Summary: What’s so special about gangs? What’s the purpose of entering a gang? Individuals in society devote their lives to gangs. Joining a gang is a mere devotion that can cost the individual their life. Personally, I wouldn’t join any form of cult which can endanger my life to an extreme, such as a gang.
Manny surely viewed the aspect of gang’s differently than me. I’m sure he knew the dangers of gangs, after all, he’s a bright individual. What he lacked was a sense of awareness. Manny decided he was going to go forward the initiation of the gang, even after knowing that brutal assault that comes with it. Manny was not too worried so much about getting hurt, he was just worrying about if he was actually going to get to kiss one of the females that was promised by his friend Frankie.
It was the next day and Manny was surely sore from the beating he had to take. I could only imagine getting hit by others, and not being able to strike back. What a dehumanizing way to get accepted into a cult. When Manny woke up and had gotten ready to meet up with his new ‘gang’, he realized that he had made promises to his mother about doing chores around the house. These chores consisted of cleaning his room, which he did poorly, and raking the leaves outside. When he was done with the chores he grabbed a baseball cap and his old mitt just to look casual as he left his place. The only problem was that Rebecca is not dumb; she does a very good job at analyzing the situations very well. In saying that, she mentioned to Manny that she knows he stopped playing baseball months ago, and it’s too cold to be playing ball. Despite her true accusations, she still left Manny go along.
Manny would later meet with his gang near Long’s Drugstore, by the mall. The crew wanted to steal things, but once someone gave an idea, the other will make an excuse of why not to proceed with the idea. After some time, Eddie ventured off with Manny, after having a hot dispute with Frankie. Manny knew Eddie was up to no good, and that all he wanted to do was just to get away for he can actually steal something with him.
When Eddie decided on which individual was going to be his next prey, he approached her like a cheetah: with haste, but silently, and with caution. As took the purse from the defenseless women, Manny saw him bolt right passed him. Not knowing what to do, Manny began to chase him. Unconsciously, Manny knew it wasn’t doing him any good, so he stopped. Then, he began to think about the situation, and that’s when he found himself. He has finally recognized who he really should be.
Manny went home, to where he belonged. And like the old saying goes, ‘there’s no place like home’.
Quotation: “In that instant of trying to call out Eddie, everything changed. It was like I’d finally seen my own face and recognized myself; recognized who I really should be. Then I didn’t feel like catching up to Eddie anymore… I slowed down to a walk just as the wind and rain were dying” (Martinez 210).
Reaction: One of the most important things about life is finding who one really is. We can’t let society determine what shirt we wear, what cell phone we have, what hairstyle you decide to get, nor the shoes you want to wear. Manny was one of those guys who tried to do what others were doing for he can fit in at times. But now that he has found himself he doesn’t need to do that. The dénouement of Parrot in the Oven, was truly one of my favorites. The novel ended beautifully with Manny describing the irony of his living room: how Rebecca spent so much time making it nice and peaceful, but Victor spend most of his time trying to ruin the unity and the peaceful harmony of the living room.
Manny has found who he truly is, can you?
That’s the true question in life, can one truly find ourselves in the mist of life.
Showing posts with label Term 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Term 2. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Parrot in the Oven; Pages 140- 184
Summary: Help! Someone, hurry, Magda is not feeling well, call 911!
I was just as worried as Manny when Madga came in the house, crying in pain and holding her stomach. Manny didn’t know what was going on, and I sure didn’t know. Though, I did make several guesses in the hope that ill get the cause of her suffering correct. None of my guesses where correct, and I was disappointed. Though I was disappointed, it didn’t mean I was going to stop reading. As I continued to battle my way through these chapters, I realized that she really was about to lose her child. I couldn’t help but notice that Manny was slowly, but surely, becoming a young man and most importantly, a vato firme. Manny assisted his mother when she needed help in taking Magda to the hospital. In doing so, I realized that he was taking on more responsibilities as a character, and showing maturity more often now.
The hospital was not a success though, because the family left the same way they entered: worried about Magda, and not knowing what to do. When they arrived back home, Magda was still not feeling well, and how could she be if no one has treated her yet?
