Growth And Change In Everyone Leaves By Wendy Guerra

1538 Words4 Pages

Experiences in people’s lives shapes them in unexpected ways. Whether that means changing in a positive or negative manner… that depends on the person. However, change is a part of life -- it is inevitable. Sometimes circumstances are out of people’s reach when destiny is only controlled my life itself. In the novel, Everyone Leaves by Wendy Guerra, she reveals that challenges least expected determine a person’s growth in life through the protagonist, Nieve Guerra. Although Nieve desires to leave Cuba, her chances of escape are obstructed by obstacles she faces in the novel. As a child, Nieve realizes she has no control over her life the moment her father gains custody over her. Essentially, the court case that determines Nieve will live …show more content…

Through Nieve, Guerra shows that she becomes a hollow person who has lost faith in herself and the possibility of leaving her country. The only control Nieve has over herself is her feelings of disappointment. There is no hope; Nieve accepts her isolation. No matter how much she wants to be free, the unexpected obstacles in her life stop her from doing so. Some may argue that Nieve is not able to leave Cuba because she does not try hard enough or it is her own fault. Though, it is clearly demonstrated in the novel that Nieve has a deep desire to leave the island with all her friends, but is unable to because of the circumstances she is placed in. The court case puts Nieve under her father’s custody, in the hands of danger. She is not able to travel to Sweden with Fausto and her mother because her father will never allow it to happen when he has custody over her. Another obstacle that stands in her way would be the orphanage. After Nieve frees herself from her father’s clutches, she is turned away from her mother and put in a place where she knows no one. The last obstacle standing in Nieve’s way, allowing her to obtain her freedom, is when her father leaves Cuba, as it limits her opportunities. Guerra reveals the theme of experience connecting to identity and growth through Nieve’s development in the novel. Due to her experiences, Nieve relinquishes her innocence to the realist created by her disappointment and isolation. Challenges are truly what determine what type of person someone will become in the

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