Horse."

• The train is a symbol of opportunity for Enrique because it takes him towards America. Many migrants view it this way.

Breakout Rooms

Work with your group to find an example of symbolism in the book. Then we'll share out. This will help you with today's assignment!

You'll have 3 minutes to do this. The link to the text is in the chat!

The person whose name starts closest to the letter A will start the conversation.

Multiple Choice

What are you doing in your breakout room?

• Discussing religion

• Figuring out the plot

• Writing a paragraph

• Finding symbols of charity

Breakout Rooms

Once you're back, drop your quote in the chat!

Symbols

This book has a lot of symbols in it, some of which we pointed out today. The train can be viewed as both a positive opportunity towards something better or a deadly trip. The Church is charitable and represents the hope and good-will that migrants see in Veracruz.

Your Task

In your breakout rooms, fill in the left and middle columns of your chart. You CAN have more than one example of a symbol. (Ex. two examples of the train, two for religion, etc.)

We will continue with this chart next week to discuss how the symbols also represent theme. DO NOT fill in the right column today.

Open Ended

Questions for Ms. Emerson?