While Magda was in pain, Manny stepped up once more to try and help his mother, but most importantly, his sister that was suffering. He did not have success this time around in trying to help, directly that is. What he merely received for trying to be heroic and trying to convince Rebecca that Magda should go to the hospital was just a smack to the face. Rebecca wanted Manny to go back to bed when she noticed that he was awake, because she feared that his big mouth might wake up Victor. No one wanted to wake Victor up, especially from his sleep because he could be just as dangerous when he’s intoxicated with libation. As the minutes of Magda suffering in pain continued to press on, Manny woke up his father. He surprised everyone by what he did next: he began to help the family with Magda. Victor suggested putting her in water, which was a great idea because it ended up helping Magda with her suffering. It was odd how he knew exactly what to do, and how he decided to help, instead of complaining to Manny for waking him up. Victor showed a change of heart, and in doing so, he probably saved the life of his beautiful daughter Magda.
Some time had passed, and everything seemed to be going well. Victor found a job, and Nardo did as well. Manny helped Nardo at his job, but he didn’t want Nardo’s boss to figure it out because it might hard Nardo’s chances to continue working. Mr. Giddens was not dumb, and he noticed that Manny was helping Nardo distribute the products as a delivery boy. Mr. Gibbens did fire Nardo though; he kept him on the staff, and encouraged Manny to keep helping Nardo with his work. By the way, Manny was the best delivery guy that Mr. Gibbens had around.
Manny was invited to Mr. Gibbens daughter’s party. Though, Dorothy, Mr. Gibbens daughter, did not cordially invite Manny. It was Mr. Gibbens who decided to invite Manny to his daughter’s party, and Dorothy just agreed on it. It was strange hor Mr. Gibbens just happened to invite Manny to his daughter’s party, especially when that was Mr. Gibbens first day talking to Manny. That strange fact alone smelled like trouble. It seemed far too out of Mr. Gibbens way to invite a stranger to his daughter’s party, and on top of that, Dorothy agreed with him (though, at first she didn’t like the fact that Manny was going to be at the party). Then, as Dorothy walked out, she smiled at Manny. Manny knew that she didn’t mean it as a welcoming or acceptance type of smile, it was anything but that. Right then and there, it hit me! Dorothy must have quickly planned something out to make it a living hell for Manny at the party. She did just that, as Manny was eventually driven outside by a few guys, mostly this one tough red-haired gavacho (also, everyone at the party was Caucasian/white). Though the chapter ended with Manny outside with the guys, I knew he was in for it. If Manny doesn’t come up with a good plan, he’s going home defeated. And if he does get defeated, he should kick the bucket on helping Nardo at work for Mr. Gibbens.
Quotation:“I’d stare hard into the mirror and order myself over and over to be strong… be a man!” (Martinez 174).
Reaction:The strong internal conflict shown in the quote is another example of Manny wanting to be a vato firme. Not just a vato firme, but the quote show’s what a novel that’s a bildungsroman is all about. This is one of the best examples of Manny coming of age thus far. It’s clearly stated that he was ordering himself over, and over to be stronger, more importantly, a man. This quote was said when he realized what Magda and Nardo were saying about him needing to be careful at the party was true. Manny couldn’t just walk in there with his chin facing the stars, and walking with a type of swagger that in meant to put himself above everyone else. He didn’t know anybody, and thus, the party was going to house mostly whites, if not, all whites. Manny had courage going to the party; let’s just hope he survived the harassment’s that are bound to happen.
I was just as worried as Manny when Madga came in the house, crying in pain and holding her stomach. Manny didn’t know what was going on, and I sure didn’t know. Though, I did make several guesses in the hope that ill get the cause of her suffering correct. None of my guesses where correct, and I was disappointed. Though I was disappointed, it didn’t mean I was going to stop reading. As I continued to battle my way through these chapters, I realized that she really was about to lose her child. I couldn’t help but notice that Manny was slowly, but surely, becoming a young man and most importantly, a vato firme. Manny assisted his mother when she needed help in taking Magda to the hospital. In doing so, I realized that he was taking on more responsibilities as a character, and showing maturity more often now.
The hospital was not a success though, because the family left the same way they entered: worried about Magda, and not knowing what to do. When they arrived back home, Magda was still not feeling well, and how could she be if no one has treated her yet?
