Mexican WhiteBoy

Pages 95-155

3/3/13

Dear Reader,

In Mexican WhiteBoy from pages 95-155, Danny and Uno change and learn to work together.

 

Throughout this section of the novel we find out that Uno apologizes for hittimg Danny. Why did he apologize to Sofia and not directly to Danny? Uno says this to Sofia, “‘I mean’t to tell you, man. I apologize, you know. For jumping you boy a few weeks back. I just…you feel me? It messed with my head seeing my brother’s face all bloody like that”’ (103). In this quote Uno tells Sofia that  he’s sorry for hitting Danny when he threw the baseball bat and it broke Manny’s nose. I think that Uno should have apologized directly to Danny.

 

Danny and Uno change from enemies to friends through baseball. Uno offers to catch while Danny pitches. They help each other out so that they can both follow their dreams. Uno wants to move in with his dad but needs money in order to do so. Danny wants to find his dad in Mexico but needs money to buy a plane ticket. Uno proposes the option of making money in the derbys to Danny and Danny accepts the offer. They practice together everyday, Danny pitching and Uno catching. In the first derby, Danny fails to strike out Carmelo Esposito. Uno helps Danny overcome his fear of pitching in front of people. Danny always freezes and Uno helps him clear his mind to strike out batters. Is Uno just being friendly to Danny to get money or is he actually trying to be friends with him?   

 

Mexican culture plays a big role in Mexican WhiteBoy. For example, Uno, Sofia and a bunch of her friends where going to see a movie and invited Danny. Uno then says ‘“What up, girl? Your boy can’t get no invite. This movie’s only for full-on Mexican’s? They can’t let nobody in if he got a drop of brother?”’(117). In order for Danny to watch the movie he has to sneak in. What I didn’t understand is that Danny was able to buy popcorn and drinks without a problem. He never got caught for not being 100% Mexican. I think that excluding people just because of their race is wrong. Discrimination of any kind is unfair.  Danny should have been allowed into the movies.

 

I feel that by the end of the book Danny will finally talk to Liberty and ask her on a date. Danny’s cousin Sofia is trying to set Danny and Liberty up because Danny likes her. It is getting obvious from the readers standpoint that Danny really likes Liberty. When Danny gets up to buy popcorn and drinks he realizes that Sofia asked him to buy those items at the exact time Liberty was buying food. He starts to freeze when he sees Liberty, and it’s obvious in this quote. “She gives him another smile, one that slices up all the organs in his stomach. He looks right in her eyes and feels a sharp pain in his middle, like when you look in the eyes of a little baby” (122). This is a normal feeling for a person who sees their crush. I believe that Danny will eventually talk to Liberty without freezing and ask her on a date.

I always get really confused when Danny writes to his father. In his letters he writes lies about his life. One of the lies he tells his father in the letters is about dating Liberty. This is what Danny writes, “By the way, she’s really amazing, Dad. Liberty, I mean. And smart. We talk about everything. Last night she told me she’s gonna go to college wherever I get drafted. She wants to make it work no matter what happens. Like I told you before, she’s from Mexico, so you’ll totally get along with her” (135). Danny lies about having a girlfriend and talking to her about those subjects. I think he tells his dad these things so that his dad will approve of his life and love him. Why do you think that he lies to his dad?

 

So far I have enjoyed reading Mexican WhiteBoy. I'm looking forward to what events await in the rest of the novel.

Sincerely,
Sara Houle