Barrio Boy written by Ernesto Galarza and Tamin Anasary and the other side of the Sky written by Farah Ahmedi and Tanim Ansary are two stories of two young protagonists from different periods who strive to change their destinies, accept challenges, and adapt to different environments. Barrio Boy tells about a boy who was born in a small town in Mexico in 1905 and immigrated to California. In order to adapt to the new environment and integrate into American life, he came to Lincoln International School to study. Under the patient guidance of the teacher, he gradually became able to communicate in English, and the teacher encouraged children from different countries to showcase their original ethnic cultures. The boy is becoming more and more confident, hoping to adapt to American culture and become a truly new American as soon as possible. The other side of the Sky "tells the story of a 7-year-old girl named Farah, who suffered from the ravages of the Afghan war and lost a leg. In order to help her mother escape the war, she wants to cross the border to Pakistan. But I thought they didn't have the money to bribe the gatekeeper, so they had to find a new way to cross the border in the harsh desert environment. The strong-willed Farah, under the conditions of lacking food and water, resolutely led his weak mother forward with unwavering determination. She knew that only by gritting her teeth to overcome all difficulties and keep moving forward, could she lead her mother to escape the war, go to a new environment, and start a new life.
Although the two stories The Other Side of the Sky and Barrio Boy took place in different times and environments, the small owners of the two stories shared one thing in common. They worked hard to overcome all difficulties, adapt to their own living environment, and taught us that survival of the fittest is an eternal survival law. In the story Barrio Boy, Ernesto comes to an international school where many children like him first arrive in the United States, but the original internationals are from other countries. He feels the impact of cultural differences here, but his teacher not only patiently teaches them English, but also encourages them to showcase the traditional culture of their original country, gradually allowing these small immigrants to experience their acceptance and downplay the conflicts of cultural differences. Through hard work, Ernesto gradually adapts to the school environment and rhythm, Ernie also feels accepted because his teacher made him understand English and helped him become more confident with his new life. Farah, who had a prosthetic leg from Germany in The Other Side of the Sky with her frail and sickly mother, wanted to escape from the war-ravaged Afghanistan, but the border gate of Pakistan was closed. In the desert, conditions were very difficult, but the strong-willed Farah, in the absence of water, food, and shelter, satisfied her hunger with water. She walked to the dilapidated temple and stayed overnight. With her weak mother, she worked hard to overcome all the harsh environments and advanced towards her goal without hesitation. Although Farah is young, she has witnessed the war and understands that she must work hard to adapt and overcome the environment and find a way through the border, in order to reach a new environment and possibly improve her and her mother's life. The small protagonists in both stories are brave enough to adapt to their respective historical backgrounds and living environments, striving to better improve their lives and be accepted by the times and environment.
The two stories of The Other Side of the Sky and Barrio Boy take place in different historical backgrounds and settings. Barrio Boy tells the story of Ernesto, a boy who was born in a small town and moved to the United States from Mexico. In order to learn English well, he came to Lincoln School to study and try to adapt to the American environment. But he deeply felt the conflict between American society and culture. He longed for himself as a new immigrant to adapt to the new environment, work hard to learn from teachers, hope to be truly accepted and Americanized, and become a real new American as soon as possible. The Other Side of the Sky occurs during the period of war in Afghanistan. A 7-year-old girl Farah who, in order to escape the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, overcomes various hardships with her mother who is in poor health in a harsh environment, strives to cross the border, yearns for a new environment, and starts a new life. The cruelty of war and the harsh living environment did not deter the little girl Farah. She persevered in any environment and made progress toward her dream home step by step. Obviously, the two stories have different historical backgrounds and environments. Barrio Boy tells the story of Mexican immigrants who strive to break through American social, cultural, and class conflicts, adapt themselves to the American environment, and become true new Americans. The Other Side of the Sky is about a determined little girl named Farah who, despite her physical disability, has been carrying her sickly mother all the way, striving to escape the war environment and embark on a new life in a new environment.
The complexity of adapting to new ways of life is a theme of the story of Barrio Boy, as is understanding new ways of thinking, and learning to accept change. All these challenges define the immigrant experience and explain the immigrant’s feelings of displacement. Ernesto is an ordinary working-class boy who immigrated from a small Mexican town to the big city of California in the United States. Environment, language, and social class changes can all make Ernesto feel pressure. He is worried that he will not be able to adapt to the new environment, culture, and social class. He worked hard to show himself through study and hoped that he could become Americanized as soon as possible and become a new American. With the help of teachers at Lincoln School, Barrio Boy finally feels accepted and becomes more confident with himself. Even in the most terrifying circumstances, the pure human soul is not only tolerable but can also thrive on its own firm beliefs, which is the theme of "The Other Side of the Sky". The protagonist of the story, Farah, unfortunately, lost a leg in the war and suffered from the ravages of the Afghan war. However, she never gave up her faith. She always insisted on taking her mother out of the war-ravaged Afghanistan and heading to the other side of the sky, thinking that Farah longed for a new life. She believed that there would be a better life waiting for her on the other side of the sky. Therefore, she adapted to all the harsh environments and also worked hard to cross the border. Even if terrible things happened to her, Farah learned how to take responsibility and control her life for herself and her mother. She learned how to make her life the best.
In conclusion, although these two stories occur in different periods and backgrounds, the author also reveals the hardships that the poor and working-class face in adapting to the environment through the experiences of the two protagonists. As a new immigrant, Barrio Boy strives to learn the language, accept cultural differences, and restrain his inferiority complex. As a child of the working class, in order to integrate into American society, he must make efforts to adapt to the environment. Learning English is also a necessary condition for living in the United States. Through studying at Lincoln School for a period of time, the boy finally became more confident and gradually accepted cultural differences. I believe that he will soon become Americanized himself and be accepted by more American people. The story of the other side of the Sky is even more inspiring. At the age of only 7, Fara, a girl, lost her leg due to the cruel war and relied on a prosthetic limb. No matter how harsh the living environment was, Fara's belief in escaping the war and pursuing a new life on the other side of the sky was not destroyed. The other side of the Sky means a new living environment, a new way of life Fara struggles for. If people want to improve their lives, they must learn to accept inequality and social class differences on their own.
Comments