When Mariana's husband abandons the family the wife and kids are basically forced into survival mode. They have to work as a team, all contributing to the everyday needs to make it day to day. The first thing I noticed was that Gabi had to take over the role of provider, he did everything he could to keep his mother and sister in a happy mood even though they were in tough times. This leads me to believe that when the Dad left and whispered something into Gabi's ear he most likely said something along the lines of "You are the man now, you need to take care of your sister and Mom", that's why right away Gabi took over the role. It was amazing how well they did in America when Gabi was the only one who spoke some English.
I think that it was amazing how Mariana did not waste anytime when It came to figure out how to take care of herself and her children. She could of just lost control and cried for days or something because of her terrible situation but instead she kept her chin held high and pressed on doing everything she could to provide food, shelter and entertainment for her two kids.
I feel like it is not uncommon for the husband of a American family to just up and leave and have the mother's fend for themselves.
My favorite part of the movie was the end when Gabi stood up and told his class that this was his first summer in America, the class had no idea what he had bee-n through that summer.
-Daniel
Daniel, I didn't even think as to what Gabriele's father whispered into his ear before departing for Miami. I think you are right on by saying that he told him that he was "the man of the house now" or something to that extent. The family did stick together through this tough time, they worked together to make ends meet. Mariana swallowed her pride and did what she had to do in this tough situation. My own father left my mother with 2 young children in very much the same way when I was 3 years old. My mother worked two jobs to support us and put a roof over our heads without any child support from our father. We had to drink powered milk (yuck)and only got to split one can of chicken noodle soup for lunch between the 3 of us. We went through some tough times, but I think that experience made me a better father to my own daughters today. Our life experiences, and how we react to those experiences, make us who we are. I believe that Gabi and Andrea will learn from this experience and make them a better person that what their father was.
ReplyDeleteGary B.
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI agree that Mariana was an amazing woman. She immediately realized how bad the situation was, and did whatever she needed to for her family. It had to be very difficult to beg for work on the street, and to try to make money by digging through trash for aluminum cans. I believe she showed incredible strength when she decided to abort her unborn child. She knew that there was absolutely no way she could care for another child, and did what she had to do. Seeing the love she had for Gabi and Andrea, this had to be heartbreaking for her.
Diane
Daniel, I think it is interesting that your favorite part of the movie was when Gabi stood on his first day of school and completely avoided telling of the hardships he and his family had endured that summer. I also think this was very significant in capturing the essence of his determination for overcoming this awful situation. He does not drown in self pity or seek the pity of others. Instead he accepts the cards that were dealt to him and sets his sights ahead. There are not many adults who could be so brave and determined as was this young boy. Beth Niehaus
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