While Magda was in pain, Manny stepped up once more to try and help his mother, but most importantly, his sister that was suffering. He did not have success this time around in trying to help, directly that is. What he merely received for trying to be heroic and trying to convince Rebecca that Magda should go to the hospital was just a smack to the face. Rebecca wanted Manny to go back to bed when she noticed that he was awake, because she feared that his big mouth might wake up Victor. No one wanted to wake Victor up, especially from his sleep because he could be just as dangerous when he’s intoxicated with libation. As the minutes of Magda suffering in pain continued to press on, Manny woke up his father. He surprised everyone by what he did next: he began to help the family with Magda. Victor suggested putting her in water, which was a great idea because it ended up helping Magda with her suffering. It was odd how he knew exactly what to do, and how he decided to help, instead of complaining to Manny for waking him up. Victor showed a change of heart, and in doing so, he probably saved the life of his beautiful daughter Magda.
Some time had passed, and everything seemed to be going well. Victor found a job, and Nardo did as well. Manny helped Nardo at his job, but he didn’t want Nardo’s boss to figure it out because it might hard Nardo’s chances to continue working. Mr. Giddens was not dumb, and he noticed that Manny was helping Nardo distribute the products as a delivery boy. Mr. Gibbens did fire Nardo though; he kept him on the staff, and encouraged Manny to keep helping Nardo with his work. By the way, Manny was the best delivery guy that Mr. Gibbens had around.
Manny was invited to Mr. Gibbens daughter’s party. Though, Dorothy, Mr. Gibbens daughter, did not cordially invite Manny. It was Mr. Gibbens who decided to invite Manny to his daughter’s party, and Dorothy just agreed on it. It was strange hor Mr. Gibbens just happened to invite Manny to his daughter’s party, especially when that was Mr. Gibbens first day talking to Manny. That strange fact alone smelled like trouble. It seemed far too out of Mr. Gibbens way to invite a stranger to his daughter’s party, and on top of that, Dorothy agreed with him (though, at first she didn’t like the fact that Manny was going to be at the party). Then, as Dorothy walked out, she smiled at Manny. Manny knew that she didn’t mean it as a welcoming or acceptance type of smile, it was anything but that. Right then and there, it hit me! Dorothy must have quickly planned something out to make it a living hell for Manny at the party. She did just that, as Manny was eventually driven outside by a few guys, mostly this one tough red-haired gavacho (also, everyone at the party was Caucasian/white). Though the chapter ended with Manny outside with the guys, I knew he was in for it. If Manny doesn’t come up with a good plan, he’s going home defeated. And if he does get defeated, he should kick the bucket on helping Nardo at work for Mr. Gibbens.
Quotation:“I’d stare hard into the mirror and order myself over and over to be strong… be a man!” (Martinez 174).
Reaction:The strong internal conflict shown in the quote is another example of Manny wanting to be a vato firme. Not just a vato firme, but the quote show’s what a novel that’s a bildungsroman is all about. This is one of the best examples of Manny coming of age thus far. It’s clearly stated that he was ordering himself over, and over to be stronger, more importantly, a man. This quote was said when he realized what Magda and Nardo were saying about him needing to be careful at the party was true. Manny couldn’t just walk in there with his chin facing the stars, and walking with a type of swagger that in meant to put himself above everyone else. He didn’t know anybody, and thus, the party was going to house mostly whites, if not, all whites. Manny had courage going to the party; let’s just hope he survived the harassment’s that are bound to happen.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Parrot in the Oven; Pages: 110-139
Summary: He ducks, shuffles to the left, ducks once more, and throws a haymaker! The opponent falls, it’s done! He’s done!
That’s the thrill that went through my mind as I read this chapter. Chapter 7, The Boxing Match, was like a movie, a whole 2 hour movie compacted into just one chapter. At this point in the story Manuel did not get into the school across town. Rebecca’s plans to transfer Manuel didn’t go quite well, and the administration said it was too late. Manuel also mentioned how there was an imbalance in the student body. This could have been due to the fact that most of the student body was primarily white/Caucasian. It’s not like Manny was going to rue the fact that he wasn’t accepted, he was still being himself.
With his friend Albert Sosa, he sat outside eating lunch on a picnic table during school hours. The only reason why those two sat there eating lunch was because they wanted to get a glimpse of Miss Van De Meer. Manny would describe her as the next big thing around the block. Albert and he were obsessed, and I mean obsessed with the women. It didn’t matter if it was cold, those two would have been eating their lunch outside to watch the way she would fluff her hair and fix the collar of her ruffly blouse.
