I agree with you, Becca, about seeing where the story goes from here. I've slowed down my reading of the book a little bit, so that I wouldn't be posting about the earlier chapters with knowledge of the later chapters in my head. Anyway, here are my comments on chapters six through eight.
I found chapter six to be an absolutely heart-wrenching account of Antonio's first day of school. I could envision the stampede of children entering the school, and I just love Antonio's brave cry of resolution that he shouts before charging into the school himself. He is trying so hard to be a man for his parents. I can't imagine the traumatizing effect that the laughs of the other children had on him, not to mention the bewilderment of navigating the school system for the first time with a language barrier. I could sympathize with Antonio's eating lunch behind the school. Antonio comments that he now understands what the adults meant when they talk about la tristeza de la vida, and for a seven-year-old, he probably was experiencing the most depressing circumstance of his life so far. The only other thing that might have rivaled this sadness could have been his brothers' departure for war.
Speaking of his brothers, I was excited to see how the family dynamic would be affected by the return of the brothers to the home. I've been silently cheering for the family since the book began, and sometimes hearing how María and Gabriel bicker makes me wonder how they could have ever gotten together in the first place. I read about the return of the Andrés, León, and Eugenio (Andrew, León, and Gene) anticipating that they might restore some cohesion to the family. However, as chapter eight reveals, they don't seem to be too concerned with hanging out with the family.
Interestingly, the older brothers seem to struggle with the same familial expectations that Antonio faces. As they discuss moving away, Andrés asks, "Y, ¿qué hay con nuestros padres?" or "What about Mom and Dad?" which invokes a few moments of silence from the other León and Eugenio. They finally console themselves claiming that Tony would fulfill their dreams by becoming a priest and that they were grown men now anyway. Can anyone identify with these sons? Do you feel pressured by your parents or other family members to fulfill certain roles? Do one or both of your parents have dreams for your career that you do not share? I know that my mom used to want me to be a nurse. I have a profound respect for anyone in the medical profession, but unfortunately I'm really squeamish, and I know that I would not enjoy working in that field. I think my mom is okay with that.
How do you perceive the homecoming of Antonio's brothers? What do you think of their moral character? What do you make of Antonio's multiple references to his brothers as gigantes? Why is this metaphor applicable to his brothers physically, spiritually, relationally, professionally, or otherwise? What do you think of the mention that León sometimes cries like a wild animal, like Lupito?
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