Geraldo No Last Name
Period 2
March 3, 2011
The Mystery of Geraldo As civilizations transformed from barbaric societies into each individually modernized nations, social hierarchy proved to be inevitable. In the short story, “Geraldo No Last Name” by Sandra Cisneros, a fellow named Geraldo was killed in a fatal hit-and-run tragedy (though he could have been saved if the surgeon had no neglected him), however, his background was a mystery, and no one knew his last name or his existence except for a girl he encountered at a dance, Marin. Marin knew little about Geraldo and yet, she was his only acquaintance at the hospital as the severely injured Geraldo waits for the surgeon. Through the words of the narrator, Geraldo was inferred as a possible illegal immigrant, family-oriented, hard-working at first, but since he went to a dance; he must have strayed from that path and had driven himself to the darker side. In the short story, Geraldo was portrayed as an immigrant, arguably illegal. This provided the readers with information of his position in the social hierarchy, the middle-class immigrants. He was described as, “just another brazer who didn’t speak English. Just another wetback,” by Marin, as her inner conscience battles with each other, fighting for the answer why she is here as Geraldo is just another guy she danced with at a dance. She does not even know his last name, and yet she is at the emergency room with him after witnessing the hit-and-run accident that he was involved in. Geraldo may be an immigrant, but there is a reason why he came to the United States, whatever reason that might be, it had vanished along with the existence of Geraldo. It was revealed through the narrator that Geraldo left his family in Mexico to pursue greater opportunities in America in order to support his loved ones back home. This shows that Geraldo was willing to be separated from his family because he was probably the only one that has the capability to support them. He had risked his
March 3, 2011
The Mystery of Geraldo As civilizations transformed from barbaric societies into each individually modernized nations, social hierarchy proved to be inevitable. In the short story, “Geraldo No Last Name” by Sandra Cisneros, a fellow named Geraldo was killed in a fatal hit-and-run tragedy (though he could have been saved if the surgeon had no neglected him), however, his background was a mystery, and no one knew his last name or his existence except for a girl he encountered at a dance, Marin. Marin knew little about Geraldo and yet, she was his only acquaintance at the hospital as the severely injured Geraldo waits for the surgeon. Through the words of the narrator, Geraldo was inferred as a possible illegal immigrant, family-oriented, hard-working at first, but since he went to a dance; he must have strayed from that path and had driven himself to the darker side. In the short story, Geraldo was portrayed as an immigrant, arguably illegal. This provided the readers with information of his position in the social hierarchy, the middle-class immigrants. He was described as, “just another brazer who didn’t speak English. Just another wetback,” by Marin, as her inner conscience battles with each other, fighting for the answer why she is here as Geraldo is just another guy she danced with at a dance. She does not even know his last name, and yet she is at the emergency room with him after witnessing the hit-and-run accident that he was involved in. Geraldo may be an immigrant, but there is a reason why he came to the United States, whatever reason that might be, it had vanished along with the existence of Geraldo. It was revealed through the narrator that Geraldo left his family in Mexico to pursue greater opportunities in America in order to support his loved ones back home. This shows that Geraldo was willing to be separated from his family because he was probably the only one that has the capability to support them. He had risked his