Manny and Albert were interrupted one day by Lencho Dominguez, a tuff guy who loved to box. Lencho knew why Manny and Albert were there at the picnic table, and the rest of the school probably picked up on it as well. When Lencho spoke, he immediately mentioned Miss Van de Meer, and how she teaches a bunch of ‘gavachos’. This is very interesting, for one, gavacho is another term used by Mexicans to describe white people. Like gringo, gavacho is used in the same way. Though, the difference between these words is that gringo has a stronger connotation. Gringo is also most often used by Mexicans, and any other Spanish-speaking individual around the world to describe a white person. Lencho also mentioned that Miss Van de Meer has couches and comfortable chairs in her classroom, which raises the question about equal opportunities. It seems that in Manny’s time, and still today, many Mexicans, and even worse, Hispanics, don’t get the same fair treatment as the non-colored folks do. This is not always true though.
As Manny and Lencho continued to have their dialogue, Lencho asked Manny if Nardo (Manny’s brother) wanted to join the boxing club. Manny didn’t really know if Nardo wanted to box, because if anything, he would have asked Manny, ‘Hey, Manny, do you think I should join Lencho’s boxing team?’ The other problem was that Manny didn’t have a close relationship with his brother lately. In the novel, Manny even mentioned himself that Nardo “hadn’t asked [him] a thing that lately.”
A few days had past, and Manny had realized something that even surprised me: Alberto joined Lencho’s boxing team. Manny said it was a surprise for him because Albert couldn’t punch the wind out of a buddle, not that he’ll try that of course. But it wasn’t only Albert that joined the team, it was this other fellow named Chico. Manny described him as a nice guy, but he also described him as a soft type a guy, a guy who wouldn’t be the bully, but the victim. In knowing that, Manny began to hang around with the boxing team, and helped out as much as he could with the equipment. He had noticed that Lencho wanted Chico and Albert to be as fast as possible, so they did a great deal of conditioning, and Lencho kept them away from the weight machines. Lencho wanted those two to be at their best when it was time for the matches.
ASIDE: Coach Roger’s is the basketball coach and he’s also the coach of the boxing team. Coach Roger’s had a secret weapon on his boxing team: Boise Johnson. Boise is a black individual, as well as a feared one.
A boxing tournament was mentioned in every homeroom, and flyers were stapled everywhere around the school. Finally, when it was time for the fight, Manny was more ready than ever. He took his assistance seriously, like some scientist working on the latest high-tech project, and probably nothing could have stopped him from being ring side. Though, the Berets, the crew Lencho was associated with could have replaced many by the ringside, but they were the only ones. Manny’s job at ringside was to get it organized, so he did in a meticulous manner.
Albert was up to fight first, and his opponent was Rochel Johnson, Boise’s brother. The fight ended soon after it began. Albert only lasted two minutes in the ring with Rochel. For the most part, Albert was backing away from Rochel throughout the whole fight, until Lencho cried, “charge!” With that, Albert charged, but it didn’t do him much good, because Rochel saw him coming from a mile away. Albert tripped and stumbled onto the crowd, and in seeing this, Coach Mazzini mercifully waved the fight over. Chico was supposed to fight the second match, but when Manny was through with taking Albert to the locker room, to his surprise he saw Chico coming in. Unready for the match, and after seeing the damage on Albert, he was about to walk away from it all. That’s when Manny once more stepped up, and told him he can’t back down, unless he’s scared of course. With Manny’s words, Chico got prepared and headed out to the ring. When the first bell rang, Chico immediately began to attack his opponent. He was aiming for his stomach, but mostly hit his arms and shoulders. Chico’s opponent was Malcolm Augustus, who had biology class with Manny. Surprised at first by Chico’s aggressiveness, Malcolm soon clamed down and began to swing back at Chico’s head with jabs. Both fighters were strong until the third round, until Chico got hit with the bomb. Chico was doing somewhat well, until he tried to duck a jab and come inside, but instead ran into Malcolm’s elbow. He was out cold, and there was no way he was getting up. The fight was over! If it wasn’t for the deadly elbow, we might have seen round four!
