What Is The Theme Of Snow By Julia Alvarez

Change is scary. Many people struggle with different changes in their lives. Some of the biggest changes a person can experience are moving to a new country, or living through war time. In “Snow” by Julia Alvarez, the protagonist, Yolanda, immigrates to New York City amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis. She is learning English for the first time at a Catholic School, and about the atom bombs which scare all the fellow students. She mistakes snow for nuclear fallout, having never seen it before, and is very relieved after her teacher reassures her. Julia Alvarez uses the setting in “Snow” to illustrate a theme which shows that the hardships of war and immigration are everyday struggles.

Alverez uses the setting of New York City because it is a large and unpredictable environment, which helps enforce the theme that the hardships of war and immigration are everyday struggles. New York City is one of the largest and most well-known cities in the world, which also makes it somewhat intimidating to outsiders. Moving anywhere is a hard change of its own, but moving

She learns new English words every day, but also learns about the weapons of mass destruction that ultimately become the source of tension for the climax of the story. It is clear that Yolanda and her family use their Catholic faith as a way to cope with the stress and anxiety that comes from war and immigration, as seen by the prayer beads they made for world peace. This sense of solace is something Yolanda’s family got to keep as they moved to America, and most of the story shows Yolanda’s experience in Catholic School, while also learning about the scary atomic weapons. In this way, it is shown how the tension impacts day-to-day life of the average American