and how we value life. In the story‚ “Looking for Work” by Gary Soto‚ tells a story of his younger years where he wanted his family to be like the ones he saw on television because they were wealthy and perfect. In another story‚ “Arm Wrestling with My Father” by Brad Manning‚ who recalls a time where he and his father showed no affection towards one another but changed over time. Being in a similar situation as both of these authors‚ I am able
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Gary Soto’s reflections on his childhood efforts of improving his working-class family are humorous and entertaining‚ yet show the flaws in the era of the family. Fueled by TV shows such as Leave it to Beaver‚ young Gary wanted to make his Mexican-American household more like the idealistic “nuclear families” that he seen on television. However‚ achieving that appealing lifestyle of the white middle-class families proved to be very difficult; especially for families like Soto’s‚ who didn’t fit that
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Final Essay: Gary Soto Gary Soto‚ born on April 12th‚ 1952 is a proud Mexican-American that grew up in a very low class neighborhood in Fresno‚ California with both of his parents (Gillespie‚ Becker 100). Soto exclaimed that he was marginal kid; this means that he could have either ended up in prison or easily graduate from college. He put forth more effort in other things than school‚ such as girls or work. As a child and teen Mr. Soto was never interested in his schooling but he tried his
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narrative written by Gary Soto‚ many different literary elements are used to recreate the experience of his guilty six-year old self. Different elements such as contrast‚ repetition‚ pacing‚ diction‚ and imagery. Soto narrates this story as a young boy at a time when he seems to be young and foolish‚ Soto foolmaking mistakes‚ but at the same time hoping to learn from them. Soto uses each of these devices to convey different occurrences in the narrative. Contrast is used when Soto compares himself
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Is it possible for people to make comments about me for who I am as a person and not my outer appearance? This is the question I constantly asked myself everyday because most of the time I am bombarded with criticisms on how I looked. To put it bluntly‚ I‚ myself‚ have not met the body figure standard of what a Vietnamese woman should be. My family and relatives have always been saying that a Vietnamese girl should have a slim figure. Since I was small‚ I was that chubby girl‚ who loved to eat delicious
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My Mother’s Strength Unlike Gary Soto in “Looking for work.” I didn’t look to the television to imitate what my idea of a family was. My family included my mother‚ my brother and my sister and that was enough for me. I never really focused on not having a dad around; it wasn’t as important as having our mom‚ who was always there for us. Many people believe that to be a productive family there needs to be two parents in the household. However‚ I know different. My mother was both parents and
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The Pie Analysis Gary Soto recalls a time when he was six years old and stole an apple pie. Soto s use of contrast‚ diction and imagery breathe life into his work and give a unique perspective into the mind and motive of a guilty six year old. In Soto s work‚ a reader is impressed by the vast amount of vivid contrasts to illustrate a point‚ not only from a child s view but also from a religious one‚ too. Soto s first sentence is‚ I knew enough about hell to stop me from stealing. I was holy in
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Gary Soto once wrote ‚ ¨ I was the first Chicano to write in complete sentences ¨ (“www.goodread.com/ Gary Soto Quotes”) Knowing that Gary Soto was the first Chicano to write a complete sentence gives me a better understanding of what kind of guy Gary Soto is. He helps kids that speak spanish learn english and builds relationships with the kids he helps. He also explains his compassion and love for the people he loves through his poems. Gary Soto uses imagery and relationships to create a
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The Pie by Gary Soto is about a six years old boy that gives into temptation and steals a pie. He then is faced with guilt and struggles with this guilt through-out the story. We‚ as humans are constantly faced with temptation in our every-day life. When you think about it‚ there isn’t a day that goes by without being tempted. Temptations lie with the food we eat‚ the people we talk to and the choices we are faced with. It can come in many forms. We are tempted to gossip‚ to tell a lie‚ to feel superior
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“Looking for Work” by Gary Soto One July‚ while killing ants on the kitchen sink with a rolled newspaper‚ I had a nine-year-old’s vision of wealth that would save us from ourselves. For weeks I had drunk Kool-Aid and watched morning reruns of Father Knows Best‚ whose family was so uncomplicated in its routine that I very much wanted to imitate it. The first step was to get my brother and sister to wear shoes at dinner. “Come on‚ Rick – come on‚ Deb‚” I whined. But Rick mimicked me and the same
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