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Chapter 90
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 doesn't tell Attorney Fitzgerald that Samuel believes she's his greatest regret, and instead tells him about their notice to appear in immigration court. Her parents went and didn't take a lawyer, since they heard that they didn't need a lawyer for the first appointment. At the hearing, the judge told them that they could accept Voluntary Removal or file for a Cancellation of Removal.
When Natasha neglects to mention Samuel's regrets and instead sticks with straight, unemotional facts, she ignores what she's already learned about emotion being important in a situation like this, as Attorney Fitzgerald needs to be able to humanize her.
Themes
Attorney Fitzgerald confirms that Peter is a US citizen, and Natasha continues her story. Her parents thought Peter could save them, so they hired a cheap lawyer to prove that being forced to leave the country would cause extreme hardship. This turned out to be impossible, and Samuel accepted Voluntary Removal at the hearing. The lawyer had said that they didn't have a good enough case to appeal, and suggested they leave so they didn't have a deportation on their records.
Peter's happiness at going to Jamaica suggests that he wasn't excited about being his parents' saving grace. For Natasha, she's passionate about staying in the US; for Peter, he's passionate about experiencing his country of origin and feels out of place in his birth country.
Themes
Attorney Fitzgerald asks why Natasha went to USCIS, and she admits she didn't know what else to do. To the reader, she admits that she was hoping for a miracle. As Natasha gets up to leave, Attorney Fitzgerald waves her back into her seat. He gestures to the construction and boxes surrounding him and mentions that the work was supposed to be done weeks ago. He shows her a framed photograph of his wife and children, the only thing he's unpacked, and tells Natasha that she's never out of options. He tells her he needs a few hours to see a judge, who will hopefully allow Natasha's family to stay a little longer. The poem about hope having feathers returns to Natasha, and she feels hope fluttering in her chest.
When Attorney Fitzgerald consults the photo of his family while talking to Natasha, it's a flag to the reader that something is up and points back to the way he looked at Hannah Winter when she showed Natasha in. This suggests that Attorney Fitzgerald is in the middle of his own familial issues and must figure out where he actually wants to have connections in addition to fighting for Natasha. In this way, Attorney Fitzgerald will test the limits of how many connections a person can maintain at once.
Themes
