3/24/13                                                            Mexican White Boy pages 225-247

Dear Reader,                                                                        

      I am heartbroken that this book has come to an end. To be honest, I didn't expect Mexican White Boy was going to be a great book when I first received it. When I looked at the cover and saw an illustration of a pitcher surrounded by graffiti, I predicted that this book was going to be all about a baseball player. How boring! I've read ten books with that same plot. Luckily, this book was so much more than just baseball. It taught me the significance of family, relationships and culture. This book helped me better understand who I was as a person. I guess you can say that I made a huge mistake when I judged this book by its cover. How has this book influenced you?

      I don't know about you, but I find Pena's use of figurative language quite ingenious. His excellent use of similes help enhance the novel and engage me into reading further. During the hustle against Kyle Sorenson, Danny "delivers a fastball that burrows through the strike zone like a groundhog...a curve that sizzles like flat soda, a knuckle that dances across stage like a pantomime" (Pena 234-235). In this example, Pena's amazing use of similes helps clearly explain the effects of Danny's different types of pitches. Comparing the "dancing" of Danny's knuckleball to a pantomime's dancing helps me understand how wildly this pitch moved across the strike zone. The comparison of Danny's fastball burrowing into the strike zone to the burrowing of a groundhog helps explain how fast this pitch entered Uno's glove. I believe that I can write more effectively after absorbing Pena's use of figurative language. What literary element did you enjoy the most in this book?

      Danny's relationship with Uno is reminiscent of the relationship I possess with my best friend Isaac. Like Danny and Uno, my relationship with Isaac started off with a major conflict. Two years ago, I was playing a one-on-one basketball game against him at the park. Frustrated by losing in the game, Isaac viciously elbowed me in the nose. As I saw the streams of blood jetting out of my nose, I tackled him and punched him in the face. Other kids in the park had to break up the fight between Isaac and I. A month after the fight, I saw Isaac playing basketball in the park again. I decided to forget about the past and join him in a basketball game. In the months to follow, we teamed up to hustle other kids in the park by challenging them to two-on-two basketball games. Just like Danny and Uno, our hustles brought us closer together as friends. Isaac is now my best friend and he is always there for me when I need someone to talk to. Have you ever hustled another person?

      I was proud of Danny when he finally found the courage to speak up for himself. When Uno declares that Danny is ready to challenge Kyle Sorenson, a future MLB star, a player on Leucadia Prep asks Danny, "You don't really wanna challenge Kyle, do you?" (Pena 230). Instead of shying away from the question, Danny replies, "Yeah, I do" (Pena 230). This depicts how Danny is no longer hesitant to let others know what he believes. A few months prior to this summer, Danny wouldn't even imagine standing up for himself. Back then, he was more comfortable with keeping his comments to himself and avoiding any type of confrontation. Additionally, this instance proves how Danny has gained confidence in his pitching since visiting National City. By learning how to clear his mind from Uno, Danny has learned how to consistently pitch at an exceptional level. I believe that this this has allowed him to be fearless of any baseball player that he hustles. Do you agree with me?

      When Uno asked Danny if he wanted to visit his father in prison, Danny replied, "I wanna go" (Pena 246). This surprised me because I thought Danny wanted nothing to do with his father when he found out his father was in jail. Prior to discovering this fact at the Padres' game, Danny was planning to find his father in Ensenada, Mexico. In my opinion, I believed Danny would be reluctant to reunite with his father because it would bring him a massive amount of pain to see his father locked up in jail. Additionally, I don't understand why Danny wants to visit his father after he decided to abandon Danny's family. How would you feel if your father abandoned your family? Would you want to reunite with him?

      Throughout the novel, I believe that Pena has done an excellent job in proving how culture shapes your identity as a person. Dancing and creating memories are a big part of the Mexican-American culture. Pena incorporates this into the novel when Sofia "leads Liberty onto the living room rug, where they dance to a string of Jay-Z songs...Uno finds an old-school Polaroid camera in a cupboard by the plates and starts taking everybody's picture" (Pena 242). The Mexican-American culture possessed by Uno, Danny, Liberty and Sofia affect how they interact with one another in life. Another aspect of life that culture impacts is the type of food you eat. After the failed hustle with Kyle Sorenson, Uno and Danny are "sitting at Uncle Tommy's kitchen table with Sofia and Liberty, finishing up a pan of chicken enchiladas with refried beans and rice" (Pena 240-241). These characters are eating this type of food because it is a popular Mexican dish.

      Overall, I thought this was an amazing book that I would recommend to all of my friends. I'm going to miss writing to you about all of the exciting events in this book.

                                                                                                         Sincerely,
                                                                                                                         Ankit