Question

Read the lines from The Elements of San Joaquín.

At dusk the first stars appear.

Not one eager finger points toward them.

A little later the stars spread with the night

And an orange moon rises

To lead them, like a shepherd, toward dawn.

How do these lines develop the theme of the hopeless lives of the seasonal workers?

by setting the lines in nighttime from dusk until dawn
by showing that they take no interest in the starry sky
by describing the sky as dark and the moon as orange
by implying that they are unable to wake up at dawn

Answer 1

by showing that they take no interest in the starry sky

The line "Not one eager finger points toward them" shows apathy and lack of hope or dreams; the stars/moon symbolize aspiration or guidance, and the workers’ indifference conveys their hopeless, resigned lives.