Daniel Inouye Pena is a Pushcart Prize winner writer of Mexican-American origin. “Bang” was his debut novel that receives major appreciation among American readers. It tells the story of an undocumented Mexican family living in South Texas. The piece addresses the problems related to the current U.S. migrant policy as well as the war on drugs and its effect on personal stories: the family ends up involved with narcotraficantes. Araceli’s character of the family’s mother seems critical as the most touching element of the story seems to on family.
To begin with, it is vital to analyze the character of Araceli. Her two sons, high school athletes stars, who end up involved in the drug trade attributed to endless violence. Failing to find her children, Araceli crosses the border in order to continue seeking her sons. She faces the same context of life among the lost souls, and the reader feels deep sympathy for the woman. In other words, her plotline is one of the most captivating for the reader.
Speaking of the way she is portrayed, Araceli seems to be a classic female character. Nevertheless, her kindness and unfailing love are not the only features Pena gives her: she is demonstrated to have boldness. Moreover, she immediately reminds the readers of Dona Araceli, from Luis Alberto Urrea’s “Into the Beautiful Sea”: very feminine, yet powerful despite all the challenges she meets throughout the story.
To conclude, Pena describes a family drama in an extremely relevant context that is frequently discussed in political debates and the news but is rarely told by the ones finding themselves in these situations. Araceli becomes the female eyes that not only observe the situation but also powerfully go through them. Her role as a mother helps the reader understand Pena’s real emphasis: the value of family.