AdamGutierrez

Period3
2/4/15
OneHolyNight&Bread5Quotes

Werippedbigchunkswithourhandsand
ate.Thecarapearlbluelikemyheartthat
afternoon.Smellofwarmbread,breadinboth
fists,atangoonthetapeplayerloud,loud,
loud,becausemeandhim,weretheonly
oneswhocanstanditlikethat,likeifthe
bandoneon,violin,piano,guitar,bass,were
insideus,likewhenhewasntmarried,like
beforehiskids,likeifallthepainhadnt
passedbetweenus.(PG#1)

Thisquoteemphasizesafeelingofregretwith
thedictionused.Theconnectionmadewith
thebreadandthedetailsofthemanspast
illustratetothereaderthatastheyreeating
thebread,itisalmostasiftheyreeating
awayattheirpastconflictsandtroubles.
WhentheauthorstatesLikewhenhewasnt
married,likebeforehiskids,likeifallthe
painhadntpassedbetweenus.,this
emphasizesthatthemanwaspossibly
cheatingonhisspousetodrainoutany
possiblepain.Ifindthisquoteinteresting
becauseIbelievethatthereisadeeper
connectionbetweenthechunksofbreadand
thepastofthetwoindividualsinthisexcerpt.
Ibelievethattheauthorusestheeatingofthe
chunksofbreadtosymbolizehowindividuals
insocietymayseektotemporarilyrelieve
themselvesofpainthroughpossibleimmoral
means,suchasthemanchoosingtoeatthis
chunkofbreadwiththeprotagonistofthis
excerpt.

Drivingdownstreetswithbuildingsthat
remindhim,hesays,howcharmingthiscity
is.AndmerememberingwhenIwaslittle,a
cousinsbabywhodiedfromswallowingrat
poisoninabuildinglikethese.Thatsjust
howitis.Andthatshowwedrove.Withall
thisnewcitymemoriesandallmyold.Him
kissingmebetweenbigbitesofbread.(PG
#1)

Thisquotedwellsdeeperintothehistoryof
theprotagonistandtheman,showingthe
romanticbondthatisbeginningtodevelop
betweenthetwo.Italsoprovidesinsighton
thebriefhistorybetweenthemanandthe
protagonistofthestory,showinghowthey
bothshareasimilarconnectionthroughtheir
oldmemoriesofthecitytheyreroaming.I
likethisquotebecauseitallowsmetorelate
tothatsenseofconnectionbetweenmy
hometownandthepeoplearoundmewho
sharethosesimilarexperiences.Althoughthe
excerptwasveryvagueonthereasoning
behindwhythemanandtheprotagonistof

thestoryengagedinromanticaffairs,thereis
somesenseofsymbolismtheauthoristrying
toportrayinthissectionofthetext.Ibelieve
thattheauthoristryingtotapintothefeelings
ofregretthatweasindividualsmayhave,and
thebondthatwesharewiththethingsaround
us.Thoughasseenthroughtheaffairofthe
manandtheprotagonist,theauthor
demonstratesthattheresponsibilitiesthat
accumulateinourlivescancauseustohave
somedesiretobreakfreefromthatsituation.
Throughtheauthorsuseofdiction,Icansee
thatthecharactersmaydecidetoact
rebellioustofulfilltheirowndesireandto
breakfreefromtheresponsibilitiesenacted
ontothembysociety.
Aboutthetruth,ifyougiveittoaperson,
thenhehaspoweroveryou.Andifsomeone
givesittoyou,thentheyhavemade
themselvesyourslave.Itisastrongmagic.
Youcannevertakeitback.(PG#2)

Whatthisquotesaysinthisparticularsection
ofthetextisthattruthcanbeapowerthatcan
beusedtomanipulatepeopleandto
manipulatethosearoundyou.Thequote
emphasizeshowbeingtruthfultosomeone
cangrantthemthispoweroveryou,andbe
abletohaveamoresolidinsightaboutyou.
Thisquoteseemstoemphasizeboththe
importanceofthetruth,andhowitcanbe
possiblyusedtoexposecertaintypesof
people.Forexample,ifacorporationwereto
berunningahugemonopolyandrippingall
ofitsconsumersoff,therewouldbeaperson
whowouldexposethetruthofthatcompany.
Inturn,thatpersonwouldhaveahighamount
ofpoweroverthatcompanyandthatperson
couldbendthecompanytotheirwillifthey
desired.Ibelievethatthisquotedemonstrates
howthetruthisapowerfultoolthatcanbe
thelightthatshedsforsome,butalsocanbe
judgementdayforthosewhoareinthe
wrongandthetruthistheonlyoptionto
exposethemoftheirwrongdoings.

