Analyze through close-reading one of two dreaming scenes: either Guálinto's daydreaming in the banana tree grove (pp. 66-69) Then select one historical event woven into the scene and explain how that history enables us to make sense of Guálinto/George as a character.
You will need to complete the following steps:
- Explicate the scene with careful attention to the movement of the language. Select, for example, a recurring figure, use of punctuation, etc. OR select one or two representative sentences and explain their significance for the passage as a whole
- Identify the historical content of that scene (you may want to reference outside sources here; if so, be sure that you either cite or hyperlink them)
- Identify what characterizes Guálinto at the respective stages of his emerging identity
- Explain how all of these factors coincide to make Guálinto's choices and actions meaningful in the context of the narrative.
"Why don't you try to kill me, eh? Because you shoot people in the back. Because you kill unarmed men and little children. Go back to your camp and tell old man Keene that Guálinto Gómez doesn't kill men who won't fight." He was very brave and fair. He was not afraid to fight and generous to wait for other to fight. He was angry because "
You have killed another Mexican who never hurt you." He heard the story about rinches from family. So that he didn't think they were right and wanted to fight for injustice
and heart for revenge. But in his daydream, at first, he did not start to just fight or kill others."
Guálinto Gómez doesn't kill men who won't fight."
And later he was killing that shows how much he wanted to be stand up for right thing and revenge on rinches for killing Mexicans.
I believe that this scene of daydream is foreshadowing that he will be a big person who would fight for justice like his daydreaming.
You demonstrate a genuine interest in the scene, and you make the astute point that he despite his sense of fairness, he is frightened by the damage he does to the tree.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the nature of that fear, though? Is it just about being caught? You might think, for example, of the extent to which this scene foreshadows the scene in which he actually does stab Chucho, and he comments that the bloodstains on his shirt look just like sap from a banana tree.
Also, what is the historical content/significance of this scene? How does it suggest what Gualinto thinks about himself and his emergent identity? How does it affect the reader's perception of him?