Tattoos On The Heart Analysis

Kinship is a great part of the memoir Tattoos on the Heart, by Father Greg Boyle. Kinship doesn’t have to be a blood relationship with another. Father Greg Boyle says that kinship, to him, means, “not serving the other, but one being one with the other” (188). Father Greg Boyle portrays kinship in many ways, such as in the holidays, beginning of school, and through encouragements. Father Greg Boyle shows an enormous amount of kinship throughout his novel and continues to show it at Homeboys Industries. The Kinship that he shows to everyone changes the workers at Homeboys Industries, cholos, and gang members lives to a better one.

Father Greg Boyle shows kinship during the holidays in Tattoos on the Heart when an orphan calls him on New Years. During their conversation, the orphan tells Father Greg he invited his friends to have dinner because, like him, they don’t have a family. Having dinner with his friends on Christmas day has a good impact on
the orphan because it gives him a better Christmas to experience. The orphan shows kinship because he invites his friends to have dinner, and he thinks about them more at the time. This story shows that kinship isn’t just through blood relationship but also in friendship.

Father Greg Boyle, himself, shows kinship in his novel. A boy who needs to get new clothes comes to Father Greg and tells him he’s afraid to go to school with the clothes he has because they are really old and torn. Father Greg Boyle goes out of his way to buy him new clothes. This story connects to Father Greg Boyle’s definition of kinship because he helps his friend in a time of need. The impact on the boy is that he knows Father Greg Boyle cares for him and he is happy when he goes to school the next day.

Father Greg Boyle works with Homeboys Industries, where people who get out of prison and decide to change their ways are welcome.
Father Greg Boyle hands out a lot of company cards a day to gangbangers to encourage them to come see him at Homeboy Industries. One day, Louie acknowledges the opportunity to see Father Boyle. Father says, “The two of us collapse in laughter and, suddenly, there’s kinship so quickly” (188). This story connects to kinship because Father says that they have kinship right when they met. Kinship has a great impact on Louie because he decides to leave his past behind and change.

In conclusion, this memoir really touched me. It has its funny moments and it also has its sad moments. Kinship is a great part of the novel because if it weren’t for kinship, none of the gangbangers would’ve gotten along in the first place. Father Greg Boyle makes a good decision in making Homeboys Industries and creating kinship between gangbangers who decide to change their
ways.