Father Gregory Boyle Character Analysis

The world is a messed up, twisted little place where those who do not fit the mold are pushed aside. When many notice that they do not fit the mold, they begin to rebel and speak out against what is considered to be normal or conventional;these people are known as advocates. Advocates see what is wrong in the world, actively tries to fix it and chastises the world for acting wrongly. Two examples of successful advocates are Malala Yousafzai and Father Gregory Boyle. Malala is an 18 year old girl from Pakistan who fights for equal rights for girls all around the world. Greg Boyle is a 61 year old man from Los Angeles who is a Jesuit priest, gang interventionist, and CEO of Homeboy Industries. In order to become a successful advocate, like Malala and Greg Boyle, one must have faith in God and themselves, possess courage, be compassionate and obtain a
His line of work is not the safest. He works in Boyle Heights, a section of Los Angeles, CA; it is often known as “the gang capital of the world”. He is often surrounded by dangerous situations. the most dangerous thing about his job is the fact that many of the gang members have been told that they are less than humans. Greg argues that, “... our collective task is to suggest that ‘ENOUGH’- enough gifts, enough talent, enough goodness. When you have enough, you have plenty” (201). Greg lets the gang members know that they are enough because their behavior shows that no one has honestly cared enough to let them know the truth. It takes courage to let someone know that they are enough because it is not something that is easy to do. He goes on to explain that, “ … we see in the homies [gang members] what they don’t see in themselves” (201). Greg has courage because he affirms the greatness in people who have only seen the bad in themselves. Courage helps successful or “faithful” advocates to reach those who have been