Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies Literary Elements

Non-Fiction

It is set in various locations in North America, primarily in the agricultural fields of California and Washington and the indigenous village of San Miguel in Oaxaca, Mexico. The period of the study covers several years of fieldwork in the early 21st century.

The narrator of the book is Seth Holmes who writes from a first-person perspective.

The tone of the book is compassionate yet critical. The mood is resilient and hopeful.

The protagonists are the indigenous Triqui people from Oaxaca, Mexico. The antagonists are structural forces and systemic inequalities that perpetuate the exploitation.

The major conflict revolves around the struggle of migrant farmworkers to achieve better working conditions, fair wages, and basic human rights. This conflict is exacerbated by structural violence, including harsh immigration policies, racial discrimination, and economic exploitation by agricultural businesses. The workers' daily battles for dignity and survival against these oppressive systems form the core of the book.

The climax occurs when Holmes himself falls ill while working in the fields.

Holmes uses foreshadowing to hint at the systemic issues and the challenges he will face in his fieldwork. Early in the book, he describes the dangerous journey of migrant workers crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

"They began spending afternoons together regularly in the labor camp or at her house with her bunnies, teaching each other English and Spanish"

This casual mention glosses over the harsh realities of life in a labor camp.

Holmes alludes to various historical and contemporary social theories and figures, such as Michel Foucault's concept of biopower and Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social structures.

"During the birthday picnic of party snack platters made by my white friends mixed with homemade tacos made by my Triqui friends, people from different backgrounds played catch, petted bunnies on the porch of the house, and attempted to communicate with broken 'Spanglish' and body language."

This detailed imagery captures the blend of cultures and the sense of community.

Despite their critical contribution to the nation's food supply, these workers are treated as disposable and are denied basic rights and protections. This paradox highlights the deep-seated injustices within the agricultural system.

Holmes uses parallelism to draw connections between different aspects of the workers' experiences and broader social issues. For example, he parallels the physical suffering of the workers with the psychological and emotional toll of their exploitation.

Holmes refers to "the fields" to represent the entire agricultural industry and the systemic issues within it.

"The moon is almost full, and the desert is eerily quiet"

This description imbues the desert with an eerie silence, making it feel like a watchful entity.