"The Squatter and the Don" Reading Journal

 

• Squatter: Someone who settles on land under government regulation in order to acquire title. (Dictionary.com)

The excerpt from The Squatter and the Don, written by Maria Ruiz de Burton, explored the idea of a U.S. citizen who opposed taking land away from someone else. Mrs. Darrell advises her husband Mr. Darrell, "the squatter", to think wisely before taking land away from someone who has done them no harm. While Mrs. Darrell has a compassionate soul, Mr. Darrell has a much proud persona as he states that any American land belongs to only U.S. citizens, because they "pay the government price for it". This is an interesting point of view, because one one hand, the reader is introduced to an American citizen who believes that it is his right to reside in U.S. land, no matter if others are already there. On the other hand, there is the advice of his wife, who is also an American citizen, and believes in being thoughtful and compassionate. This side is a point of view that is not seen very often in literature, or in real-life. As a Mexican-American myself, I tend to  not realize that that side exists.