2/25/13 post

2/20/13                                                                                                      Mexican White Boy pages 1-94

Dear Reader,

      The beginning of the book at the home run derby was very interesting.  There were many conflicts and I learned a lot about the characters.  I am very curious how the character's personalities and conflicts will portray throughout the book.  The fight at the end of the derby was very controversial.  It was an accident in my opinion.  I do not agree with Uno's outburst and I believe him punching Danny was childish and not necessary.  I understand the need to be protective of your family, but getting into a fight seriously?  What do you think in this situation, and what would you do?
 
      I learned a lot about the protagonist, Danny, in the beginning.  He is a shy person who never feels like he fits in with his family.  In the book it says," And Danny's brown.  Half-Mexican brown.  A shade darker than all of the white kids at his private high school, Leucadia Prep.  Up there, Mexican people are under-the-table yard work and hide out in the hills because they're here in San Diego illegally.  Only other people on Leucadia's campus who share his shade are the lunch-line ladies, the gardeners, the custodians.  But whenever Danny comes down here, to National City- where his dad grew up, where all his aunts and uncles and cousins still live- he feels pale.  A full shade lighter.  Albino almost" (Pena, 2).  Here I felt as though I could really understand Danny.  I sympathized him because it must be hard in life to never feel like he belongs.  I feel as though this will be a huge conflict throughout the novel; it could present a theme about finding out who you are and the struggles of excepting yourself.  What is your opinion of Danny and have you ever been in a similar situation where you don't feel like you belong?

      I find Uno annoying and very immature.  He acted very childish when Danny almost beat his record in the derby.  He is a bad sport who can't lose; I believe he can't lose so he had to cheat by throwing Danny had pitches to hit.  He can't face losing and seems to be all about his reputation.  Uno also seems to over react to a situation. He didn't need to get in a fight with Danny because Danny accidently hurt his stepbrother, Manny.  I believe this action was really immature and irresponsible of Uno.  On pages 20-22 I really saw the jealousy and rudeness of Uno towards Danny.

     There is a major conflict between Uno and Danny.  Uno just goes and punches Danny, and I believe that the conflict will be seen throughout the novel.  I believe that this conflict will be seen throughout the novel.  I am very curious on how the conflict will be resolved.  If it ever gets resolved; I wonder if Danny and Uno could become friends or will they remain enemies.  The fight was awful and I wonder if Danny could forgive Uno.  The novel says, " Uno's already stepping forward with all his weight, delivering an overhead right that smashes flush into Danny's face" (Pena 24).  Here is when I believe the conflict unfold and a real issue occurs.  What is your opinion of the fight?

      I felt like I saw Danny's life at home in the very last chapter.  I learned a lot about his mom and the life she wants to live.  I also noticed that Danny isn't to enthusiastic about San Francisco like his mother.  This could become another conflict.  In the chapter it is written, "God, Danny boy, I think this man might be the one.  I mean it, honey.  I think this might be it for your crazy mom" (Pena 94).

      Danny's mother is a very happy but at the same time she is kind of selfish; even though she doesn't mean it.  She is so wrapped up in her life that it almost seems she has forgotten Danny's father.  Wendy really loves  San Francisco, but isn't thinking about what the children might want.  When Wendy is talking to Danny Wendy says, "Things couldn't be better to tell you the truth.  San Francisco is such a gorgeous city.  My God. The fog rolling through the hills, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the amazing shopping, all the different restaurants.  And the culture, hon. ... But it's not like that here in San Francisco.  Here, everybody lives together" (Pena 93).

      While Wendy is enjoying the city it seems that Danny is dreading San Francisco.  I saw a lot in Danny's character in this chapter.  He is upset that with his mom for moving on from his Dad.  This is like the novel Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman.  In the novel Paul, the protagonist's brother is mad at his father for leaving the family.  In both books a character is mad at a parent because of a divorce or separation.  After the phone call with his mom Danny thinks to himself "How could his mom do this to his dad? He wants nothing to do with her ever again.  He doesn't care if he has to sleep on a cot the rest of his high school career. He's not going back with her" (Pena 94).  What do you think of Danny's reaction how would you react?

      There really wasn't a lot of hard vocabulary in this book.  I believe the hardest words were in Spanish.  But if you are fluent in Spanish then you won't have a hard time reading this book.  I used a translator though and have increased my Spanish vocabulary.  Which I find fascinating too increase your knowledge in a new language.  As someone who has grown up in the United States I believe it is very important to know another language you never know when you might have to communicate with someone who doesn't know English.  I found it enjoyable to increase my vocabulary in Spanish from this book.

Sincerely,
Lauren Abbott