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VanessaSalinas
ProfessorAdler
STACCEnglish#72051
2November2015

BacavstheWorld

JimmySantiagoBacahasstruggledwithfittingintosocietyandlivinguptoits
standardsmultipletimesthroughouthislife.InBacasnovel,
APlacetoStand
,he
describessignificanteventsthathappenedinhislifeandhowitaffectedthekindof
personhegrewuptobecome.Healsoillustrateshowpoetrysavedhislifefromruin.In
chaptertwo,Bacaexplainsthestruggleshefacedgrowingupinandoutofthejustice
system,suchasputtingupafrontinordertosurvivedaytodaylifewithhispeers.He
constantlyhashopethatonedayhisbrother,Mieyo,wouldrescuehimfromthe
DHome,ordetentioncenter,butwhenthatdaycomes,herealizedthatthelifehehad
alwaysimaginedwasnothingbutadream.Bacasexperiencesduringhisadolescence
greatlyaffectedhisviewoftheworldandsociety.Usingshortsentencesanda
reflective,yetbittertone,Bacaclearlyportrayshowhishardshipsandselfdeprecating
thoughtsfrombeingabandonedaffectedhim.
Throughoutthebeginningofthechapter,Bacadescribeshoweverychildliving
atthedetentioncenterwas...trainedtofeelnothing(20).Byusingshortsentences,

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Bacaillustratesdaytodaylifelivinginandoutofthejusticesystemandconnectsitto
histhoughtsonbeingleftbehindbyhisfamily.Henotedthatallthekidsappearedtobe
numbtotheirenvironmentandlivedbythesystem.Duringhistimeatthedetention
center,Bacahadwitnessedoneofthekidsgetstabbedbyanother.Itdisturbedhimbut
hewasmostlybewilderedbyhowtheotherkidslivinginthedetentioncenterreacted.
Bacanoted,Suspicionhelpedthemtosurvive,asdiddenyingtheirfeelings,especially
fear(21).Thisobservationmadehimrealizethathehadtobecomelikethem.He
begantohidehistruefeelingtoothersinordertofitin.Thisincludedhisinabilityto
read.Bacasemphasisonfear,beingoneofthefeelingsthekidswoulddeny,shows
thathehimselfbegantohidethoseemotions.Hewouldnotshowanyweaknessthat
otherscouldexploithowever,thisleadtoaconstantinternalstrugglewithhisviewson
society.
WhenBacawasforcedtoattendschool,hetoldnoonethathewasstrugglingin
hisclassesinfearofbeingmadefunoforbeatenup.Healreadyhadasenseof
lonelinesslivingatthedetentioncenterandfrombeingabandonedbyhisfamily.
However,goingtoschoolmadehimfeelevenmorelonelyandevenashamed.Baca
begantoputupafrontjustliketheothersattheDHome.Hisreflectiveandbittertone
describinghisstruggleatschoolshowstheinternalconflicthehadwithwhyhisfamily
lefthim.Bacawrites,Idbeguntofeelearlyonthatthestateandsocietyatlarge
consideredmeastainontheirillusionofaperfectAmericaIfeltlikeanuisanceI


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suspectedthatifbasichumandecencydidntwarrantit,societywouldgladlydismiss
me(2829).Histoneshowsthatheblamedsocietyforwhyeveryoneinhislifehad
abandonedhim.Bacablamedtheuppermiddlewhiteclasssocietyinparticularforwhy
hismotherlefthimandhisbrother.Thisviewofsocietycausedhimtodownfallinto
troubleitwasthereasonofwhyhewasalwaysinandoutofjailordetentioncenters.
Bacawasangryattheworldandwasreadytofightback.
AnotherexampleofhowhistonerelatestohisinternalstrugglewaswhenBaca
accidentallyburnedababyhewasholdingwhilehewassmokingacigarette.Hewrites,
Idontknowwhyhisscreamaffectedmesodeeply.Perhapsitechoedthesentiments
ofmymotherandthenuns,whoinsinuatedthatIwasthecauseofallthepainandhurt
inmyfamilyslife.Perhapsitwasthesamechillingscreamthatwasburiedinmeand
nevercameout(28).Bacawastriggeredbythebabyandhadremembered
momentsthatleadhimtoblamehimselfforwhyhisfamilywasdysfunctional.His
musingsshowedhisconstantwhatifthoughtshehadatthedetentioncenterandeven
throughouthistimegrowingup.Bacawasscaredofbeingaloneintheworld.Hecould
notshowanyweaknessesorelsehewouldbepickedonorhisfearwouldbecome
evenmoreofanrealitythanitalreadywas.
Inthefinalanalysis,Bacafacedmanyhardshipsandaconstantinternalstruggle
frombeingabandoned.Histoneanduseofshortsentencesportrayshisfearofbeing


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aloneintheworldandangeratsocietyforbeingthefundamentalcauseinhisfamilys
dysfunctionality.