With the end to Chico’s and Malcolm’s fight, the crowd began to talk about Lencho and Boise, and how they wanted to see them fight. Both were extremely tuff individuals, and there was no knowing who would win, until they settled it in the ring. That’s exactly what had happened too, Lencho and Boise went at it in the ring. The first round was intense; both fighters throwing deadly rights, and combinations. It was the meanest fight of the night, and there was no doubt about it. When the rounds began it was somewhat clear of the winner of all the rounds. Boise was mostly the more aggressive one, the one who threw more blows and actually landed them. Though, Lencho would smile when the blow’s seized to a stop, as if they didn’t faze him one bit. By the third round, Lencho was really in for it, and Manny wasn’t sure what Lencho’s plan to begin with! Boise threw punches that landed like sledgehammers, and when they landed, Manny saw Lencho’s jaw vibrate like electricity just ran through it. More rounds had passed, and the misery didn’t stop for Lencho. But, finally, Mr. Hart rang the bell, the fight was over! Lencho lost the fight! At the fight, Lencho’s crew was there, the Beret’s, and they witnessed it all. Due to the results of the fight, they decided to kick Lencho out, saying that he was an embarrassment to the crew. Manny didn’t leave Lencho alone by the ring though, he knew that he must have felt horrible deep inside. When everybody exited the gymnasium, Manny walked up to Lencho, and began to work on the gloves because Lencho needed them to be unwrapped. Once more, a sign of maturity in Manny was shown, he’s realizing how others are feeling, and trying to comfort them to an extent.
Quotation: "Right then no one was around, except me, and Lencho kept searching for somebody to take off his gloves... I went over and began peeling the tape and undoing the laces-because Lencho wanted somebody to take off his gloves" (Martinez 139).
Reaction: Manny did not only take off the gloves because Lencho needed someone to take them off, I believe that he felt bad for the guy and wanted to abet him. In the novel we have seen Manny coming of age, getting more mature and becoming a man. He’s done many great things that were great examples. For one, he comforted his sister when the father was arrested by the police. And the most recent example of his coming of age is helping Lencho when he was in a sorrow state of mind. The character Manny, which is our protagonist, must have desires, if not, then he’s not a character at all! We are in luck, because I have found the true desire’s of Manny Hernandez, he wants to be a vato firme. A vato firme is the type of guy who people respect.
Manny wants to be respected, and I respect that!
Why? Well, for one, most males want to be respected, and not just viewed as an individual who people could walk all over on.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Parrot in the Oven; Pages: 49-109
Summary:
Consequences…
It’s hard not to be a drunk when you don’t have a job I guess. That’s how Manny surely must see it. His father was at Rico’s one night doing the usual, drinking, talking with some pal’s, and swallowing some of that libation which can surely kill your brain cells. It must do exactly that, because most drunks can’t keep a straight face, and on top of that, walk in a straight line. I have also seen cases were the drunks are irascible, and Manny’s father was surely one of those people. Alcohol, or no alcohol, he was easily angered. While Victor, Manny’s father, kept on wasting every single cent he had in the bar, the rest of the family was at home, getting prepared to eat. The family was about to begin their feast, but then Manny’s mother, Rebecca, decided to go get Victor. Manny stood beside his mother as she went to go get Victor, which showed a sign of maturity. Knowing that his father was probably not going to like being embarrassed by a female telling him to go back to his house, he still wanted to see all go down. When they got to Rico’s, Rebecca searched around for Victor. She found him, in the male’s bathroom of course. Manny described his father as a man who seemed to be untouched, and proud, as if he had his chest out when he walked out of the bathroom. It’s as if the entrance of his wife to tell him to leave the bar didn’t faze him at all. Victor didn’t leave the bar though, he decided to stay there, and Rebecca went back home with Manny. In the meantime, Victor decided to come back home, to only realize that his wife wasn’t there. Now, he was extremely mad about his wife embarrassing him in front of his friends, though she did not intend to do so. He went around looking for his rifle, and when he got it, he began his other hunt: searching for bullets. Victor had told Manny that he was going to shoot his mother, and try to expunge her from the face of the earth. Manny’s words just went through on ear, and out through the other when he was trying to appease him. It’s hard to pacify someone who is drunk to begin with! Once Victor found the supplies he need (the rifle and some bullets), he began his hunt. He went to Rebecca’s friend’s place, that’s where Manny told him that Rebecca was before Manny knew that he was out to kill his mother. Victor found Rebecca, and just chased her around the neighborhood with a rifle in his hand. They ended up in their house after all the chasing was over. By this time, the police was well on their way. When the police arrived, they were able to tell what was going on fairly easily, and Victor’s gun was taken away from him. Victor was then arrested a few seconds after for being is possession of a non-registered firearm. The family didn’t know when he was going to be released, because Rebecca was not going to pay the bail. Manny noticed that his father’s arrest didn’t affect the family as much, but the person who was extremely affected by this was Pedi. When Victor was arrested, Pedi immediately burst into tears. Manny noticed she needed to be comforted, so he stepped up to the job, and acted like an adult as he pacified his little sister.
