Essay Questions

What character traits are exhibited by the Mexicans on their journey to the United States in The Devil’s Highway.

Being aware of all the dangers posed by attempting to cross the border into the United States and still going on to be part of the group that attempts to cross over takes a lot of courage. All of the twenty-six on this journey exhibit a great deal of courage when they embark on the journey which is close to a suicide mission, if not a suicide mission. The journey is characterized by death and the fact that some of the men on this journey manage to cross over despite all the dangers paints them out as rather determined individuals. Bravery and determination are just some of the many characters that the men on this journey exhibit.

Why do the twenty-six Mexican men in this story resort to cross the border into the United States despite knowing the difficulties involved?

Poverty is one of the central reasons that motivate the men to undertake the dangerous journey, crossing into the US via the Arizonian desert. The promise of a better life in the United States coupled with a life of impoverishment in their country blurs the line of danger associated with crossing the border, making it all seem worth it in the end. On the other end, Mexico as a country is mostly ravaged by gangs and corruption which make the situation all the more unbearable, escape thus becomes a better option as opposed to a life of oppression and impoverishment.

Explore the concept of immigration as a form of escape as brought out in The Devil’s Highway.

The Devil’s Highway is a narrative that explores the concept of immigration while also tackling the dangers and risks that most individuals are willing to take to realize the American dream. In this work, immigration becomes a way through which the Mexican men who undertake the dangerous journey through the Arizonian desert can escape the confines of poverty as well as political instability and corruption in their home country. Most of the people who go on the journey were aware of the dangers associated with it but considered it seeing it as the only better option to escaping poverty. In a way, going on the journey is even considered a better option in this regard. Immigration thus becomes a way of escaping to a better life in the United States.