Literary Analysis Of Tangerine
Tangerine Literary Analysis Everyone has a role model. For some people it is a celebrity, for others it is a family member, and sometimes it is just a random person you know. For Paul, in the book Tangerine by Edward Bloor, that person is Luis. Luis’ actions positively affected Paul by allowing Paul to become a harder worker, braver, and finally deciding to stand up to Erik. One choice that Luis makes that really affected Paul is how hard Luis works to keep the groves in good shape. When Paul goes out to help with the groves he sees Luis. Luis is the group Leader and fights through the pain and “twenty-four degree temperatures” (Bloor 224) to save as much of the grove as he possibly can. Paul witnesses this and is amazed,
so he works harder than he ever thought he would which taught him a good lesson in effort and helps Paul to view himself as a more mature and hard working person. Paul sees Erik as a mean, intimidating person. Luis sees none of that. What Luis sees is a coward who only cares about himself. The fact that Luis is not scared of Erik in the least is something that Paul admires greatly. Paul is at a loss for words because he doesn't know how he could “be so totally afraid, and Luis be not the slightest bit afraid of the exact same thing” (Bloor 229). Paul is dumbfounded by this braveness and tries to incorporate this into his own life. The final, and in my opinion biggest choice Luis made that changed Paul was when Luis confronted Erik. Paul saw how Luis was right, Erik did not fight Luis. Instead he had Arthr sneak up behind him. This led up to Paul to also standing up to Erik. “I understood I was supposed to be terrified, but for once in my life I wasn’t” (Bloor 261). This changes Paul's relationship with Erik and helps Paul take a big step forward in his life. These choices made by Luis helped to carve Paul into the polished young man he is at the end of the book. Although Luis died, his legacy will live on through Paul. He will always be remembered in the hearts of every person he affected in the book Tangerine.
so he works harder than he ever thought he would which taught him a good lesson in effort and helps Paul to view himself as a more mature and hard working person. Paul sees Erik as a mean, intimidating person. Luis sees none of that. What Luis sees is a coward who only cares about himself. The fact that Luis is not scared of Erik in the least is something that Paul admires greatly. Paul is at a loss for words because he doesn't know how he could “be so totally afraid, and Luis be not the slightest bit afraid of the exact same thing” (Bloor 229). Paul is dumbfounded by this braveness and tries to incorporate this into his own life. The final, and in my opinion biggest choice Luis made that changed Paul was when Luis confronted Erik. Paul saw how Luis was right, Erik did not fight Luis. Instead he had Arthr sneak up behind him. This led up to Paul to also standing up to Erik. “I understood I was supposed to be terrified, but for once in my life I wasn’t” (Bloor 261). This changes Paul's relationship with Erik and helps Paul take a big step forward in his life. These choices made by Luis helped to carve Paul into the polished young man he is at the end of the book. Although Luis died, his legacy will live on through Paul. He will always be remembered in the hearts of every person he affected in the book Tangerine.