Fragmentation—of one's identity, one's family, and one's whole way of life—is another important theme of the story. The grinding poverty in which Juana and her family find themselves is the main cause of this fragmentation. This poverty drives Juana's father to seek work in the United States. Inevitably, this has a damaging impact on family life, and these impacts are greatly exacerbated by Juana's own journey north of the border. The loving ties that have bound Juana and her family for so long have been dissolved by the abiding imperative to put food on the table.
In such an environment, religion—the traditional Roman Catholicism of Mexico—acts as a vital integrative force, challenging the fragmentation of family life that is the direct consequence of an economic system that dissolves collective wholes into atomized individuals. Juana may have been separated from her family, but she can never be truly separated from her religious identity. In the midst of all the heartbreak and suffering, religion provides Juana with much-needed solace, fortifying her against the numerous hardships she must endure. In the material world, all is fragmented. But in the realm of the spirit, togetherness prevails, and it is only by drawing deeply upon this vital inner resource that Juana is able to remain in touch with the primal unity to which we all belong.
One of the main themes in the novel Across a Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande is the strength of family ties. Juana's father, Apá, travels across the Mexican–U.S. border to "el otro lado," or the other side, in search of a better life for his family. He is motivated to look for a better life, and for the American Dream, after his young daughter, Anita, dies in a flood. Though Juana, who is watching Anita during the flood, blames herself for her sister's death, Apá puts the blame on himself. He tells Juana, “It was my fault, Juana. I should’ve worked harder to get us out of there. I should’ve worked more hours, and little by little I could’ve built us a better house closer to town" (page 18). Apá dedicates himself to working to provide for his family, and he travels across the border to help them. Nineteen years later, Juana also decides to cross the border to look for her father, as she feels the tug of family and a deep commitment to them.
Another theme of the book is the way poverty defeats Juana and her family. Juana's mother, Amá, is crushed by the deaths of her children. The author writes:
"María died from a scorpion sting because they didn’t have enough money for a doctor and the healing woman couldn’t save her. Josefina died before leaving her mother’s womb. It was as if she had given up on life, even before she was born. One day she loosened her hold and was stillborn at four months" (page 19).
Amá's life has been incredibly cruel; her family is so devastated by poverty that one of her children died because the family didn't have access to medical care, while the other died in a flood. She lost another child while pregnant, and she is about to lose her husband, who must go north to the United States to find a better life for his family. She eventually turns to alcohol as a result of her sorrows.
Amá tries to find relief in religion, but it is of little solace to her. The author writes of Anita's funeral service:
"Juana looked through the cloud of incense smoke at her mother and father. They were holding on to each other and praying along with the neighbors and her father’s distant relatives. Four years ago, when her other younger sister died from a scorpion sting, Amá and Apá had held on to each other like now, but Juana had been put in between them, so they could share their grief as a family" (page 17).
The cloud of incense smoke obscures Juana's vision rather than helping her cope with the loss. While her parents seek relief in religion, which is another theme of the book, faith alone does not heal their deep wounds that have been caused by their life of privation and poverty.
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