Life for Manny couldn’t get any worse, but it eventually did. His father was released from prison, and he still couldn’t believe his mother didn’t wise up to leave him. When Victor came back, Rebecca and he immediately began to hug, and say promises to each other. They took turns saying promises. Promises like, I’ll actually get a job and not just look for one (Victor said this). After that first night, things were back to normal: Victor’s tyranny began to set in place once more as he ordered the children around, and did nothing himself. Manny’s grandmother died (from his mother’s side) soon after his father was released from prison. Rebecca was extremely heavyhearted when her mother passed away. Like any other caring daughter, she cried, and cried, and eventually just stared at the ground, motionless, and emotionless.
Some time had passed, probably only a few days, and Magda had a date with her boyfriend. It was safe for her to leave the house, because Rebecca was over her mother’s place, cleaning the house and packing stuff. As for Victor, he was at Rico’s again. Magda wanted Manny to look over Pedi for her, so he did. As for Magda, she soon left the house with her boyfriend who was ready to begin smooching with her by the tree. While Magda was out, Manny got a hold of Victor’s rifle. He examined it, and wondered why his father loved it so much, but he couldn’t find the answers to his own questions. He then took a look then the long, cold barrel of the rifle and saw the last thing he wanted to see for as long as he lived: Pedi. The gun fired, Pedi fell back, and she must have been dead. As Manny recalled, the way she fell back, it was without a doubt that she was dead. There was no way in the world she could have survived, it was at POINT BLANK RANGE! Suddenly, Pedi began to cry, to his relief, he then laughed, and he immediately knew that she couldn’t be crying if he hit her from that close up. Manny’s lucky he’s the worse shooter in the world, because if it wasn’t for his lack of skill, his sister would have had a whole as big as an apple through the center of her face.
Quotation: “He [Nardo] didn’t know why Grandma would want to leave a message for me, but the dream sounded like a warning. I would die alone, he predicted, in a very cold place” (Martinez 86).
Reaction:This quote seems to foreshadow how Manny is going to die. Though, I still don’t know if Manny is going to die or not in this novel, but I can assume that he’s not. The reason why is because the story is told in a first person POV, so, it’s not possible for the narrator, to tell the story, if the protagonist is already dead. The narrator probably can, but it will just be awkward. Thus far, we have seen conflict arise in the novel. The major type of conflict in man vs. man: this is when the father is struggling with his drinking problem. Manny’s desire’s are vague at this point of the story; all we were informed of was that he wanted a baseball mitt at the genesis of the novel.
