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Chapter 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Sun is Also a Star, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Immigration and the American Dream
Passion vs. Reason
Interconnectedness and Destiny
Isolation vs. Connection
Summary
Analysis
Natasha's mom, Patricia, tells her that it's time to give up. Her dad, Samuel, just frowns and says nothing. Peter, Natasha’s nine-year-old brother is the only happy one: he blasts Bob Marley as he packs, and he's excited to live in Jamaica. The entire family is in the living room of their apartment, which Natasha and Peter share as a makeshift bedroom. Natasha's half of the room is still filled with belongings, while Peter's is mostly empty.
It will later come to light that Peter is the only member of his family who is an American citizen; therefore, his joy at moving to Jamaica suggests that he doesn't feel as though he fits in in the US and perhaps doesn’t feel forced to move to Jamaica in the same way that his family does. Peter’s response suggests that the US is a difficult place to live, both for natural-born citizens and immigrants.
Themes
Natasha believes Patricia is right, but she grabs her headphones and her physics textbook anyway. Peter reminds her that since they're leaving, she'll never have to turn in her homework. Natasha explains that she's going to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) building in Manhattan. She and her family are undocumented immigrants, and they're going to be deported tonight. Natasha believes this is her last to chance to convince someone—or maybe fate—to let her stay, though she doesn't actually believe in fate.
The way that Natasha talks about fate suggests that she views it as a last-ditch thing that might help her, not something that sensible people such as herself typically believe in. This reinforces that the situation is dire, and she's willing to do things that are out of character for her in order to keep her family in the country.
Themes
