In the beginning of Breaking Through, Francisco relates that he lived in “[…] constant fear […] from the time I was four until I was fourteen years old” (1). What was the root of his fear? Why did Papa instruct his children to advise people that they had been born in Colton, California?

While awaiting the return of their parents and siblings from Mexico following their deportation, Roberto and Francisco live alone in California. After a burglar steals the cash that the boys had hidden under their mattress, they start to hide their earnings inside a ceramic bust of Jesus Christ. Consider the attitude toward religion that Mama has instilled in her children. Does the statue represent anything other than a physical hiding place?

When Francisco’s classmate, Peggy Dossen, invites Francisco home to meet her parents, her mother becomes uncomfortable after asking him about his accent. Why does she have this reaction? Does Francisco realize immediately what the source of her discomfort is, or does he have an epiphany about Peggy’s sudden refusal to associate with him when he is older and looks back on the event?