Consequences…
It’s hard not to be a drunk when you don’t have a job I guess. That’s how Manny surely must see it. His father was at Rico’s one night doing the usual, drinking, talking with some pal’s, and swallowing some of that libation which can surely kill your brain cells. It must do exactly that, because most drunks can’t keep a straight face, and on top of that, walk in a straight line. I have also seen cases were the drunks are irascible, and Manny’s father was surely one of those people. Alcohol, or no alcohol, he was easily angered. While Victor, Manny’s father, kept on wasting every single cent he had in the bar, the rest of the family was at home, getting prepared to eat. The family was about to begin their feast, but then Manny’s mother, Rebecca, decided to go get Victor. Manny stood beside his mother as she went to go get Victor, which showed a sign of maturity. Knowing that his father was probably not going to like being embarrassed by a female telling him to go back to his house, he still wanted to see all go down. When they got to Rico’s, Rebecca searched around for Victor. She found him, in the male’s bathroom of course. Manny described his father as a man who seemed to be untouched, and proud, as if he had his chest out when he walked out of the bathroom. It’s as if the entrance of his wife to tell him to leave the bar didn’t faze him at all. Victor didn’t leave the bar though, he decided to stay there, and Rebecca went back home with Manny. In the meantime, Victor decided to come back home, to only realize that his wife wasn’t there. Now, he was extremely mad about his wife embarrassing him in front of his friends, though she did not intend to do so. He went around looking for his rifle, and when he got it, he began his other hunt: searching for bullets. Victor had told Manny that he was going to shoot his mother, and try to expunge her from the face of the earth. Manny’s words just went through on ear, and out through the other when he was trying to appease him. It’s hard to pacify someone who is drunk to begin with! Once Victor found the supplies he need (the rifle and some bullets), he began his hunt. He went to Rebecca’s friend’s place, that’s where Manny told him that Rebecca was before Manny knew that he was out to kill his mother. Victor found Rebecca, and just chased her around the neighborhood with a rifle in his hand. They ended up in their house after all the chasing was over. By this time, the police was well on their way. When the police arrived, they were able to tell what was going on fairly easily, and Victor’s gun was taken away from him. Victor was then arrested a few seconds after for being is possession of a non-registered firearm. The family didn’t know when he was going to be released, because Rebecca was not going to pay the bail. Manny noticed that his father’s arrest didn’t affect the family as much, but the person who was extremely affected by this was Pedi. When Victor was arrested, Pedi immediately burst into tears. Manny noticed she needed to be comforted, so he stepped up to the job, and acted like an adult as he pacified his little sister.
Life for Manny couldn’t get any worse, but it eventually did. His father was released from prison, and he still couldn’t believe his mother didn’t wise up to leave him. When Victor came back, Rebecca and he immediately began to hug, and say promises to each other. They took turns saying promises. Promises like, I’ll actually get a job and not just look for one (Victor said this). After that first night, things were back to normal: Victor’s tyranny began to set in place once more as he ordered the children around, and did nothing himself. Manny’s grandmother died (from his mother’s side) soon after his father was released from prison. Rebecca was extremely heavyhearted when her mother passed away. Like any other caring daughter, she cried, and cried, and eventually just stared at the ground, motionless, and emotionless.
Some time had passed, probably only a few days, and Magda had a date with her boyfriend. It was safe for her to leave the house, because Rebecca was over her mother’s place, cleaning the house and packing stuff. As for Victor, he was at Rico’s again. Magda wanted Manny to look over Pedi for her, so he did. As for Magda, she soon left the house with her boyfriend who was ready to begin smooching with her by the tree. While Magda was out, Manny got a hold of Victor’s rifle. He examined it, and wondered why his father loved it so much, but he couldn’t find the answers to his own questions. He then took a look then the long, cold barrel of the rifle and saw the last thing he wanted to see for as long as he lived: Pedi. The gun fired, Pedi fell back, and she must have been dead. As Manny recalled, the way she fell back, it was without a doubt that she was dead. There was no way in the world she could have survived, it was at POINT BLANK RANGE! Suddenly, Pedi began to cry, to his relief, he then laughed, and he immediately knew that she couldn’t be crying if he hit her from that close up. Manny’s lucky he’s the worse shooter in the world, because if it wasn’t for his lack of skill, his sister would have had a whole as big as an apple through the center of her face.
Quotation: “He [Nardo] didn’t know why Grandma would want to leave a message for me, but the dream sounded like a warning. I would die alone, he predicted, in a very cold place” (Martinez 86).
