Zachariah Nace

Mrs. Clairmont

Pre-AP ELA-9 period 3

March 30, 2023

Some people have been made fun of because of their looks. Some people feel

smaller than others because of that. In “The Jacket” by Gary Soto, a boys jacket got to small for

him and his parents got him a new jacket. The boy's mom got him a jacket and it was the ugliest

thing in the world . Soto uses imagery, personification and antagonist to develop the theme of

action speak louder than words

Soto used imagery to create the theme of action speak louder than words. For

example, Soto said,” I described something like bikers wear: black leather and silver studs with

enough belts to hold down a small town…”(1). This shows imagery because when Soto says

black leather and silver studs with enough belts to hold down a small town it helps imagine what

the the jacket that he wanted looks like. Imagery builds theme by helping you see what Gary

Soto wanted. This is how Soto used imagery to create the theme action speak louder than words

for the short story named the jacket.

Soto uses personification to create the theme of action speak louder than that

words. For instance, Soto said, ”I discovered draped on my bedpost a jacket the color of day-old

guacamole. I threw my books on the bed and approached the jacket slowly, as if it were a

stranger whose hand I had to shake”(1). This shows personification because Soto wasn’t sure

what was draped on his bedpost, and he thought that it was something else. Personification

creates the theme when he said that he threw his books on his bed and he approached the jacket
slowly because he didn’t know what it was at first. For these reasons Soto used personification to

create the theme action speak louder then words in the short story the jacket.

Soto uses antagonist to create the theme action speak louder than words

For example, Soto said, “During morning recess Frankie T the playground terrorist, pushed me

down to the ground and told me to stay there until recess was over … I saw there heads bob with

laughter, their hands half covering their mouths”(3). This shows the literary device antagonist

because the antagonists are the people who were laughing at him and judging him. Antagonist

builds theme because if he did get the jacket then he would be treated better and he wouldn’t be

laughed at nor judged ecause of his looks. For these reasons this is how Soto used antagonist to

create the theme action speak louder than words.

Soto was bullied because of what his jacket looked like. He felt smaller and

insecure because of people that were bullying and laughing at him. In “The Jacket” by Gary

Soto, Soto‘s jacket got too small for him and his mom got him a new jacket. His mom got him a

jacket and it had the color of a day old guacamole and it was the ugliest thing in the world. The

point of the theme action speak louder than words is even though that Soto didn’t hear people

laughing at him, he could see their head bob and he knew that people were laughing at him.

People should care about this theme because for example have you ever seen someone being

laughed at for their looks?