Into the Beautiful North

Provide a thorough character analysis of Nayeli. Why is she the best person to lead the mission?

How would the author’s presentation of feminism and Mexico machismo be different if Tacho was not gay?

Into the Beautiful North is full of irony. Some is comical and some is tragic. Find one example of each time an elaborate on how it helps to develop the thematic message of the book.

How is Into the Beautiful North an example of a bildungsroman, or “coming of age” story?

The main motif in the novel is the presence of movies. Make note of all of the different film references (explicit and implicit) in the novel and examine how they contribute to the sense of illusion in the story. How does the structure of the novel itself seem like we are watching a film?

Discuss the function of the nicknames of the Tres Camarones people. Nayeli is the only character that does not have a nickname or different “identity” in the novel. Explain why the author did this.

Examine how Urrea presents the political climate in the United States in this novel. How does it help to contribute to the novel’s theme?

Describe Irma’s definition of “new feminism”. How is it an “offensive” strategy? How is it a “defensive” strategy?