Violence In The Tattood Soldiers

The definition of family often tends to mean different things among varied groups of people. Violence, like family, also varies in definition and carries different cultural values and significance. Regardless of one’s meaning of family or violence, these two things in many ways influence and impact people’s lives differently. Hector Tobar’s novel, The Tattooed Soldier shows the impact of violence on people who each see family from a different standpoint. Furthermore, in the film Sin Nombre directed by Cary Fukunaga we see a different type of family heavily integrated with violence. Both Sin Nombre and The Tattooed Soldier demonstrate that the loss of family becomes the roots of all violence. In both works the main characters, Antonio and El Casper, lose their families through violence, which creates
In The Tattooed Soldier, Antonio is flooded with guilt as he carries on after the loss of his wife, Elena, and son, Carlos. The guilt is easily seen as Antonio travels by bus to San Cristobal. The author writes, “He vomited out the window, wept into his hands, pounded a fist into his thigh. I am a coward. I am a coward. He had failed to summon the courage to jump from the bus in the square in San Cristobal and confront the man who had killed his wife and son“ (Tobar 19). Antonio is sickened with guilt as he is reminded that his family is gone and he did not stand up against the man who murdered his family. The sight of Longoria reminds Antonio that his family is gone and that he is still living, leading Antonio to feel much guilt. Alternately, El Casper is burdened