Question

Read the excerpt from "Children of the Drug Wars.”

These children are facing threats similar to the forceful conscription of child soldiers by warlords in Sudan or during the civil war in Bosnia. Being forced to sell drugs by narcos is no different from being forced into military service.

Read the excerpt from Enrique’s Journey.

The MS gangsters decide to retaliate and throw the gangster off the train. Enrique refuses to participate, creating a rift. "If you are MS, you have to kill 18th Streeters. And if you are 18th Street, you must kill MS. I wasn't like that," Enrique says.

After the fight with his friends, halfway through Chiapas, the gang members stop riding with Enrique. That night, without their protection, the six men beat him on top of the train.

How is the author’s purpose similar in both excerpts?
Both describe situations in which people have to leave their country to find a better life.
Both describe situations in which people are expected to commit crimes or face violence.
Both describe situations in which people have the ability to improve their lives by following orders.
Both describe situations in which people are given a choice between doing what is expected or doing what is right.

Answer 1

Both excerpts demonstrate that individuals are forced into crime or violence due to the coercive environments of drug wars and gang culture, underlining the author's purpose of highlighting the lack of choice and the dire consequences faced.

Step-by-step explanation:

The author’s purpose is similar in both excerpts in that they describe situations in which people are expected to commit crimes or face violence. In “Children of the Drug Wars,” the comparison of children forced to sell drugs to child soldiers highlights the lack of choice and the coercion involved. Similarly, in “Enrique’s Journey,” Enrique faces the ultimatum of participating in gang violence or suffering the consequences, which he inevitably does. Both excerpts convey the dire circumstances individuals endure due to the drug wars and gang culture that are pervasive in their environments. The themes revolve around the conflict and the difficult decisions individuals must make when caught between criminal activities and violent repercussions.

Answer 2

The Answer is B on Edge or "Both describe situations in which people are expected to commit crimes or face violence"