Into the Beautiful North

by

Luis Alberto Urrea

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Into the Beautiful North makes teaching easy.

Chava Chavarín Character Analysis

When Irma was a young woman, Chava was a fisherman by day and a bowling champion by night, as well as Irma's love interest. He was the most handsome man in Tres Camarones, and he and Irma had sex after she won a bowling championship. Not long after, Chava went to Tijuana to fish and never returned. He was the first man from Tres Camarones to do so, possibly catalyzing all of the other men of Tres Camarones to leave. Later, Irma discovered that Chava impregnated an American woman and agreed to marry her. In the present, Nayeli discovers that the woman ran away before she and Chava got married, and Chava was too embarrassed and ashamed to return home to Mexico. He works as a janitor in a bowling alley in San Diego and is still illegal after being in the US for more than forty years. Chava is clearly terrified of Irma and needs a great deal of coaxing to meet her. When he finally does meet her, the two fall right back in love again, and he agrees to return to Tres Camarones with her. Though he seems to have hidden the truth from himself, Chava comes to realize that he was never truly happy in the US.

Chava Chavarín Quotes in Into the Beautiful North

The Into the Beautiful North quotes below are all either spoken by Chava Chavarín or refer to Chava Chavarín. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Borders and Ownership Theme Icon
).
Chapter 23 Quotes

Only when she was back in Tres Camarones did Irma hear from Chava's mother that he had impregnated an American woman […] Chava was marrying her.

That was the end of Irma, that day.

La Osa, her alter ego, appeared in all her relentless glory to inspire chagrin and penance in the homeland.

Related Characters: Tía Irma, Chava Chavarín
Page Number: 224
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

Suddenly, Nayeli said, "I still want to find my father."

Idly, Tacho said, "Why would he want to go back?"

"Me," she replied.

Related Characters: Nayeli (speaker), Tacho (speaker), Chava Chavarín, Don Pepe
Page Number: 245
Explanation and Analysis:

"Ay, m'ija," he sighed. "All they need is a few hot-air balloons to make it perfect here." Ahead of them, a hot-air balloon rose." "Oh," he said. "America wins every time."

Related Characters: Tacho (speaker), Nayeli, Chava Chavarín
Page Number: 245
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Into the Beautiful North LitChart as a printable PDF.
Into the Beautiful North PDF

Chava Chavarín Quotes in Into the Beautiful North

The Into the Beautiful North quotes below are all either spoken by Chava Chavarín or refer to Chava Chavarín. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Borders and Ownership Theme Icon
).
Chapter 23 Quotes

Only when she was back in Tres Camarones did Irma hear from Chava's mother that he had impregnated an American woman […] Chava was marrying her.

That was the end of Irma, that day.

La Osa, her alter ego, appeared in all her relentless glory to inspire chagrin and penance in the homeland.

Related Characters: Tía Irma, Chava Chavarín
Page Number: 224
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

Suddenly, Nayeli said, "I still want to find my father."

Idly, Tacho said, "Why would he want to go back?"

"Me," she replied.

Related Characters: Nayeli (speaker), Tacho (speaker), Chava Chavarín, Don Pepe
Page Number: 245
Explanation and Analysis:

"Ay, m'ija," he sighed. "All they need is a few hot-air balloons to make it perfect here." Ahead of them, a hot-air balloon rose." "Oh," he said. "America wins every time."

Related Characters: Tacho (speaker), Nayeli, Chava Chavarín
Page Number: 245
Explanation and Analysis: