There are Snakes Out Thereby Juan Pablo VillalobosThere was one guy who was in a gang who actually threatened to beat me up. It was at school, and he believed he was in charge because he was with this gang—and that’s when I felt like I was in danger. And all for a silly little thing. I was talking to a girl in my class about an assignment, and he thought I was flirting with his girlfriend. And for that one silly little thing he wanted to take my life.I had to change schools, but even then, there was a time when they came after me. When I got out of school they chased me and wanted to kill me. But I managed to escape; I ran off and got on one of the school buses that took me home. But I didn’t feel safe anymore, I was afraid they might come around the corner and kill me at any minute. They had blades, knives, they could have had guns. I’d heard that they’d whacked other kids and that was when I started to worry that they might do something bad to me or my family, because back there anything can happen; it’s not safe at all. The guys in these gangs can kill your whole family."“There are Snakes Out There” from THE OTHER SIDE: Stories of CentralAmerican Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border by Juan PabloVillalobos. Copyright © 2019 by Juan Pablo Villalobos Alva. Reprinted by permissionof Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books For Young Readers. All Rights Reserved."QuestionUse the passage to answer the question.Which universal theme is developed in this passage?(1 point)ResponsesActing without thinking always has negative consequences.Acting without thinking always has negative consequences.Human cruelty toward others results in fear and vulnerability.Human cruelty toward others results in fear and vulnerability.Having enough money leads to less anxiety and uncertainty.Having enough money leads to less anxiety and uncertainty.Standing up to a bully is always the best option.Standing up to a bully is always the best option.
1 answer
The universal theme developed in the passage is: Human cruelty toward others results in fear and vulnerability.
The narrator expresses feelings of danger, fear, and vulnerability due to the violent actions of gang members, highlighting the impact of human cruelty on individuals.
