Invisible

As the plot progresses and the characters’ lives become more intertwined, the author branches out and provides a glimpse into the lives and challenges of Dayara and Sara, in addition to delving into the central conflict of Lisa and her mother’s predicament: the motive force that inspires the students to overcome their many differences and work together, thereby developing the theme of Kindness Inspired by Adversity. As the students continue to interact with both mother and daughter, it is also clear that Lisa, the little girl, seems eager for socialization and support, while her mother, on the other hand, is more reluctant to reach out. While the novel does not overtly state the underlying issue, this moment of dialogue implies the possibility of child services becoming involved should they discover that she is living in a van with her daughter.

In the artist’s depiction, it is also significant that both mother and daughter are drawn standing beyond the chain-link fence, rendering the scene symbolic of the many ways in which poverty cages and obscures people from society’s awareness and opportunities. Thus, the scene speaks to the title of the novel itself, for Celeste feels unseen, as though people fail to see her struggles or make any effort to help her; she is thus grateful for the support she gets from the students, who are just like her in their experience of feeling invisible and misunderstood in a largely inaccessible world that was not built to respect or understand them.

George in particular understands Celeste’s desire to hide her poverty from view, for he also struggles with shame and humiliation, immersed in the pressure to hide parts of himself in order to maintain a certain reputation. Thus, all the children use Kindness Inspired by Adversity as a motivation to help both mother and daughter.

In her quest to make the invisible visible, Gonzales devotes extensive time and care to allowing each character a “voice” in the larger narrative, for they all get an opportunity to share their side of the story, their experiences of adversity, and the pressures and expectations that loom over them. Thus, the novel highlights the importance of Individual Identity and Group Solidarity, for as the children grow closer together in their joint quest to help the struggling family, they also find new ways to celebrate their own individual identities. This becomes a core principle within the novel, and it is most clearly demonstrated when each student is given ample chances to speak and communicate their inner thoughts and experiences. Likewise, the students’ individual problems are designed to highlight the Unseen Pressures on the Children of Immigrant Families. For example, the author reveals that Dayara’s struggles at school are not a result of indifference or laziness, but rather are caused by her ongoing difficulties in learning English. This unfamiliar language is like a maze for her, and it serves as a significant barrier to her success in the school environment. This issue is compounded by the unspoken pressure she feels from her family to succeed, for she avoids telling her mother about her academic struggles so as not to disappoint or worry her.

Like Dayara, Sara’s own home life is complex as well, and she also faces pressure from her parents to do well in school and learn English. Both Dayara and Sara have a secret desire to make friends, and they eventually find friendship with one another. It is also noteworthy that Dayara helps Sara to find her voice by telling her, “Sara, don’t let that guy make you feel bad. You have to be strong” (103). Sara also shows herself to be mature beyond her years, taking up a motherly role in her mother’s absence and achieving honors at school but never boasting about it. Both girls show depth and layers beyond the surface of their public personas, and both feel frustrated by the judgments and misunderstandings of others.

As each character takes their turn narrating the story, subtle shifts in the coloring of the artwork are employed to differentiate between different settings and to emphasize the unique lives and personalities of the students. For example, the scenes in Dayara’s life are filled with gray, as though her world is clouded over, while the backgrounds depicting Sara’s home life sprout with color, as though nothing brings her more joy than being with her papi. A great deal of unspoken information is also conveyed through the artist’s depictions of the characters’ eyes and body language. When Nico tells Sara, “This is your fault. Things turn out better when you don’t’ speak” (102), his nose is upturned and his eyebrows thicken and darken as he looks down at Sara. Likewise, when Dayara struggles to remember the difference between the lower-case b and d, a close-up illustration shows the lines in her face as she tenses up, and a drop of sweat as she strains to recall the correct information. When Miguel corrects her mistake, a dark shadow is drawn over her eyes—another classic anime-style technique for depicting a darker mood—and her face turns bright red as she feels embarrassed and angry. In order to fully grasp the nuances of the characters’ internal emotional experiences, it is necessary to take careful note of these subtle expressions.