Into the Beautiful North

Nayeli reminisces and provides more details of her father. He was a police officer: a representative of the Revolutionary Government of the Republic. He was philosophical and gave Nayeli "nuggets of wisdom" for her to think about. His favourite saying, "Everything passes" is not yet clear in meaning to Nayeli, but she refers to it several times in the story (48).

Everyone in Tres Camarones seems to be present for the film festival. Irma's devotion to Mexico is so strong that she believes the famous actor Yul Brynner is Mexican and gets in a cheering match with Garcia over Steve McQueen. Nayeli is mesmerized and inspired by The Magnificent Seven. The plot of the story plants a seed in her head and she tells her idea to her friends. She imagines she could save Mexico by bringing back Mexican men to fight off the bandidos.

"Dances...Boyfriends. Husbands. Babies. Police - law and order. No bandidos…She was slipping into Aunt Irma campaign mode" (56). Echoing the foreboding trouble that Nayeli predicted, Garcia shows up at Irma's house beaten and thrown out of his own home by bandidos.