Guzman 1

Giovanni Guzman
Professor Adler
English 100 STACC
2 November 2015
Showcasing Childhood Trauma
The ability to transform someone into a respectable person is a difficult task that
requires a strong supporting cast, where they make that person seem loved and wanted. If
there is no feeling of want or love, a person can crumble inside longing for that
mysterious feeling they have never experienced and more often then not they steer off the
wrong path because of it. Many times this type of feeling is due to the family neglecting
the individual and in some cases even abusing the person to the point where they are left
traumatized. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens to Jimmy Santiago Baca, as an
abusive father and a mother that is unresponsive and simply wants a white life in a
white society surround him. This can all be wrapped into what most people call family
issues. It has left our author traumatized at a young age and affected the way he grew up.
In the first chapter of Jimmy Santiago Bacas Personal Narrative, A Place to Stand The
Making of a Poet, Baca uses vivid imagery, hateful tone, and tragedy, to showcase how
family issues affected his perception of people and caused him childhood trauma.
The vivid imagery in A Place to Stand helps demonstrate the certain issues Bacas
family faces that ultimately cause Bacas childhood trauma. Due to consistent fighting
between Bacas parents, Baca is forced to escape their fighting by going into the crawl
space under [their] shack to be alone in [his] own world (7). The crawl space is brought
out to be a sanctuary where Baca is able to escape his troubles and makes him feel safe.

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Even if it is for a brief moment, Baca was able to [drift] in a reverie, which showcased
the type of paradise it was for him (8). Unfortunately for Baca, the crawl space is soon
compromised and it is no longer the refuge it once was. Baca is brought back to reality
when his mother brings a stranger into their home and begins embracing each other and
making love with one another while being directly above Baca. Baca is forced to watch,
unable to do anything as he is dizzy and [terrified] and all [he] could do was brace
[his] knees to [his] chest and hug [himself] in fear as their bodies bucked back and
forth (8). Baca describes himself as sort of a broken child since all he could do after
the event was clutch his knees and wait until it was over. This event not only showcased a
childhood traumatic experience but it also destroyed Bacas barrier of innocence. Due to
the event Baca will no longer have the same innocence he once had and will be forced to
carry the dark images with him throughout his young childhood. The vivid imagery in
these events thus depicts Bacas disturbed childhood experience.
Bacas narrative uses a hateful tone to exhibit his perception of people and how it
affects him in his childhood. Baca never trusted the white man named Richard and it was
evident when Baca described him as a thin pimply-faced man from the other world
(14). It was because of him that forced Baca to keep the secret of the affair between his
mother and Richard away from his father. It was a clear burden on him but he could not
afford to let anyone know. From a young age, Baca was taught not to trust white people
and recalls moments where his father would refuse to go into a store because there were
too many gringos (14). This lesson from his father does not give Baca a good
perception on Richard and ultimately causes the mistrust when he initially meets him.
The hateful tone is even more evident when Baca screams, I hate you towards Richard

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(14). Ever since he came into Bacas life, he has contributed to his own personal mistrust
in white people and his childhood trauma. Both his father and grandfather have had their
own person run-ins with white people and now Baca has his own experience with them
that causes the same mistrust his father and grandfather have. His further hatred towards
Richard is displayed when his own mother leaves him and his siblings for a white life that
she always wanted. This event was foreshadowed when Richard keeps repeating Ill be
so happy and Richard never hid the fact that he hated Baca and his siblings, so it was
left to believe that Richard was going to not see them again. The mothers abandonment
of Baca and his siblings left a traumatic experience in the head of Baca and only left him
to speculate that it could have been his fault she left.
Bacas usage of tragedy displays how his life takes a downward spiral. Even with
the abandonment of his mother and having an abusive alcoholic father, Baca never let it
get to him due to the help of his grandfather. To Baca, his grandpa was his security
blanket, who always reassured him that [his] parents would return to pick them up once
they into [their] new home (17). His grandpa gave him hope to keep moving forward,
even if it was false hope, it was hope that Baca was able to cling on to. Baca loved [his
grandpa] the most and so it was an unexpected turn of events when his grandpa
suddenly died (18). It was at that moment that caused Bacas life to change and cause it to
spiral down. Before Baca was able to come to terms with Grandpas unexpected death,
Mieyo and [Baca] were taken to St. Anthonys Boys Home in Albuquerque (18). While
at the Orphanage, all Baca could think about were his parents and it got him into a
vulnerable stage. He was hopeful that his parents would show up and takes him away but

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Baca did not have the same optimistic tone he once had when his grandpa was reassuring
him.
A Place to Stand The Making of a Poet by Jimmy Santiago Baca is a personal
narrative in which the Author recalls his traumatic childhood experiences and how it
affected his future growth. The narratives usage of vivid imagery, hateful tone, and
tragedy illustrate the painful scenes that Baca was forced to live with.