Reaction:This quote seems to foreshadow how Manny is going to die. Though, I still don’t know if Manny is going to die or not in this novel, but I can assume that he’s not. The reason why is because the story is told in a first person POV, so, it’s not possible for the narrator, to tell the story, if the protagonist is already dead. The narrator probably can, but it will just be awkward. Thus far, we have seen conflict arise in the novel. The major type of conflict in man vs. man: this is when the father is struggling with his drinking problem. Manny’s desire’s are vague at this point of the story; all we were informed of was that he wanted a baseball mitt at the genesis of the novel.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Parrot in the Oven; Pages: 1-48
Summary: What a start to the new term! I have just finished reading through the first three chapters in Parrot in the Oven, and boy was it amazing. At first there was humor as Manny, the narrator, explained his brother’s failure to holding on to a job. Manny lives by the projects in his hometown with his mother, father, his older brother, Bernardo (Nardo), his older sister, Magda, and Pedi, his younger sister. The father doesn’t have a job, just like Nardo, and he spends his time drinking at a bar where he gets drunk and curses with his friends. Manny mentioned how he came from a blood-line of people who worked hard, like his grandfather, Ignacio. This was evident from the very beginning. Manny was determined to buy a new baseball mitt, so he decided to work on the fields picking chili to earn the money he needed. Nardo went as well after Manny convinced him that he’ll be able to buy new weights. At the fields with them were many “wetbacks”, as Nardo would say. Though he was Hispanic/Latino himself, he still denigrated the Mexicans who worked beside him. Manny’s family was all screwed up, though he did not mention it. He only described the problems that most of his family had, like his father’s drinking issue. The mother was the figure who seemed to hold the family together, and she only wanted the best for Manny. That’s why she wanted to transfer Manny from his previous school, to a much better school across town, where the middle class and some upper class folks resided.
Quotation: “As he reached the door, he swung back around and pointed right at he president’s picture on the twenty-dollar bill, said, ‘Don’t you think I know people like this?’” (Martinez 48).
Reaction: In the quote, Manny was describing his father’s actions right after Manny’s teacher drove off. It was his teacher who gave him the twenty dollar bill right before he drove Manny home. It’s evident in the quote that Manny’s father did not take politely the generosity of Mr. Hate, Manny’s teacher. It wasn’t mentioned in the quote, but the father refused to shake Mr. Hate’s hand. Manny mentioned how his father did not like folks like him: people who wore white shirts, and a black tie. The quotation shows the struggle that Manny has to deal with at home, and it’s not like he’s visiting Utopia every time he goes home. His family is rather broken apart slightly because of the struggles that their going through: his father not having work, his father’s drinking problem, the lack on money, and the lack of communication between family members. The story is told in a first person point of view, and Manny is the protagonist. The antagonists are the Garcia brothers: Bobby (the oldest), Stinky, and Little Tommy. The time of year in the first chapters is summer time, and boy was it hot near Sierra, California! Manny mentioned that one day the temperature had reached 110, and how that summer could have been the worst in the many years that his family lived in the valley desert.
*Additional quotation: “He [Dad] believed people were like money…You could be a thousand-dollar person or a hundred dollar person-even a ten-, five-, or one-dollar person. Below hat, everybody was just nickels and dimes. To my dad, we were pennies” (Martines 25-26).
This quote shows the beliefs of Manny’s father, and its quite obvious the man he grew up to be: classifying people in these groups, and believing that he was better than his wife and children.
Quotation: “As he reached the door, he swung back around and pointed right at he president’s picture on the twenty-dollar bill, said, ‘Don’t you think I know people like this?’” (Martinez 48).
Reaction: In the quote, Manny was describing his father’s actions right after Manny’s teacher drove off. It was his teacher who gave him the twenty dollar bill right before he drove Manny home. It’s evident in the quote that Manny’s father did not take politely the generosity of Mr. Hate, Manny’s teacher. It wasn’t mentioned in the quote, but the father refused to shake Mr. Hate’s hand. Manny mentioned how his father did not like folks like him: people who wore white shirts, and a black tie. The quotation shows the struggle that Manny has to deal with at home, and it’s not like he’s visiting Utopia every time he goes home. His family is rather broken apart slightly because of the struggles that their going through: his father not having work, his father’s drinking problem, the lack on money, and the lack of communication between family members. The story is told in a first person point of view, and Manny is the protagonist. The antagonists are the Garcia brothers: Bobby (the oldest), Stinky, and Little Tommy. The time of year in the first chapters is summer time, and boy was it hot near Sierra, California! Manny mentioned that one day the temperature had reached 110, and how that summer could have been the worst in the many years that his family lived in the valley desert.
*Additional quotation: “He [Dad] believed people were like money…You could be a thousand-dollar person or a hundred dollar person-even a ten-, five-, or one-dollar person. Below hat, everybody was just nickels and dimes. To my dad, we were pennies” (Martines 25-26).
This quote shows the beliefs of Manny’s father, and its quite obvious the man he grew up to be: classifying people in these groups, and believing that he was better than his wife and children.
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