The Distance Between Us

Credit: goodreads.com

Reyna Grande’s memoir, The Distance Between Us, recounts her childhood and adolescence in Mexico and the United States. As the title suggests, Grande and her siblings experienced, succumbed to, and overcame many kinds of “distance” on their way to adulthood. Consider how the theme of distance, in its many forms, is present in the book to

do the following: In a 3-5 page essay, double spaced with 12-point font, identify and explain 3 different ways the theme of “distance” is present and affects the characters in the memoir. This could include but is not limited to physical or geographic distance, emotional distance, distance among family members or friends, cultural distance, age, memory, and the distance between expectations and reality (either of living in the US or Mexico, or in life choices, etc.). In contrast, you can also feel free to consider ideas or experiences of “closeness” too. Ultimately, how do your examples of distance (or closeness) help us better understand the migration experience of Reyna Grande and the Grande-Rodriguez family? To address the prompt, you must make use of and cite Grande’s memoir in your paper. You may also make use of any course readings you would like, but additional sources are not required. Please refrain from using sources not given in the course syllabus. Use either parenthetical citations, i.e. (Grande, 45), or footnotes to cite evidence from the reading.