In the short fictional story “Broken Chain” Gary Soto begins drawing in the reader’s attention by describing Alfonso pushing back his teeth because he felt inadequate about his appearance and was trying to fix his teeth on his own because his parents could not afford braces. I immediately felt compassion for this character. I immediately wanted to know what was going to happen next‚ that’s when I learned he met a girl and needed to borrow his brothers bike. First the story
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Our experiences and the choices we make when we are young help shape who we are as we get older. In "Oranges" by Gary Soto‚ the narrator recalls a memory from his childhood - the first time he goes on a date with a girl. The boy is young and probably a little scared at first‚ but things turn out well and the date with the girl seems to have an impact on him later in life. We don’t know anything about the narrator when he is older but he seems like a likable person. He tries to make the girl happy
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In the passage‚ “A Summer life” by Gary Soto. He writes an autobiography about his childhood past. One summer day‚ where he stole a pie from the market. Knowing it was a bad idea‚ he still did it anyways. In the pie-stealing passage from his autobiography‚ Gary Soto presents his guilty six-year-old self through descriptions of his guilt‚ through references to religion‚ and through his paranoid belief that everyone can see what he has done. Gary Soto’s guilt is first made clear by his descriptions
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Work” by Gary Soto‚ tells a story of his younger years where he wanted his family to be like the ones he saw on television because they were wealthy and perfect. In another story‚ “Arm Wrestling with My Father” by Brad Manning‚ who recalls a time where he and his father showed no affection towards one another but changed over time. Being in a similar situation as both of these authors‚ I am able
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In both poems “Oranges” and “Fair Trade” by Gary Soto‚ the author explores the recurring theme of compassion and pride. Both poems have several ways to show the theme. The poem “Oranges” is about young love and knowing how it once felt. At the beginning of the poem‚ I get the sense that the boy is a little apprehensive in meeting his girl as he states‚ “Cold and weighted down / with two oranges in my jacket.” Certainly two oranges aren’t going to weigh anyone down‚ therefore the image described must
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wanted to get away from your normal everyday life? In Gary Soto’s poem‚ “Saturday at the Canal‚” the poet tells of a seventeen-year old boy who is leading a very monotonous life and one that he wishes to get away from. Using First-Person‚ the boy feels that his life is boring and by leaving his home town he will find happiness. He also feels that his life lacks purpose and going away will show him that his life has worth and purpose. Gary Soto uses personification‚ metaphors‚ and rich imagery to
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Has the area you lived in ever affect how you treated others? In petty crimes written by Gary Soto gives readers a collection of stories about Mexican- American children growing up trying to find their place in a cruel world filled with gangs. These children are from central California‚ United States Of America. Where the weather is nice and warm with the sun shining bright above them. The protagonist consists of La Guera‚ and Mario. The antagonist is Laura‚ José Luis‚ and Norma. In
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In the story‚ “Seventh Grade”‚ Gary Soto creates a character that faces challenges with impressing his crush. As Victor tries to win Teresa over with embarrassing tactics his French teacher helps him to not embarrass himself in front of Teresa. So does Victor actually learn from his experience? Does he have responsibility in the problem he has caused? In the beginning of the story Victor decides that in his seventh grade year he is going to get a girl named Teresa. Victor soon discovers
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At one point in your life you probably created a huge problem for yourself. However‚ you most likely did not solve that problem without seeking help. “La Bamba” written by Gary Soto is a rare case. The story features a boy named Manuel who decides to sing in his school’s talent show. Unfortunately‚ during his moment the record sticks to one verse and Manuel is forced to sing along. The performance was embarrassing‚ but he became popular. This story shows how one character archetype can solve a problem
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“Looking for Work” by Gary Soto One July‚ while killing ants on the kitchen sink with a rolled newspaper‚ I had a nine-year-old’s vision of wealth that would save us from ourselves. For weeks I had drunk Kool-Aid and watched morning reruns of Father Knows Best‚ whose family was so uncomplicated in its routine that I very much wanted to imitate it. The first step was to get my brother and sister to wear shoes at dinner. “Come on‚ Rick – come on‚ Deb‚” I whined. But Rick mimicked me and the same
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