Into the Beautiful North

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-21

Chapters 22-24

Chapters 25-27

Chapters 28-30

Chapters 31-33

Chapters 34-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapters 28-30Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 28 Summary

The journey presses on to St. George, Utah and Nayeli frequently looks in Matt's Spanish-English dictionary. "Taxidermy" makes Tacho and Nayeli laugh for twenty miles. Nayeli notes, "We are more alike than we think", when looking up the reference to St. George slaying a dragon (276).

They eventually arrive in Green River and, homesick for Sinaloa, stop in a Mexican restaurant. They order in Spanish but are assured by the waitress, several times, that they speak English here. The waitress explains where her parents come from (Durango and Chihuahua). The cook comes out and again asks them to speak in English. Further questions are asked as to why they are where they are and Nayeli lies, saying they are there for work and "thinking she was among paisanos, thinking she was part of a great story and an adventure, made the mistake of winking at the chef”, when he asked her how they got here (280). Once the cook learns they are illegals he throws them out in a rage.

Since they left the restaurant, their touristy mood has deflated. Eventually, they stop in Rifle. Ironically, with "patriotic guilt" Nayeli purchases a plastic version of the Two Towers and attaches an American flag to the dashboard. Tacho buys a t-shirt with Apache Warriors that reads "Homeland Security since 1492. It never crossed his mind that Geronimo and his warriors would have killed him in a second" (282).

Chapter 29 Summary

This chapter opens with Chava preening before meeting La Osa. When he arrives at the hotel, he is sufficiently terrified of seeing Irma again. When he reaches her door, he has no opportunity to compose himself before knocking. Atomiko bursts through the door and Irma yells for him to "come here this instant!" (285) He turns around to face a forty-pounds-heavier Irma, but she blushes and giggles at him. "He glided" into her room and said "Hello, my love". (286)

Chapter 30 Summary

Nayeli and Tacho arrive at Glenwood Canyon and the Colorado River. Nayeli, especially, is astonished by the beauty of the mountains and all of the wildlife around them; they see many different birds, and deer, mountain goats, and buffalo.

They stop at a hotel and check in as Mr. and Mrs. Vicente Fox, and the receptionist believes they are from Iraq. As they continue on, Nayeli continues to have trouble breathing in the high altitude air. She makes Tacho pull over to look at more animals, and she happens to meet a kindly fisherman. He gives her a hoodie because she is freezing and he explains the Elk to her. "In less than ten minutes, he was teaching her how to fish" (294). When they arrive in Rocky Mountain National Park, it begins to snow. Tacho and Nayeli squeal and jump around trying to catch some snow on their tongues.

They eventually arrive in Kansas and stop for gas. They are rushed inside as a tornado warning siren blows. Inside, they are asked where they are headed and after Nayeli replies, the cop says, "...how 'bout that? A working American can't afford to gas up his rig, but the illegals can just drive cross-country all the want" (296).

Chapters 28-30 Analysis

This section clearly establishes the homesickness of all of the people from Tres Camarones. Chavarin, even though afraid to see Irma again, is welcomed. She accepts him back easily. Nayeli, hoping to experience the same kind of welcome from someone from home when she stops at a Mexican restaurant, does not meet the same courtesy. The waitress at the restaurant is originally from Mexico (as is the cook), but Tacho and Nayeli are thrown out when he learns they are illegals. Even though they are Mexican, they are not family or friends. Yet, when Nayeli meets an American stranger (fisherman) he treats her with compassion, giving her a sweater. Urrea may be suggesting that family and human connection is not contained within borders and nationalities. People are just people.