Signs Preceding the End of the World

Makina's quest and attempt to cross the US border as a fugitive is captured in the book "Signs Preceding the End of the World." It is a representation of one of today's most controversial topics in America. The topic of immigration is heavily discussed in the plot. The storyline, characters, and symbolism used in the novel, written by Yuri Herrera, reinforce the topic of displacement and immigration in Mexico and the United States.
The novel's plot revolves around Makena, a Mexican girl determined to locate her brother and get him home. This goal takes her past the Mexican border in to the US where she finds herself against the impositions of a new culture and language which threaten to derail her quest. Still, Makina doubles up as a reliable messenger given her commitment to the message which originated from the underworld. The “Signs Preceding the End of the World” is a narration of resilience character and commitment to a specific goal.
Themes
Migration, gender and topography comprise the three major themes in the narration. Makina’s journey is beleaguered by several misogynistic encounters which inspire the image that being a woman is a burden than an element of prestige. When she runs into the guards, Makina is compelled to be extremely cautious given that they had made sexual passes at her. They had also been accused of several sex-related offences which only served to reinforce the obnoxious freedoms that men were allowed in the society vis-à-vis the females.
The role of communication in the society is also reinforced in the story when Makina acts as the bridge of communication between the underground in Mexico and the recipients in the US. Her ability to communicate efficiently provides the bridge through which individuals who had lost loved ones to the US could be rediscovered. Her ability to speak in a third language provides “more than a midpoint between homegrown and Anglo […] a nebulous territory between what is dying out and what is not yet born” (Herrera 27). Makina informs herself that she “is the door, not the one who walks through it” (Herrera 44) which links individuals who have lost loved ones to America. Her mother sends her to thee states with a message for her brother. The initiative provides the next reflection of Makina as a messenger in the novel.
The theme of topography comprises the next major theme in the story given the allusions to the physical structures in the US and Mexico. On entering Mexico City, Makina comes face to face with “hills of hills cementing the horizon” (Biswas-Hawkes). The description of the topography is intended to allow the audience an insight into Makina’s attitude and worldview of the events around her. The allusion to the topography is further intended to create a link between the synthetic and the natural world. Form the descriptions, the author hoped to convey the idea that Makina’s journey was both a mental and a physical pilgrimage aimed at self-discovery.
Character Analysis
Within the novel, Makina is projected to be a resilient and courageous. Despite her young age, she undertakes a journey into the unknown s instructed by her mother. She constantly reinforces her independence in the face of male imposition and uses her resilience to weather the cultural changes that she is subject to in her quest. Makina is also cautious and intelligent. She commits to assessing her situation before engaging an action. Thus, Herrera contends that “Every time she came to the Big Chilango she trod softly, because that was not the place she wanted to leave her mark, and she told herself repeatedly that she couldn’t get lost, and by get lost she meant not a detour or a sidetrack but lost for real” (48). Principally, she was careful not to lose her identity.
Allusion to the 9 realms of the underworld
Makina’s journey from Mexico to the US is an allusion to the 9 realms of the underworld. Essentially, Makina had to pass through various levels to finally deliver her mother’s message to her brother. An allusion to a metaphorical death is inferred by the author at the beginning of the novel. Makina stated “I’m dead” (Herrera 52) which is a reflection of the Itzcuintlan in the 9 realms of the underworld. Like in the 9 realms of the underworld, Mkina is not allowed a choice on the nature of the message she is to carry. The 9 realms of the underworld are further inferred when Makina meets and is forced to face the two policemen. The policemen provide a replication of the barrier that is imposed by the two hills in the myth of Mictlan (Rioseco).
Conclusion
The novel “Signs Preceding the End of the World” by Yuri Herrera, provides a succinct reflection into the nature of transition. Makina’s experiences and journey are extensions of the 9 realms of the underworld. The story captures Makina’s journey from the US to Mexico and the tribulations she had to overcome to achieve her goals. It is a story of resilience, intelligence and cautiousness in the journey through life.
 
Works Cited
Biswas-Hawkes, Debjani. “Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera”. The Literateur, Feb. 2017, http://literateur.com/signs-preceding-the-end-of-the-world-by-yuri-herrera/. Accessed Oct. 24th, 2017.
Herrera, Yuri. Signs Preceding the End of the World. And Other Stories, 2015.
Rioseco, Marcelo. “Myth, Literature, and the Border in Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera”. Latin American Literature Today, April 2017, http://www.latinamericanliteraturetoday.org/en/2017/april/myth-literature-and-border-signs-preceding-end-world-yuri-herrera-marcelo-rioseco. Accessed Oct. 24th, 2017.