Looking For Work -- Gary Soto

     I've read some of Gary Soto's works before so I knew I was in for a treat; however, after glancing at the title, I was reminded of how our nation is in a weak economic state. I wasn't sure if this was going to be somewhat of a dull story, dealing with a man who couldn't find a job. Luckily, I was wrong. This story was one from the point of view of a young boy, growing up and searching for a profound way to make his family "perfect," like the families on television. I really enjoyed this short story and a lot of what was discussed I could relate to.
     I was incredibly compelled by just the first paragraph. Soto says, "One July, while killing ants on the kitchen sink with a rolled newspaper, I had a nine-year-old's vision of wealth that would save us from ourselves. For weeks I had drunk Kool-Aid and watched morning reruns of Father Knows Best, whose family was so uncomplicated in its routine that I very much wanted to imitate it. The first step was to get my brother and sister to wear shoes" (27). I think this first paragraph says so much. I really connected to the relaxing image of summer time portrayed: lazy mornings, killing the ants and watching silly television reruns. That was familiar and thus, comforting to read. I also enjoyed the fact that I got a real sense of the narrator's voice, and I loved that. I could instantly pick up the fact that he was young, eager, optimistic and chock full of ideas. I think I really connected with this story because I vividly remember being the exact same way. One summer, my sister got a pamphlet in the mail, saying that she had the potential to go into modeling. Though it was a scam at the time, my summer was free, and my sister and I dedicated part of our summer attempting to set up a car wash services and lemonade stand to raise money. We all need to start somewhere. For Gary, the first step was getting his siblings to dress more formally for dinner. For me and my sister, the first step for me was advertising and getting our parents to let us wash their car. Because we were young--both me, my sister and Gary Soto--we were so enthralled and hopeful. We denied all reality to achieve our goals at the time.
     I thought Gary's nine-year-old perspective of TV was really unique and fascinating. He says, "This was the summer when I spent the mornings in front of the television that showed the comfortable lives of white kids. There were no beatings, no rifts in the family. They wore bright clothes; toys tumbled from their closets. They hopped into bed with kisses and woke up to glasses of fresh orange juice" (29). This really got to me. Ever since I was diagnosed with Diabetes, I wanted a similar thing; I wanted perfection and simplicity. It was obviously much easier wished for than granted. Even to this day, I strive for perfection. I am learning though that reality has room for mistakes and that life isn't scripted like a television show is. And as much as we hate to admit it, it's true.
     I also was taken back by the fact that television shows portrayed the easy, "perfect" lifestyles of the "whites." Gary Soto goes on to say something ground-breaking: "I tried to convince [my siblings] that if the way we improved the way we looked we might get along better in life. White people would like us more" (30). I was intrigued by the fact that Gary connected an attractive appearance with an attractive lifestyle; he thought the two went hand-in-hand. This obviously was a time period during which skin color yielded discrimination and experiences, so of course, in a way, appearance did influence the type of life led. I wondered what it must have been like to have been a Mexican American during that time period and how that would have compared to have grown up as a Caucasian American at the time.
     Towards the end of the story, Gary Soto briefly discusses his sister's "profanity stage." I loved this part and laughed aloud to myself as I read it because I know exactly what he is talking about. I remember my friends and my sister going through the same phase. My heart skipped a beat the first times I heard my close friends and sister curse. Why were they growing up so fast? That was something I feared as a child.
     I thought this story was well-written, discussing a very interesting issue. This thematic concept of familial perfection yielding societal acceptance was quite evident. I thought Gary Soto really conveyed a strong and youthful point of view for the reader to pick up on and relate to, and I really enjoyed that. I liked the fact that I could reflect back to my younger years.