Gary Soto’s The Jacket

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All of us pass through adolescence before reaching adulthood. It is a crucial stage in everyone’s life that plays a big role in the adult life. “The Jacket” is a representation of Gary Soto’s adolescent life. It is a short story depicting his hardships as an adolescent as he battled with peer pressure and low self-esteem or lack of confidence caused by the ugly green jacket. The jacket serves as a symbol of his personal battles, growth, maturity, and his readiness to face the cold and harsh challenges in his life. The narrator strongly claimed that his clothes have failed him when he recalled the green jacket he wore on his fifth and sixth grade. He believed that instead of looking like a champion, his day-old guacamole colored jacket has embarrassed him that lead him to think it has failed him (Soto, 473). He had actually hoped and requested to his mom a different jacket. It is the kind of jacket that the bikers wear which is black leather and silver stud with enough belts that will make him look brave. But disappointment struck him when he found an ordinary green jacket instead. He stared at the jacket and wanted to cry because to him it was ugly and so big. Moreover, he knew he will have to bear with the fact that he will be wearing that ugly jacket for a very long time. For a brief moment he was still in denial and was expecting it was his brother’s jacket. Acceptance came later since he has no other choice but to wear it. With a heavy heart he slipped into his jacket and decided to head out of the house. On his way out he played and teased his dog Brownie, who in return bit him and accidentally ripped a portion of his left sleeve. It was his first unlucky day and he started thinking things happen because of his claim that t... ... middle of paper ... ...roach to writing Sentences and Paragraphs. 2nd Ed. Chris Juzwiak. Boston. 2009. 473-475. Print. Kiran-Esen, Binnaz. "Analyzing Peer Pressure And Self-Efficacy Expectations Among Adolescents." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 40.8 (2012): 1301-1309. Academic Search Premier”. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Sae-Young, Han, and Kim Yeon-Hwa. "Interpersonal Rejection Experiences And Shame As Predictors Of Susceptibility To Peer Pressure Among Korean Children." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 40.7 (2012): 1213-1231. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Singleton, Laura. “Developmental Differences And Their Clinical Impact In Adolescents.” British Journal of Nursing 16.3 (2007): 140-143. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov 2013. World Health Organization. “Health Topics: Adolescent Health.” www.who.int.com n.d. Web. 11 Nov 2013.

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