Iwashappy.Ilikedstayinghome.Abuelita
wasteachingmetocrochetthewayshehad
learnedinMexico.AndjustwhenIhad
masteredthetrickyrosettestitch,theletter

Whatthisquotedemonstratesisthehugelie
thatthe8thgradegirlwasbeingtoldbyBoy
Baby.Thefantasiesshewoulddreamof
cloudedherjudgementandenrolledherinto

camefromtheconventwhichgavethetruth
aboutBoyBabyhowevermuchwedidnt
wanttohear.Hewasbornonastreetwithno
nameinatowncalledMiseria.Hisfather,
Eusebio,isaknifesharpener.Hismother,
Refugia,stacksapricotsintopyramidsand
sellsthemonaclothinthemarket.Thereare
brothers.SisterstooofwhichIknowlittle.
theyoungest,aCarmelite,writesmeallthis
andpraysformysoul.WhichiswhyIknow
itsalltrue.BoyBabyisthirtysevenyears
old.HisnameisChatowhichmeansfatface.
ThereisnoMayanblood.(PG#5)

thismindsetinwhichshebelievedthatBoy
Babyactuallylovedher,andthathewas
somekindofsignificantbeingintheworld.
Wheninreality,BoyBabywasagrownman
whomofwhichshehadbeenclaimedasa
victimofwhatappearedtoberape.This
quoteinterestedmebecauseitdemonstrated
thatthe8thgradegirldidnotentirelytakethe
truthofBoyBabyseriously,andalthoughshe
wasnowpregnantinthe8thgrade,she
seemedtonotseeanissuewithit.Ibelieve
thattheauthormaybetryingtoaddressthe
issuesregardingteenpregnancyandissues
concerningpedophilliainoursociety.
ThroughtheauthorsdescriptionofBoyBaby
andtheprotagonistreactiontowardsfinding
outthetruthabouthim,thisshowsthatthe
8thgradegirlmayhavelackedthereasoning
tounderstandthatshebroughtherselfintothe
typeoftroublethatishardtocomeoutof.
Theauthoraddressestheissueofbothteen
pregnancyandpedophilliabyusingthe8th
gradersperspectiveofthesituationto
possiblyillustratewhytheseissuesmaybe
happeningtodayinoursocietybringingupa
controversialpointthatloveatayoungage
maynotbeinachildsbestinterest,asitmay
leadtocasessuchastheoneinthisstory.

Allmygirlcousinshereeitherdonttalkto
me,orthosewhodo,askquestionstheyre
tooyoungtoknownottoask.Whattheywant
toknowreallyishowitistohaveaman,
becausetheyretooashamedtoasktheir
marriedsisters.Theydontknowwhatitisto
laysostilluntilhissleepbreathingisheavy,
fortheeyesinthedimdarktolookandlook
withoutworryatthemanbonesandtheneck,
themanwristandmanjawthickandstrong,
allthesaltydipsandhollows,thestiffhairof
thebrowandthesourswirlofsideburns,to
lickthefatearlobesthattasteofsmoke,and
stareathowperfectisaman.(PG#6)

Thisquotefurtherlyaddressesthepedophillic
andrapistissuesinoursocietyby
demonstratingthedenialthe8thgradegirlis
facinginthisquote.Thegirljustifiesthatthis
situationwasmerelythecauseofhavinga
man,andbysayingthatthegirlsdonot
understandofhersituationbecauseofthatis
showingthatshemaybeindenialofthe
situationhappening.Ifoundthisquote
interestingbecauseoncethegirlstarted
progressingintoherpregnancystages,she
wouldnotbeabletograduatewiththerestof
the8thgradeclass,andsoshewouldfeellike
shewasmisunderstoodbyherpeersandthe
adultsaroundher.Ibelievethattheauthoris

tryingtoillustratetheperspectiveofarapist
victimandshowthedenialthattakesplacein
theirminds,andhowsomemayjustifythe
consequencesasbeingaresultoflove
ratherthanthembeingforcedintosomething
theydidnotentirelywanttotakepartof.