Gary Soto The Pie Analysis

Gary Soto’s Sin

Coming from a devout Catholic family, Gary Soto encountered the ultimate sin as a six-year-old when he was tempted by a delicious apple pie. But his guilt is expressed in more than just a frown; through his tremendous writing, Soto practically transforms his guilt into its own being. His attention to detail in each description demonstrates his ability to carry the reader through his writing, from the imagery behind his guilt sweat to the repetition of hearing the plumbing “howl”. In some ways, the readers themselves begin to feel guilty right alongside Soto. Written from the perspective of Soto’s childhood self, the story vividly details the sickening guilt that follows him after he steals an apple pie.

Gary Soto’s use of

biblical allusions amplifies the guilt of his six-year-old self, demonstrating how the guilt gradually begins to devour him. One prominent example is the description of “a squirrel [that] nailed itself high on the trunk, where it forked into two large bark-scabbed limbs.” (14-15). The description blatantly describes that of the crucifix with Jesus nailed to the cross, which Soto seems to acknowledge. For six-year-old Soto to have noticed this subtle reference, he must have felt enough guilt to create this notion himself. Symbols have no meaning unless they are given meaning, so his acknowledgement of the crucifix exposes his guilt for stealing the pie. Another biblical allusion is written when Soto refuses to share his pie with Cross-Eyed Johnny. “[Johnny] swallowed and said in a whisper, ‘Your hands are dirty’” (35) As if the name “Cross-Eyed Johnny” was not an allusion enough on its own, the bloody hands also play a role in the the Bible story of Pontius Pilate. Pilate, reluctant to execute Jesus, eventually gives in to the crowd’s urges by killing him. But after doing so, he washes his hands in front of the crowd to show that he is not responsible for Jesus’s death. Similarly, Soto tries to convince himself that he is guileless while still eating pie and clearly committing the “sin”. He begins to relate himself to the Pontius character through the stories’ parallels, realizing that the theme of guilt is bigger than just a kid eating pie. In the Bible, at least, the theme of guilt paints the character as a sinner and a horrendous monster. Soto is far from a monster, but his own association with the crucifixion of Jesus makes him question his morality to God.
The repetition of the “plumbing that howled” (3) and the “shadows of angels” (2) also helps readers catch a glimpse of Soto’s guilty conscience breaking down as he steals the pie.

In such a short text, the plumbing is referenced three times and the shadows are referenced four times. Each phrase is immediately stated in the first paragraph, acting as a warning to Soto. The howls from plumbing symbolize God’s warnings to not steal the pie, whereas the shadows of the angels symbolize Soto’s potential for goodness (however, the shadow is merely potential because it is not tangible). As the story progresses, the references to plumbing and shadows repeat more and more, emphasizing Soto’s need for God’s help as he gives into his gluttony. By the last paragraph, Soto “[decides] to crawl underneath [his] house and lie in the cool shadows listening to the howling sound of plumbing” (47-48). While the biblical references provide insight for Soto to acknowledge the guilt he faces, the repetition of the howls and shadows provides readers a look into how Soto feels. When a person feels guilty, their minds tend to revolve around their wrongdoing. The repetition brings the sense that Soto’s mind is spinning from guilt, and he starts to relive all of his shame as he becomes more sinful. Everywhere he turns, he cannot escape from the shadows and plumbing that remind him to be a good Christian

boy.
In the story, Soto’s inventive references to moisture help recreate the tense experience of stealing a pie. Whether it is sweat, water, tears, or even the “wet finger-dripping pieces” (24) of pie, these wet substances give readers a feeling of griminess and dirtiness (just as the reference to bloody hands does). Moisture is first mentioned when Soto sees the pies, “[his] sweet tooth gleaming and the juice of guilt wetting [his] underarms.” (6). A stark contrast is also formed between the repetition of moisture with the more subtle reference to the warm or dry air. Another mention of moisture comes when he begins to taste the pie. Not only does he describe the pie as “slop” (23), but he also “[feels] like crying because it was about the best thing [he] had ever tasted” (24-25) Combined with the pure gluttony demonstrated by Soto, these descriptions definitely seem to be cringe-worthy. All of this wet material forms an aura of mugginess and dampness that makes readers feel unsettled and simply nasty, just as a guilty person feels. On top of that, the repetition drills the guilt into Soto’s head in so many different ways, beating his own conscience to death by the time he reaches home The moisture, with its suffocating and disgusting sensation, symbolizes the guilt that Soto cannot escape.
Although Soto’s first memory of guilt does not seem to be a huge crime, the biblical allusions and repetition of moisture magnify the dirtiness he feels in stealing a pie. The short story alludes to the crucifixion of Jesus and mentions his guilty moisture so many times that its presence becomes obvious at first glance. Every person makes mistakes and feels guilt for them. It is a natural reaction, but the way in which Soto writes his story allows readers to forget that he is writing from a child’s perspective. The transition from his boyish, over-the-top behavior to his more profound and reflective nature shows how much Soto learns by the end of the day.