Mexico as community
The most important abstract quality of the novel's opening comes from the imagery of Mexico found in Ernesto's daily life. Ernesto is not a markedly different person than anyone else in his community. His identity is not founded in standing out or being unique; instead, he knows exactly where he fits in inside the context of his own family. The imagery of his tribal identity extends deeply into the land. As long as he is on his family's property in Mexico, he has specific expectations that define his sense of self and his identity.
America as individualism
Because of the tragedy and trauma that comes as a result of fleeing his own home government, Ernesto is already challenged to make sense of his life in light of these changes. He has to adapt, but now he has to adapt through a new type of experience of self; instead of being defined by a crowd of constant figures who are always around him, socializing, he is now defined by his personal decisions and his personal ability to adapt. The herd has been scattered, and in the new domain, it is every man for himself, survival of the fittest. This must mean America is a domain of chaos for young Ernesto.
The government
The government is more than a symbol in this story. It is a present threat that looms so urgently and so close to home that in the night, most of the town leaves, just because of who walked into the village before dusk. Those "visitors" are Mexican spies sent by the government to enslave citizens by a draft into service to the military. For those who resist, it is first imprisonment and then perhaps something more severe still; it is not an option to say no to the government. This government has the marks of tyranny because it has to force its citizens to defend the government from its own people.
Survival and adaptation
Ernesto's journey is defined by the imagery of an exodus, a long journey through a wilderness, and an arrival to somewhere that might have been like paradise, except for some aspects of life he was not expecting. To him, this fight against the giants is simply a fight for mental health and joy in his daily life which is so frustrating and undesired that he feels condemned by fate to suffer. This is also the imagery of an animal's journey in adaptation. Through this journey, Ernesto is revealed for his animal qualities; he is tired and hungry and in need of a regular and sustainable way to get food and shelter.
