The main theme of this story by Gary Soto is that there is honor in honest hard work, and accordingly no shame in having a manual or menial job. It also deals with some common social stereotypes. On the one hand we have Jose, representing the hard-working, down-to-earth, family-oriented Mexican working class; on the other, Arnie, representing an exploitative, materialistic, entitled Mexican middle class. Soto contrasts Jose’s hard work with Arnie’s fast-talking attempts to get a “free ride”. Jose bears his sun-darkened Mexican looks proudly; Arnie prefers to claim French heritage and a “Portuguese or Armenian” complexion.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (3,446 words)