After unintentionally murdering his brother, Diego, Miguel Castañeda sought a new beginning in Mexico. While he occasionally slipped into a realm of memories, the young teen learned to appreciate time’s precious value and his limited chances for redemption. From a group home to the vast ocean and back again, Miguel Castañeda endured an arduous journey ending with acceptance. As he traveled around the United States in an attempt to escape his sentence, Miguel discovered that simply evading his problems actually proved to be more difficult than confronting them head-on. Through the use of multiple settings in We Were Here, Matt De La Peña highlights the complexity of coming to terms with one’s irreversible mistakes.

Since the conflict originates inside Miguel’s mind, he often drifts from reality and brings the reader into his memories. A majority of the flashbacks the author uses mainly involves Diego and their father, creating a comforting and nostalgic atmosphere. For instance, Miguel recalls how Diego “thinks up lies faster than anybody you could ever meet,” (De La Pena 13) when reminiscing about their close encounter with trouble. All the past laughter and jokes shared between the brothers formed a secure, lighthearted environment. In addition, Miguel allows the memory of playing basketball with his father to engulf him. At the time of the event, the youngster expressed humiliation as he watched his father run around the court in military attire. (De La Pena 275) Despite Miguel’s bashfulness, he would certainly sacrifice his most valuable possessions if it meant reliving that moment. “I remember sometimes after I’d still go to the gym, when nobody else was in there, and stare at the faded black marks his boots made, remembering how I said he was dead even though he was still alive. Most people couldn’t even see ‘em anymore, the scuff marks, but I could.” (De La Peña 276) Flashbacks such as these serve as Miguel’s only escape into harmony by conveying familial bonds and emotional significance. Furthermore, the constant use of past scenarios demonstrates Miguel’s desperation to rewind time and experience the life he took for granted. His refusal to confront the present and desire to surround himself in the past shows the severe scale of his crime. De La Peña uses previous events to tangle up Miguel’s emotions, restraining him from accepting his actions and moving forward.

Although Miguel could not take steps towards emotional change, he did take steps towards the Mexican-American border. Along the rugged landscape, the author utilizes constant changes in setting to illustrate the teenager’s lost state. At the novel’s start, Miguel’s arrival at the Lighthouse depicted the first stage in his journey, with the boy still reeling from the unexpected incident. De La Peña establishes the feeling of discomfort, emphasizing Miguel’s urge to leave the facility. Although the group home’s intentions included a counseling service, Miguel had not fully comprehended his crime yet and noted the facility’s close resemblance to a prison. This portrayal of the setting communicates the dilemma created during the self-acceptance process. Eventually, Miguel fled the suffocating building and the story followed him through to a tranquil coastline, but his confusion grew along with the distance he covered. At last, when the boy and his companions settled for shelter at the beach house, Mong drowned himself shortly after. (De La Peña 193) Therefore, the ocean scenery provides a message that a seemingly-peaceful beauty can turn deadly at any given second. This relates to Miguel’s journey towards salvation - despite high encouragement to face his actions, the cautious teen feared rejection and isolation from loved ones. Following Mong’s supposed death, Miguel reluctantly headed toward Mexico and suddenly felt the urge to turn back. (De La Peña 219) After the repetitive pattern of wandering aimlessly, the young convict glimpsed the finish line in sight - or so he thought. Once again, Miguel’s surroundings triggered waves of realization when he determined that crossing into Mexico would not solve his conflicts, but rather, enhance them. After multiple agonizing days spent contemplating his decisions, this desire to embrace the future steered Miguel back onto a path of restitution.

It took the dispirited juvenile a trip across America to come full-circle and seek comfort in the group home for the first time. De La Peña used this return as a method of demonstrating how self-acceptance starts at home. Venturing across unwelcoming lands, hiding from the police, and disposing of his predicaments in America only fueled Miguel’s guilt. In the end, an escape from the past lead to a void filled with heartache. “I thought how I couldn't just stay kneeling in the street for the rest of my life. I had to get up at some point. So I did. It wasn't like I was sick or anything. And it wasn't like if I stayed kneeling in the street Diego would come back.” (De La Peña 353) This quote demonstrates a drastic change in character. Miguel once regarded the group home as a prison, but he came to understand that in a frantic attempt to bury grief, he actually trapped himself in a cell of denial. Every step he took away from the Lighthouse brought him farther from recovery. Towards the end of the novel, the characters began viewing the facility in a different light, noting that they did not have to move an inch to find their earnest desires. Reform had always been within an arm’s reach, but not within their hearts’ range - although change hovered nearby, none of the group home members could achieve it without recognizing their emotions. De La Peña emphasizes that redemption begins with the acknowledgment of one’s mistakes, along with the urge to confront adversity; when an individual lacks both, reform remains impossible. We Were Here starts and concludes with the same location, showing that self-acceptance includes a demanding quest that ceases with embracing the current situation.

The changes in setting throughout the novel communicate Miguel’s growth and development from a shameful convict to a boy seeking a fresh start. Miguel’s memories, the ocean, and the Mexican-American border represent various stages of the youngster’s journey. Along the adventure, engulfing thoughts lured Miguel away from reality and resulted in his loss of sanity. From one setting to another, the characters endured mentally-challenging events and came full-circle to acknowledge their pasts. Miguel’s travel initially started as a plan for escape but transformed into a lesson of moving forward from his lowest point. While one may physically walk a mile with ease, the mind needs greater effort to take a single step; only then will the true journey begin.